It seems like every blog on the internet has one of these, so here’s my picks for the top 20 Linux applications. I’ll be covering programs from all different categories that I think stand out and shine as true wonders of Linux and will be presented in no particular order. I’ll even go over a few that I think could use some work but have potential to be something great.



Audio/Video



1.K3B



K3B is KDE’s cd burning application and it has nearly every feature you’d want. It has an interface similar to Nero and its capabilities are on par with Nero. I use this application for all my burning needs. It is a standard program and should be in all major distributions’ package managers.



2.Audacity



Audacity is an audio editing software that lets you edit audio tracks quickly and easily and gives you a nice selection of default effects to modify your tracks. This is an excellent program for beginners that need to edit some audio for a home movie. It is also excellent for bands with low budgets to get some experience mixing and mastering their own tracks, I’ve heard some excellent sounding cds come as a result of Audacity.



3.Amarok



Amarok is an advanced media player for KDE. It features playlists, an equalizer, iPod support, video support, the Magnatune music store, album art, Wikipedia information for the selected band, Lyrics, a file browser to open tracks not yet in your library, last.fm support, custom themes, and alot more. Amarok is a full-featured product and can stand toe to toe with Windows Media Player.



4.DeVeDe



DeVeDe is a DVD ripping application with one of the simplest interfaces I’ve ever seen. You can burn it to disc, to an iso, or convert your video files to MPEG files. Quick and easy way to rip DVDs.



File Sharing



5.Deluge



Deluge has become my default torrent application. It has a simple interface but respectable options under the hood including encryption, plugins, and torrent creation. The protocol implementation in Deluge is impressive and transfer speeds are fast. Azureus is a good client, it has nice features and a well-designed interface but it is a memory hog. Deluge is the best Linux torrent client I’ve found and runs much faster and consumes far less resources than Azureus.



6.Tribler



An interesting combination of file sharing and social networking. It exists as a network of people who share their torrents and files and you can search for torrents right in the client. It’s basically taking web trackers out of the equation and creating a decentralized tracker. Features are a bit lacking and its still fairly buggy but its an interesting concept and could work if the app is nurtured well.



VoIP



7.mumble



mumble and murmur are open source alternatives to Teamspeak and Ventrilo. mumble is the client and murmur is the server. The interface is simple and intuitive, user management is handled in the client as of the latest svn release, and the sound quality is fantastic. The major kicker for this one is its efficient use of bandwidth. mumble uses significantly less RAM and bandwidth than either Teamspeak or Ventrilo. It is built on QT4 so you’ll need to get those extra libraries. This program could quite conceivably dethrone the big boys in their gaming VoIP dominance. mumble is available for both Linux and Windows so no matter which OS you game on, you can communicate with the rest of your friends.



Graphics



8.GIMP



The venerable GIMP has been around for a long time and has evolved into a serious competitor to Photoshop. I personally prefer to work in GIMP rather than Photoshop as most of the functions that I do alot are more easily accessible and the Script-Fu scripting language makes for easy creations of additional plugins. The interface can be a nuisance for some but once you get used to it, it’s hard to go back to Photoshop. Available for Linux and Windows.



9.Blender



Blender is a 3d modeling program in the vein of 3D Studio Max and Maya but with a unique interface which is daunting at first glance but very intuitive and easy to use once you get the hang of it. Many game designers that have worked with commercial programs for years prefer Blender’s interface and the output is of the same quality as any of those expensive commercial offerings. Blender is a masterpeice of open source enginuity and really shines in its field. Available for Linux and Windows.



10.Inkscape



Inkscape is an open source illustration app that rivals Adobe Illustrator in terms of both functionality and features. Some of the best freelance vector artists on the net use Inkscape and their work is amazing.



11.Xara LX



Xara is another vector illustration program that some would say is even better than Inkscape. For most people, either will do but the hardcore vector artists have made their choice over either Inkscape or Xara. If you’re looking for an open source vector graphics program, you should try both to see which fits your needs better.



12.Scribus



Yet another illustration oriented application focusing on page layout. Many people swear by this app and for good reason. Its slough of features such as CMYK color make this a valid alternative for anyone, not only people who can’t afford Acrobat Pro.



Games



13.Alien Arena 2007



AA2k7 is a first person deathmatch shooter based off the Quake 2 derivative CRX engine. CRX is an advanced engine rivaling the Q3 and UT2.5 engines. It is set in a Sci-Fi world of Martians and Humans battling it out for control of the galaxy. AA2k7 features some of the fastest, most brutal deathmatch action ever created. It sports a large community of battle-hungry fraggers ready to take you down anytime. Tournaments and clan matches happen fairly often (Martian Mayhem Tournament is every Sunday at 6 PM EDT) but more clans are wanted. This community uses mumble for their in-game voice chat solution. This game is available for both Linux and Windows.



14.Nexuiz



Nexuiz is another deathmatch brawl but it stems from the Darkplaces engine, a Quake 1 derivative engine that features many of the same eye candy as more advanced engines. The developers have done a good job making the Q1 engine look so good and the game play so well. Gameplay is reminiscent of Quake 2 and the weapon selection is decent. The Nex community is also very skilled and very active.



15.Warsow



Warsow is a Quake 2 derivative but feels more like Quake 3. It sports cell shaded graphics, trick jumping, and lots of steady action on the servers. Gameplay is deathmatch speed and features nice weapons balance. This game is a member of the Esports Reality Gaming League and has received lots of attention from serious gamers. Most of the players are based in Europe and for Americans, it can be rather challenging to find suitable servers sometimes.



16.Neverball



Neverball is an open source Super Monkey Ball clone that will keep your attention for weeks. It takes a steady hand to maneuver your ball through the various levels and once you get to the harder levels, you’ll be gritting your teeth and sweating with suspense. There are some insanely difficult levels for Neverball called Mehdi’s levels that I cant even begin to get through but there are some raging fanatics out there that do speed runs through them! Neverball is pure fun and should accompany anyone’s game collection.



17.Neverputt



Neverball’s companion game, that concentrates on that oldest of family traditions, mini golf. It is simply a mini golf game set in the Neverball engine with some very fun and very challenging holes. This one is a great one for Dad if he’s a golfer and likewise should be a part of anyone’s gaming collection.



18.Unreal Tournament 2004



That’s right folks, Linux DOES have commercial game support! UT2k4 is one of the largest multiplayer games in existence and for good reason. Its fast deathmatch is classic and it sports lots of other very fun game modes. I won’t go into much detail about this one since it is such a big game and obviously well known. You can pick this sucker up on Amazon for less than $15 and comes with a Linux binary installer.



19.Quake 3 Arena



Another quality commercial game available for Linux that everyone knows. Q3A is arguably the best deathmatch game ever created. It set the standard for future deathmatch games and remains one of the most popular FPS games on the Internet. Whether it be an online game with a bunch of strangers, a clan party with your best buds, or arch rivals in a competition, Q3A is a timeless classic that will be played for years to come. You can pick this up for $10 if you look hard enough.



20.Cedega



Cedega is a fairly controversial application in the Linux community. It’s based off the open source Wine but charges a $5 monthly fee. While some think this is unfair to the Wine developers, Cedega contributes alot of code to their product and its not just a frontend. This is known to run many Windows games including Counterstrike, World of Warcraft, and Madden 07 along with hundreds of other games that I wont list here. Lots of gamers don’t realize that they have this option or are reluctant to pay the price but I assure you its worth it. For hardcore gamers, this is a great tool to have as it plays those Windows games better than Windows does much of the time because it doesn’t quite have support for some of the fancier things that DirectX can do so you get better framerates as a result.



I know this is only 20 apps and there are many more out there just waiting to work for you. Share your favorite Linux/OSS applications!



if you are interested check some more lists of linux games:

Top Ubuntu Linux Games



Top 21 Linux Games Of 2007