Transitioning from one operating system to another is not always an easy task. While desktop-focused operating systems look and feel similar to each other, the most impacting differences lie under the software/applications. This week we are going to provide the best and the most popular applications for the Linux operating system, each aiming for a different purpose for everyday usage. You can download those applications via the application store interface of your distribution, or use Terminal commands.
LibreOffice – Office software
LibreOffice is one of the most popular applications in the Linux operating system since Microsoft Office does not have a Linux version. LibreOffice has a very similar interface to Microsoft Office, providing Word, Excel, Powerpoint, SQL, and Visio alternatives at once. The file formats are also compatible with the original Office files, so you will most likely have no issues sending your presentations to your Office using co-workers.
GIMP – Image editing
GIMP is an amazing alternative to widely-used Adobe Photoshop. It is a very capable image editing software with a similar interface to Photoshop. It misses some of the AI-based features of Adobe Photoshop tho. However, the day-saver Content-Aware Fill feature can deliver better results than Photoshop in some cases. And it is completely free.
VirtualBox – Virtual machine
VirtualBox is virtualization software that allows running an alternative operating system in your Linux instance. It is a very nice alternative for VMware for Linux. It also allows installing Windows operating system in your Linux instance where you can simply use the original versions of the software we are currently listing.
Firefox – Web browsing
While most people prefer using the Google Chrome web browser, for Linux, you need an alternative for it since Chrome does not work on it. The best alternative for Google Chrome in Linux operating system is Firefox. And it is delivered by most of the distros by default. You might want to create a Firefox account to transfer your Chrome history, bookmarks, and passwords for a smoother transition.
Thunderbird – E-mail client
Most people just think about Microsoft’s Outlook when an e-mail client software is needed. But Thunderbird, from Mozilla, also delivers a smooth experience; sometimes even smoother compared to Outlook. Thunderbird can make use of plugins which enhances its capabilities. It is possible to integrate a calendar application by using Lightning as well.
VLC – Media player
VLC is one of the most capable media players among almost all the operating systems, including Linux. VLC can play every kind of video content, including MKV, without a hassle. VLC can utilize hardware decoding and it allows media streaming between devices quite easily as well.
Steam – Gaming
Well, Steam is currently universally the best gaming marketplace that offers thousands of options, including modes, community, reviews, and more. The users who decide to transition to Linux will have the option to install Steam. However, you might not be able to install your whole library since most of the games -sadly- still do not support Linux.