The linux setup for everyone (freeware with GUI only and distro recommendations)

Darlene Sonalder
Darlene SonalderList by Darlene Sonalder, last updated 
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  1. sfxia icon

    sfxia

     Like

    To generate retro sound fx ^^

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    sfxia screenshot 1
  2. Audacity icon

    Audacity

     Like

    If you need to quickly transform or manipulate a sound file audacity is the way to go !

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • AppImageHub
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    Editing Audio
    Audacity 2.2.0 in default Light theme running on Windows 10
    Recording with Audacity 2.2.0 in Dark theme on Windows 10
    +4
    Audacity 2.2.0 MIDI playback running on macOS
  3. MuseScore Studio icon

    MuseScore Studio

     Like

    If you want to compose / write music partition this open source app is awesome !

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    MuseScore 4.0
    Old screenshot of MuseScore 3.0
    Old screenshot of MuseScore 3.0
    +1
    Old screenshot
  4. Waveform icon

    Waveform

     Like

    A complete and free (as free beer) cross-platform DAW that might surprise you !

    Worth mentioning : LMMS icon LMMS FOSS REAPER icon REAPER Free Trial then cheap more oriented to sound engineer or enthousiast

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Waveform screenshot 1
    Waveform screenshot 1
    Waveform screenshot 2
    +1
    Waveform screenshot 3
  5. Mixxx icon

    Mixxx

     Like

    If you want to play music like a DJ this free and open source tool supports tons of decks from different brands !

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Haiku
    Mixxx screenshot 1
    Mixxx screenshot 1
  6. FreeCAD icon

    FreeCAD

     Like

    3D CAD for free :)

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flatpak
    FreeCAD screenshot 1
    FreeCAD screenshot 1
    FreeCAD screenshot 2
    +5
    FreeCAD screenshot 3
  7. Foliate icon

    Foliate

     Like

    A modern eBook reader for Linux

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    Foliate screenshot 1
    Foliate screenshot 1
    Foliate screenshot 2
    +3
    search feature

  8. Productivity

  9. ONLYOFFICE icon

    ONLYOFFICE

     Like

    Open source alternative to Microsoft 365 Copilot icon Microsoft 365 Copilot

    Worth mentioning : LibreOffice icon LibreOffice

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • HUAWEI AppGallery
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • AppImageHub
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Samsung Galaxy Store
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Flatpak
    • Cloudron
    ONLYOFFICE screenshot 1
    ONLYOFFICE screenshot 1
    ONLYOFFICE screenshot 2
    +7
    ONLYOFFICE screenshot 3
  10. espanso icon

    espanso

     Like

    An open source, cross-platform text expander written in Rust.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    espanso screenshot 1
    espanso screenshot 1
  12. Fluent Reader icon

    Fluent Reader

     Like

    A modern UI for your RSS feed :D

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Fluent Reader screenshot 1
    Fluent Reader screenshot 1
  14. Obsidian icon

    Obsidian

     Like

    Super powerful note making workflow ! Second brain for your PC

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Safari
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Obsidian screenshot 1
    Obsidian screenshot 1
    Obsidian screenshot 2
    +4
    Obsidian screenshot 3
  15. Signal icon

    Signal

     Like

    I use this one as a way to quickly share small files, pictures, ideas and links securely between my phone and my PC !

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Flathub
    • Ubuntu
    • Debian
    Signal screenshot 1
    Signal screenshot 1
    Signal screenshot 2
    +4
    Signal screenshot 3
  16. Zotero icon

    Zotero

     Like

    Zotero help you collect, organize, manage, search and cite your research sources or books.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Safari
    • Microsoft Word
    • Google Docs
    • LibreOffice
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Zotero screenshot 1
    Zotero screenshot 1
    Zotero screenshot 2
    +2
    Zotero screenshot 3
  17. VSCodium icon

    VSCodium

     Like

    If I have to do some code I use this telemetry-free Visual Studio Code fork.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Electron
    • Snapcraft
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    VSCodium screenshot 1

  18. Privacy & Security

  19. Bitwarden icon

    Bitwarden

     Like

    My password manager and you should use one too !

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Apple Watch
    • Snapcraft
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Vivaldi
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Microsoft SQL Server
    • Tor Browser
    • Safari
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Flatpak
    • Cloudron
    • Opera
    • Chocolatey
    • Mono
    • Brave
    • Mozilla Firefox
    • Docker
    Bitwarden screenshot 1
    Bitwarden screenshot 1
    Bitwarden screenshot 2
    +10
    Bitwarden screenshot 3
  21. Mullvad icon

    Mullvad

     Like

    If Tor does not fit my use case I use this VPN !

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • F-Droid
    • WireGuard
    • Tor
    • OpenWrt
    • Tomato
    • pfSense
    • DD-WRT
    Mullvad screenshot 1
    Mullvad screenshot 1
    Mullvad screenshot 2
    +10
    Mullvad screenshot 3
  23. VeraCrypt icon

    VeraCrypt

     Like

    To encrypt your disks or partitions.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    Langage
    VeraCrypt screenshot 1
    Encrypted volume wizard. Step 1.
    +8
    Encrypted volume wizard. Step 3.
  24. GnuPG icon

    GnuPG

     Like

    GNU Privacy Guard is encryption software for files and emails.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    • Xfce
    • OpenPGP
    GnuPG Shell running GnuPG on Windows
  25. ExifCleaner icon

    ExifCleaner

     Like

    To remove metadata from your pictures.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    ExifCleaner screenshot 1
    ExifCleaner screenshot 1
    ExifCleaner screenshot 2
    +1
    ExifCleaner screenshot 3

  26. More tools

  29. PeaZip icon

    PeaZip

     Like

    If you need an archive tool.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Chrome OS
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    PeaZip
    Archive creation
    Archive extraction
    +4
    PeaZip on macOS
  30. Stellarium icon

    Stellarium

     Like

    To look at the sky on your PC !

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    The dance of the planets above ESO headquarters, near Munich.
    Constellation lines & art are available for multiple cultures
  31. Ksnip icon

    Ksnip

     Like

    Advanced screenshoting tool

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    Annotations
    Snipping area with magnifying glass
    Snipping area
    +6
    Ksnip screenshot 3
  32. PureRef icon

    PureRef

     Like

    If you work only on one screen this one is a must as it allow you to have a window always on top where you can place images and create moodboards. It's pay what you want so you can put 0 and it will be free ^^

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    PureRef screenshot 1
  34. guiscrcpy icon

    guiscrcpy

     Like

    If you want to interact or record your Android icon Android screen from your PC.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Chrome OS
    • scrcpy
    guiscrcpy demo
    guiscrcpy screenshot 1
    guiscrcpy screenshot 2
    +1
    guiscrcpy screenshot 3
  37. OnionShare icon

    OnionShare

     Like

    Share large file securely over the Tor Network

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    OnionShare screenshot 1
    OnionShare screenshot 1
    OnionShare screenshot 2
    +14
    OnionShare screenshot 3
  38. Ventoy icon

    Ventoy

     Like

    To make multi-ISO bootable USB drive

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    Ventoy screenshot 1
  43. Piper icon

    Piper

     Like

    If you want to configure your mouse.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Flatpak
    Piper screenshot 1
    Piper screenshot 1
    Piper screenshot 2
    +1
    Piper screenshot 3
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