Whether you're new to Linux or a seasoned user looking for better tools, this curated list goes beyond what's popular — it’s about what actually works well. These apps are practical, lightweight, open-source, and actively maintained. I use most of them daily, and if you're setting up a fresh Linux system or just exploring better options, this guide is for you.

I’m working on a YouTube video walkthrough of all these tools in action — so if you want to see them live, make sure to subscribe and stay tuned!

Table of Contents

• 🔧 Setup & Essentials

  • 1. Web Browser: Brave

  • 2. Office Suites: OnlyOffice

  • 3. Backup Tool: Timeshift

  • 4. Image Viewer: qimgv

  • 5. Download Manager: JDownloader

• 💼 Productivity & Daily Use

  • 6. Note-taking App: Joplin

  • 7. Clipboard Manager: Diodon

  • 8. Cross-platform Sharing: LocalSend

  • 9. Copy Text from Anywhere: NormCap

• 🎨 Content Creation & Media

  • 10. Image Editor: Inkscape

  • 11. Screen Recording: OBS Studio

  • 12. Video Editor: Kdenlive

• 👨‍💻 Development & Technical Tools

  • 13. Code Editor: VS Code

  • 14. Virtual Machines: Virt Manager

  • 15. Remote Desktop: NoMachine

• 🤔 Final Thoughts

🔧 Setup & Essentials

1. Web Browser: Brave

A fast, privacy-focused browser that blocks ads and trackers by default. It supports Chrome extensions and delivers a clean, bloat-free web experience.

Why I use it: Once you get used to Brave’s speed, simplicity, and cleaner web pages, it’s hard to go back.

Alternative: If you are more of a Firefox guy, then go with Librewolf. It’s a Firefox fork without telemetry, ideal if you prefer a non-Chromium base.

✅ My Pick: Brave

2. Office Suites: OnlyOffice

Clean UI, excellent MS Office compatibility, and built-in encryption make it a great choice for both personal and professional use.

Alternative: LibreOffice — feature-rich and solid, but formatting with .docx/.xlsx can break sometimes. It’s very popular, but I have had problems with it, so it’s just personal preference.

🚫 Avoid: Apache OpenOffice — it’s outdated and lacks security updates.

✅ My Pick: OnlyOffice

3. Backup Tool: Timeshift

If you're not using Timeshift, start now. It’s like Time Machine, but for Linux. Take snapshots and restore your system if something breaks — great before major updates.

4. Image Viewer: qimgv

A fast, minimalist image viewer that supports various formats and can be themed or customized easily. No fluff — just works.

5. Download Manager: JDownloader

Great for bulk downloads, cloud links, and media. It’s cross-platform and actively maintained. Minor scaling issues are easy to fix.

💼 Productivity & Daily Use

6. Note-taking App: Joplin

A markdown-based note app with syncing and end-to-end encryption. Works on Linux, Android, iOS, and syncs with Nextcloud, Dropbox, etc.

Why I use it: Private notes + Nextcloud sync = peace of mind.

7. Clipboard Manager: Diodon

Tracks clipboard history and integrates with most desktops. Lightweight and fully customizable — essential for multitasking.

8. Cross-platform Sharing: LocalSend

Send files between devices on the same network — no internet needed. Works across Linux, Android, Windows, and Apple devices.

9. Copy Text from Anywhere: NormCap

OCR tool that extracts text from screenshots. Fast, private, and local — perfect when you need to copy text from images or UIs.

🎨 Content Creation & Media

10. Image Editor: Inkscape

Perfect for vector illustrations, UI mockups, and diagrams. If you need more precision than GIMP and love SVG, this is it.

Alternative: GIMP — great for raster editing (like Photoshop), highly customizable.

11. Screen Recording: OBS Studio

The gold standard for screen recording and live streaming. Fully customizable scenes, filters, audio mixing, and plugin support.

Why I use it: Rock-solid for tutorials, live streams, and content creation.

12. Video Editor: Kdenlive

A non-linear video editor that's both beginner-friendly and powerful enough for pro use. Multi-track editing, keyframes, transitions — it’s all there.

Why I use it: It’s intuitive, fast, and stable. Plus, it just keeps getting better.

👨‍💻 Development & Technical Tools

13. Code Editor: VS Code

Flexible, fast, and loaded with extensions. GitHub Copilot support, a built-in terminal, and a debugger make it the best all-in-one code editor.

Alternative: VSCodium - same core features, no telemetry.

Why I use it: Extension compatibility makes VS Code unbeatable for my workflow.

14. Virtual Machines: Virt Manager

A stable and powerful alternative to VirtualBox or Gnome Boxes. No crashes, no odd scaling — just smooth VM management.

✅ Why I use it: Gnome Boxes had scaling issues, and VirtualBox had performance issues. Virt Manager just works.

15. Remote Desktop: NoMachine

A fast, seamless remote desktop experience. Cross-platform, responsive, and stable even on weaker connections.

🤔 Final Thoughts

These aren't just decent tools for Linux — they're great tools, period. Whether you're doing creative work, coding, admin tasks, or just browsing, this list has something that fits.

Let me know in the comments if you have a favorite I missed or if you’ve had different experiences with any of these.

📌 Bookmark this list — it’s perfect for fresh installs and reboots.