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Best Free Software for Linux
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Introduction
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While you can get the Linux system and use it for free, you can also run on the system a wide range of free applications such as well-known and commonly-used software including Firefox web browser and the OpenOffice application suite. Among various free applications, here you might find the best free software for Linux, including those products reviewed and recommended by our editors in the various sections. Other programs that work as potential alternatives to Windows applications or even perform better than them are also listed here for the benefit of users who migrate from Windows to Linux or run dual systems on their computers. |
Linux, occasionally referred to as GNU/Linux, is an open source and free operating system predominantly known for its use in servers, but has increasingly become commonplace in desktop, notebook and netbook computers in recent years after newer and enhanced versions of Linux distributions, Ubuntu or Linux Mint for example, are developed and offered free to users.|
Best Free Software for Linux - Page Index
(or click here to view as one huge page)
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This list of Best Free Software for Linux now includes 114 applications in 86 categories. To view all the categories, click the show/hide button on the right. To read brief descriptions of the applications, click a page number.
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What's New: Items added or updated most recently: |
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Related Links
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Tags
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best free software for Linux, top free software, best free software for Ubuntu, best free software for Linux Mint, best free software for Linux distros, Linux software, Linux applications, best free Linux software, best freeware for Linux, free applications for Linux, best free Linux applications, multi-platforms, cross platforms, cross platform software, multi platform software. |
- Article type:
- Review,
- Cleanup & Tuning,
- Software list,
- Desktop & GUI,
- Disk & File Utilities,
- Home & Office,
- Educational,
- Games and Diversions,
- Image View and Edit,
- PC Freeware,
- User contributed lists,
- Internet, Email & Messaging,
- Linux Freeware,
- Multimedia (CD, DVD, Video, Audio),
- Networking & File Transfer,
- Programming & Engineering,
- Security,
- System and Performance Info,
- System Utilities
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Comments
Update: Replaced Google Desktop Search with Recoll.
I am looking for a way to search for files from within Mint 12 GUI. This site recomends Google desktop but it has been discontinued. Any other sugestions?
Try this link. It should give you several options:
http://tuxradar.com/content/best-linux-desktop-search-tools
Comodo antivirus for linux, realtime scanning, free software!
This is still in beta and therefore not recommended for general use. Also, there is a requirement to sign in to the Comodo forum for access. If this has now changed, please provide a link here otherwise nothing further will happen with this at this stage.
GnomeDo should be added to this list as a competitor to Launchy, and DesktopNova should be added as a competitor to Wally.
Good suggestions Shuey. Both GNOME Do and DesktopNova are now added to the list.
I'm looking for a simple package for home use and wonder if anyone know such solution.
I want to use a small 7" touch pad with Linux. This unit will be installed right inside the entrance door and the whole family should use it to remember things when the arrive or leave the house.
Main problem is to have a user interface that fit a small 7" pad as it's made for communicating through touch. Hopefully the to-do-list can be updated from external PC inhouse, but no demand. It should also be easy to connect to another PC or internet to see the weather prognoses, etc by an icon to switch to another application.
Anyone knows any software that can be used for such small touch pad.
Joje (Norway)
If it has enough storage capacity you may want to try Linux mint. I am partial to Mint 'Julia' but Mint 11 is available although it uses gnome 3 which is not my cup-of-tea. Look here: linuxmint.com/
There is Puppy Linux which is small in size but may not be suitable for people new to linux. Look here: http://www.puppylinux.com/
Further info on linux platforms can be found here: http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=major
Hope this helps get you started
Good luck
Thanks.
I was in fact thinking of Mint, but have no replay from supplier of the pad if they have testes their hardware with this or other Linux versions (I do not want to use Android).
But as you say I'm rather new to Linux and want to start up with som "fail safe" :-D solution.
Thnaks for your suggestion. I will look into Mint and at the same time an Application software with a very simple user interface (mainly graphic).
LuckyBackup
Candidate for a Linux back up utility
I have been using FreeFileSync as a back up tool synchronizing my personal files weekly. I finally needed a reason to restore a folder I accidentally erased. I loaded FreeFileSync and switched directions to restore and executed the task. Results were a complete disaster. I thought I had done everything correctly and could not tell exactly what went wrong. I kind of feel the GUI although looks straight forward can be a bit tricky. Luckily I had made an Image and restored my system.
After doing some searching I found LuckyBackup:
http://www.liberiangeek.net/2011/02/schedule-backup-luckybackup-ubuntu-1...
Very nice and easy to use. When I did a test to restore, it worked perfectly.
There doesn't seem to be a great deal of free Linux backup utilities but so far LuckyBackup seems to work well and a possible candidate for Best Free Software For Linux list.
Cheers
Added LuckyBackup to the list and thanks Wdhpr for recommending this software.
The guy from Liberian Geeksays states their are allot of linux backup utilities. For starters Mint has one installed by default and its very limited. I also disagree that there are a many of them. From what I can tell many use resync as their core. Where as Window's has a ton of backup software.
Perhaps I need to look harder :\
Jojoyee
I noticed you didn't list a text editor. I would like to suggest EditPad Lite. You can install it using Wine. It works very well with Linux Mint Julia and has many more options than gedit. I have the latest version installed and running with no problems.
Heres EditPad Lites home page http://www.editpadlite.com/
Wdhpr
Thanks for your suggestion Wdhpr. Currently this list only includes native Linux software and it doesn't include software for Windows that can be run in Linux using Wine.
I thought it was ok because you listed imagBurn as best free cd/dvd burning software for Linux.
http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/4530/selection001tj.png
I guess if you feel its not a worthy candidate then it could be rejected on the merits.
You're spot on and that's a good catch Wdhpr. I was hesitated to add that to the list and it's now removed for consistency.
It might be a good idea to prepare a separate list of Windows programs that can be run ideally in Linux using Wine. Any volunteers?
"You're spot on and that's a good catch Wdhpr. I was hesitated to add that to the list and it's now removed for consistency."
Thats a shame because ImagBurn is a very good program that works nicely with the aid of Wine. Stands up to its Linux counterparts.
It looks as though there are 223 free to use apps and a ton of free and non-free games listed on the Wine web site. There is also a front end for Wine called PlayOnLinux which help people configure profiles for specific programs.
There are shareware front ends available but we won't get into that.
Its a large undertaking but with the number of people crossing over to Linux it would be a worthwhile project.
ditto
Your absolutely right about ImagBurn. A terrific burner, my default burner with Windows and Linux. I'm thinking your idea of a subcategory for Wine is a good one. My knowledge of Wine compatible software mostly applies to games although I do use a couple of apps one of them EditPad. I also found that that http://portableapps.com/ run fairly well with Wine which opens the door for allot of portable Windows apps.
Good comments Wdhpr. There are more than 17,000 applications in the Wine Application Database, but not all of them are aimed for free programs. It's worthwhile to have a review of the best free. If you're interested, please check out this page for more details.
well its nice to see i am not the only one leaving windows.
after 10 years of Windows it was time for a change.
i have used Windows ME,Windows XP, Windows Vista (for about 2wks lol) and Windows 7.
After trying a number of linux distros out from the live cd's i decided to go with Ubuntu 10.10.the reason i chose it is it seems to be the last of distro that has freedom to customize without any system crashes or major freeze ups.
Ubuntu, Linux Mint and PCLinuxOS made my top 3 favs.
I keep reading comments in this thread about going back to Windows and all I can say is "Try Linux Mint out before Ubuntu". It's the easiest Linux to migrate to from Windows. I'm a older chap who has used Windows since 3.1 to Win 7 and I'm never going there. [Shudder]
Mint is fantastic for a Linux noob like myself. It has great help forums and it just works. On my netbook I now run Puppy Linux, a much steeper learning curve but still a significant improvement over Win 7.
Had enough of windows. Just deleted my original vista to install Ubuntu. Had tried several times to use it installing alongside windows. But 15 year old habit dies hard and I ended up in windows. Now nowhere to go :)
I downloaded SuperOS (used to be Super Ubuntu) on a USB drive. I wiped the XP Pro off my old desktop and installed the SuperOS from the USB and have not had any problems with it to speak of. This OS has worked fine with the few learning curves I am going thru. The only OS I had any experience with was Windows (from 3.x on up to 7).
Hi, I think that there are so many more interesting programs for linux then this section gives justice to.
For instance, Uget being the lone download manager recommended for Linux.
There are a few good download managers for Linux.
Alot of them use command line though.
However you guys should check out FatRat. It's an awesome download manager, it puts a mouse trap on your desktop and you can drag download links into it. It can download torrents, it supports proxies,http,https and downloads from rapidshare and megaupload.
I think if you try FatRat, it will make it onto the featured download manager list in no time.
Thanks for your suggestion Linuxis. FatRat is now added to the list.
Hi MC,
I want to use a Linux distros alongside Windows XP in my PC. I had used Ubuntu in the past but had to uninstall it soon, after dip in system performance. Now i would like to try Linux Mint. I have two questions:
1) Is it possible to install Linux Mint in my PC and use it alongside XP? I have a 360GB drive with 4 portions on it.
2) How easy Linux Mint is to operate/use as compared to Ubuntu? I used Ubuntu as it was the easiest of all the Linux distros. I am still a beginner.
Thanks in advance.. :-)
Yes you can install linux mint along side win XP. The best way to do it is to have Win XP installed with a partition either empty and unformated or formated with Ext3 or Ext 4. Then install Linux Mint which will create a dual boot system with Linux booting up after 8 seconds if you do nothing. But with an option of choosing Win Xp. You have to be careful with installing to pick right partition. You can also run the Linux Mint CD or DVD before installing to make sure all your hardware works. Linux Mint is very easy to use and it is probably the easiest Linux distro to start on.
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