15 Relatively Unknown Linux Apps
September 13, 2009 at 08:09:05 PM, by Blair Mathis
Most people go for the big apps when switching to Linux, and for good reason: they are easy to find, usually very polished, often updated, and there's a lot of online documentation for them. What if you're not looking for the most popular, but instead the best app for you? Below are 25 excellent, high-quality Linux apps that go neglected far more often than they should be. Some are popular amongst those who have been at the Linux game for awhile, and others have become a staple of certain distros while remaining relatively unknown by users of different distros. No matter the reason they've sat in the midline of popularity, you can be assured that these apps do what they claim to do, and they do it well.
Most people go for the big apps when switching to Linux, and for good reason: they are easy to find, usually very polished, often updated, and there's a lot of online documentation for them. What if you're not looking for the most popular, but instead the best app for you? Below are 25 excellent, high-quality Linux apps that go neglected far more often than they should be. Some are popular amongst those who have been at the Linux game for awhile, and others have become a staple of certain distros while remaining relatively unknown by users of different distros. No matter the reason they've sat in the midline of popularity, you can be assured that these apps do what they claim to do, and they do it well.1. XBMC I first tried this program when it was in its baby stages, and it wasn't so great: crashed, was slow, etc. Imagine my surprise when I tried it again and discovered the best media center I'd ever tried on Linux (yes, better than MythTV). XBMC is refined, it's fast, and it's feature loaded. This media center is perfect for anyone who is looking to set up a Linux box on their TV.
2. KDenlive So you thought Open Movie Maker was a nice app? KDenlive will blow you away. This program supports more formats, and can do more than OMM ever could dream of doing. This excellent program is the best option for anyone looking to edit their videos, add credits and headers, and more.
3. Songbird I myself am partial to AmaroK, which is an awesome program. Some people find it to be a bit annoying, however; at least, that's the way I've had some people describe it to me. If you feel the same way, then give Songbird a shot. You just might find that program you've always been looking for.
4. Opera So, you're not a Firefox fan, God knows you wouldn't touch Explorer even if it does come in WINE, you're not too fond of Epiphany, and the likes Flock and that one KDE browser people always seem to recommend. What should you use? Opera, of course! Opera is the little browser that could; it hardly ever garners the praise it deserves, yet it keeps plugging along.
5. Boxee Yep, Boxee comes in a Linux flavor, too. Through this nifty app, you can access the best media sources on the Internet: Flickr for photos, Hulu for TV, Netflix for movies, Pandora for music (and that's just the start). The best part of this app? You can use your remote. next Page:1/3
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Comments
Kilgore Trout at 15:06, October 14, 2009
Yeah, I agree with the Mad Hatter. These are all well known. I wish someone could make a blog and review 10 unknown apps that work well and are not buggy. The package manager in Ubuntu has thousands of programs but I just don't have the time to check them all out. The same goes with other Linux distros.
The Mad Hatter at 20:04, September 20, 2009
I thought you were going to cover "Relatively Unknown" applications, which would have been interesting. Instead you've covered a bunch of popular applications. OK. They are good apps. Now doubt about it. But they aren't "Relatively Unknown".