If you are looking for an alternative operating system, one of the first questions to ask yourself is: “what applications are available on this OS?” “. It can be the most reliable and the most secure of systems, if it offers no applications, it has no value.
I remember in the early 2000s, finding enough good apps on Linux was hard. Of course, there were a few equivalents, their development phase was so early that they couldn’t meet all my needs, at least not without having to work hard on them.
At the time, I was working in a company that practically only used Microsoft Office. I was the only person not using Office. Needless to say, using Star Office was complex. I had to tweak the formatting and templates all over the place to get it to work…and it didn’t really work.
Luckily, that was a metaphorical eternity ago. Today things are much different and there are many applications available on Linux, applications that are 100% capable of helping you stay productive, creative and efficient no matter what you are doing.
Let’s take a look at a few of these apps you might not know about (and some you might know about).
The alternative to Microsoft Office
This question is a bit tricky, because the days of locally installed office suites are almost a thing of the past…unless you’re on Linux. Of course, you can use Office 365 as much as you want on Linux. You can also use Apple Pages in iCloud, Google Docs, or any other cloud-based office suite. But when you need a local equivalent of Microsoft Office, where do you turn?
In a nutshell: LibreOffice. This complete office suite supports documents, spreadsheets, slides, drawings and formulas. LibreOffice is powerful, easy to use and fully compatible with MS Office file formats.
With LibreOffice, enjoy 6 free, open source, powerful, cross-platform and practical office tools, rivaling the biggest office suites.
- Downloads: 60
- Release date : 10/12/2022
- Author : The Document Foundation
- Licence : Free software
- Categories:
Office automation - Operating system : Linux – 32-bit Windows – XP/Vista/7/8/10/11 – 64-bit Windows – XP/Vista/7/8/10/11 – macOS (Apple Silicon) – macOS (Intel)
So if you have to collaborate with Office users and you’re worried that Linux has no equivalent, rest assured.
The alternative to Photoshop
Some would say that Photoshop simply has no equivalent. And for many, that is correct. Photoshop is, after all, the standard image editing tool today. And no matter the pleas of the community, Adobe will never port its software to Linux.
That’s okay, because Linux has GIMP, which stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program.
Take advantage of all the essential, rich and complete photo editing and image processing features of Gimp, open source and free software. Direct competitor of Photoshop!
- Downloads: 13
- Release date : 06/14/2022
- Author : The GIMP Team
- Licence : Free software
- Categories:
Multimedia – Photo – Leisure - Operating system : Linux – Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11 – Windows Portable – XP/Vista/7/8/10/11 – macOS
GIMP is a very powerful image editor that has many features to help you create all the images you or your business need. There aren’t that many plugins for GIMP, that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved. I’ve used GIMP to create book covers and such, and have rarely looked back on Photoshop.
The alternative to Zoom
Easy, Linux has an official Zoom client. Ok, it’s not free software, but it can be installed on almost any Linux distribution on the market. And the Linux version of Zoom works as well as the others.
The alternative to Slack
Linux also has a Slack app that can be installed via Snap or Flatpak. It’s simple as hello. A web version also exists.
The alternative to Chrome
This topic is tricky, because I don’t think anyone should use Chrome. However, I also know that it is the most used web browser in the world, by far. If you’re on Linux, consider using Firefox instead.
Free and open source, Mozilla Firefox is the most popular cross-platform web browser. Light, fast and customizable with the many extensions available, it is available on computers and on smartphones and tablets.
- Downloads: 63
- Release date : 11/15/2022
- Author : Mozilla Foundation
- Licence : Free software
- Categories:
Internet - Operating system : Android – Linux – Windows 32 bit – XP/Vista/7/8/10/11 – Windows 64 bit – XP/Vista/7/8/10/11 – Windows Portable – XP/Vista/7/8/10/11 – iOS iPhone / iPad – macOS
However, if this is not possible, you can install an official version of Chrome for Linux, or install its free equivalent Chromium.
The alternative to Spotify
It may surprise you, but Linux also has an official Spotify client, which can be installed via Snap packages or from the official Debian and Ubuntu distribution repositories.
The alternative to antivirus and anti-malware
You don’t need it. But, in case you’re overly paranoid, there are still versions of Kaspersky, Bitdefender, McAfee Antivirus, ESET, Comodo Antivirus, and Avast for Linux.
The essential antivirus to install on your computer (Windows, Mac or Linux) and your smartphones and tablets (Android and iOS) to protect all your files for free and effectively.
- Downloads: 36
- Release date : 11/16/2022
- Author : AVAST Software
- Licence : Free license
- Categories:
Security - Operating system : Android – Linux – Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10/11 – iOS iPhone / iPad – macOS
Of course, if you don’t like the idea of using a proprietary solution, there’s always the open source ClamAV solution.
The alternative to a media player
When you need to play local media, such as music and videos, the best available option is VLC Media Player.
Cross-platform, VLC media player is the reference free open source multimedia player, autonomous, versatile and powerful, which allows you to watch videos, listen to music, follow a streaming channel and much more.
- Downloads: 36
- Release date : 03/11/2022
- Author : VideoLAN
- Licence : Free software
- Categories:
Audio – Multimedia – Video - Operating system : Android – Linux – Windows 32 bit – XP/Vista/7/8/10/11 – Windows 64 bit – XP/Vista/7/8/10/11 – Windows Portable – XP/Vista/7/8/10/11 – iOS iPhone / iPad – macOS
The Linux version of this software is the same as Windows, so you should have no problem using it.
The alternative to a password manager
Again, no questions to ask because almost all password managers on the market have a Linux version or work via a web browser. So, for anyone who wants to keep their accounts and services locked down with a strong, unique password (which everyone should do), Linux has you covered.
As you can see, there is an alternative for just about everything, although I’ve only scratched the surface. And because everyone’s work habits are different, there’s no telling what kind of apps you’ll need to use. But I bet with a little research, you’ll find a Linux equivalent for whatever software you’re using…as obscure as it is.
Source: ZDNet.com