Desktop software

Archived

This page has been archived and will receive no further updates.

Notes:

• In general, these will be listed in order of preference
• Open-source unless otherwise noted

Audio editor

• Audacity

Blogging client

• Blogilo

FTP/SFTP client

• FileZilla
  • Cross-platform

IDE (Integrated Development Environment)/code editor

• Eclipse
  • Excellent for coding in all kinds of languages, including PHP, Perl, Python, Java, C...
  • Written in Java
  • Disadvantage (over Netbeans): necessary to install separate plugins for some tasks, such as SVN repository connectivity
  • Advantages (over Netbeans): plugins available for almost anything, like Android development, more widely used
• IntelliJ IDEA
  • The basis for the new Android Studio IDE
  • Community Edition available with fewer features than the paid edition
• Lime Text
  • In progress, very promising clone of Sublime Text
  • UI not yet ready, but should be much faster than Atom and Brackets
• Atom
  • Created by GitHub
  • Promising, but currently a bit sluggish (possibly because it's written in JavaScript)
• Brackets
  • Created by Adobe
  • Especially geared toward web development
• Komodo Edit
  • Base for commercial Komodo IDE

Image editor

• GIMP
  • Very powerful, somewhat steep learning curve
  • Useful tutorials here: http://blog.meetthegimp.org/
  • To install: http://askubuntu.com/q/134035/18665

LDAP client software

• LDAP Admin

  • Lightweight LDAP browser and editor
  • Linux port: https://github.com/ibv/LDAP-Admin

• Apache Directory Studio

  • LDAP browser, schema editor, LDIF editor
  • Designed specifically to work with Apache Directory Server, but will work with other LDAP servers as well
  • Works as an Eclipse plugin or as a standalone application

MP3 tagging

• Puddletag

Mockup/wireframe software

• Pencil
  • Cross-platform
  • Also available as a Firefox add-on: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/pencil/
  • Download for Ubuntu/Debian here: https://code.google.com/p/evoluspencil/downloads/list?can=2&q=deb

Note taking

• Gnote
  • Fast, stable

Photo organizer

• Shotwell
  • Written in Vala by Yorba team
  • Probably not as good as Picasa (yet)

Publishing software

• Scribus

Screenshot tool

• Shutter

Video editor

• Pitivi
  • Written in Python
  • Easy-to-use interface
• OpenShot
  • Written in Python
  • Easy-to-use interface
• Lightworks
  • Professional video editor (read: possibly harder to use) recently made open source, with professional plugins for sale

Video encoder/reencoder

• Handbrake
  • Very nice video encoder, easy to use
  • Presets for Android and Apple devices

Writing software

• FocusWriter
  • Distraction-free editor for writing documents