I’m subscribed to a bunch of Linux-focused websites and subreddits. I love reading articles about peoples setup, applications they use, and how they customized it. It has taught me a great deal about Linux and as a newcomer into the OS. I’d like to contribute back by sharing what I use. Keep in mind that many applications I use focus on web development.

Images

Flameshot: I replaced the default screenshot tool with Flameshot. Pressing Print Screen now opens Flameshot.As someone that often works with clients, I needed a tool that quickly captures screenshots and gives me the ability to add boxes, arrows, text, etc. The addition of optionally uploading to Imgur is a nice touch too.

GIMP: It’s not my favorite image manipulation tool but it gets the job done. I’ve used Photoshop for so many years that I’m having a hard time transitioning to a new app.

Avocode: I really miss using Sketch on MacOS. Avocode has been a good replacement. I was worried that my Sketch files would no longer work but I’m glad Avocode supports them, including AI files. I like to keep my designs organized and in sync with clients or other designers.

Internet

1Password X: I’ve been a 1Password customer for a long time and did not want to switch. I was worried that 1Password did not have a desktop app for Linux. It’s not super clear on their website but they have a browser extension called 1Password X that runs entirely within the browser. My phone is a nice backup for that though. (Edit: earlier version of the article mentioned 1Password extension could not be accessed offline. I learned from the 1Password team that you can see your items offline)

Thunderbird Email Client: This is new to me as before I was using Postbox on MacOS. The UI isn’t as pretty as Postbox but I like that it’s open-sourced and in reality it has all the features I need from an email client.

Insync: It’s confuses me why Google Drive is not supported on Linux. Insync allows me to manage my Google Drive from my desktop and syncs very well. It has more options than the default backup app Google provides for MacOS. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have HiDPI support so I need to switch to LoDPI to see the GUI window.

Firefox and Brave and these extensions.

Visual Studio Code: Huge fan. I may need to write an entirely separate article on the extensions I use here.

VVV: An open source Vagrant configuration for developing with WordPress. I debated for awhile if I should run WordPress directly on my machine rather than using Vagrant or Docker. I like the idea of isolating my WordPress development and no need to mess with configuring a local web server on my OS.

Web Development

Boostnote: The note-taking app for programmers that focuses on markdown, snippets, and customizability.

Tilix: Tilix is an advanced GTK3 tiling terminal emulator that follows the Gnome Human Interface Guidelines. Tiling and grouping terminals is something I use often.

fish shell: Finally, a command shell that is user-friendly and can understand. I brought over a few small customization’s on the MacOS over to Linux. Here’s my gist if you’re interested. I cannot live without auto-suggestions and tab completions.

Linux Specific

Pop!_OS: Operating system

LibreOffice: I edit most documents online via Google Drive but occasionally I need to quickly open a document or edit it offline.

OpenWeather: A simple extension for displaying weather informations from several cities in GNOME Shell.

Wireshark: My dream is to one day understand this app. It seems to be the only alternative to Little Snitch. It’s not as easy to use though.

Wine: This amazing piece of software allows me to run Windows applications on Linux.

Misc

Messaging: Signal, Telegram, Slack, Skype, and Discord

Gaming: Steam, Lutris, and RetroArch