this post was submitted on 30 Dec 2024
184 points (94.2% liked)

Linux

48927 readers
758 users here now

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

Rules

Related Communities

Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

After I install Linux Mint (which is the distro I have settled on), I replace:

  1. Thunderbird with Betterbird
  2. Firefox with Librewolf (I also install Brave for web services that need a chromium browser).
  3. Celluloid / Rythmbox with VLC player
  4. Default Libreoffice with latest Libreoffice from source.
  5. ClipIt/Parcellite with xfce4-clipman

I find this to be my optimal setup and these software give me the extra quality of life that make my workflows easier.

What software do you replace and install on your distro of choice?

Edit: I forgot to say I replace sudo with doas. That's something my friend told me to do although I personally don't find any immediate working advantage with it.

(page 2) 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago

Rustdesk, so I can remote into my main computer and the others I manage.

PWAs For Firefox.

And that's about it.

I use Debian BTW. (Was on Fedora but killed it when there were sound issues, turned out to Rustdesk at fault. Can't do Mint as it boots to black screen.)

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I stared using Zen Browser instead of Firefox lately and i find it really good.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

There are dozens of us. Dozens!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

It's so good! I love the design right out of the box, with very few settings adjustments.

Note that zen currently only has vertical tabs (horizontal tabs are on the roadmap). If horizontal tabs are a must, try Floorp browser instead, which has several similarities with Zen.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago

Isn't that just one of the perks of Linux? Unlike windows where your pretty much forced to use Microsoft software on Linux you have a plethora of choices.

You can choose pretty much whichever Desktop you want, whichever default packages you want you can even choose between Default, Snap, Flatpak, app image and build from source.

There's no one size fits all on Linux, we all have our own unique set up

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

There isn't much in a default Gentoo install to replace. In most of the cases where a decision is possible, you make it during the install process. Thus, I have nothing to remove afterwards (but a lot to add!)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago
  • bash -> zsh
  • Gnome terminal -> Ghostty/Alacritty
  • Adwaita -> My custom adwaita build with smaller sizes
  • Default UI/Mono Font -> Inter/Meslo
  • Default browser -> Zen Browser
[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

Konsole - kitty Firefox - librewolf Bash - fish Juk - mpv

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I’ve recently started using https://www.nushell.sh/, and while it’s not bash compatible, which can lead to some annoyances, it’s really excellent for working with terminal data in a clean and useful manner

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

First thing I install is git, followed by emacs.

Then I download my init.el and my PC setup is complete.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

I use MPV as movie and general media player with my custom config as well as auto-crop and URI copy/paste scripts. It works better than any other media player I tried in the last 10 years. I only use VLC for DVD menus, but it sucks even at that task, because the cursor gets stuck and the menus lag even when playing from SSD folder.

I use Tauon Music Box as music player because of its design, easy playlist/library customizability and Jellyfin integration. I also pay for spotify and use spicetify with custom skins if the songs are available there.

Kröhnkite as real auto-tiling solution with KDE Plasma.

But I'm on Arch btw., so there is not much default software apart from what the KDE meta packages contain.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

Firefox -> Zen Browser

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I think one of the few default things I've technically replaced on my laptop right now is Libreoffice's powerpoint software with the OpenOffice one because I am too dumb to figure out how to make it so Libreoffice's powerpoint software doesn't immediately default to every character having basically 0 spacing between each other every time I either make a new document or slide. That, and I can almost never find the right number of points to make the text look good no matter the font.

Also, I do have the Librewolf appimage, but I use it a little less than my slightly tweaked default Firefox install.

Otherwise I'm normally fine with defaults, besides installing gridplayer to watch things off my external HD so I can watch and resize my shows in a way I can't with other video players.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

Kinda in the Pop!_OS - NixOS club but Zen Browser here.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

On Ubuntu, replacing Firefox/Thunderbird snap version with actual deb version.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

Ooh, not a "hot take" answer. I rather like MusikCube. It plays nice with putting my music on my NAS and running it from both my personal machines and my Windows/work machine too. I'm not specifically excited by it as a TUI, but it also works just fine as a basic-'03-iTunes-style-navigation clone. It's super boring in the most usable of ways.

My more "hot take" answer is that I replace the terminal program in Fedora with the boring arsed "Gnome Console" from vanilla Gnome. It does all the stuff I want it to do and nothing more. If I was slightly more different than me I might be upset that it doesn't do enough terminal things but I'm just me. :)

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago

Firefox gets switched to Zen Browser (and before that, Floorp).

I also always download Okular for PDFs. It always seems to be better than whatever the default is.

I typically also substitute OnlyOffice for Libra Office.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

I use gentoo: I only install what I like/want/need...

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

I replace Spectacle with Flameshot.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Bash with fish and GCC with Clang.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

I don’t. I install a distro with sane defaults and get to work.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Bahah as other dude said I don't replace anything cus I'm on arch btw, but I often tend to remove the default web browser whenever i run a vm or somethinf cus base Firefox isn't my thing, its far too dull for me. I rock ff forks like zen browser, librewolf, icecat, and mullvad. Currently on zen.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (3 children)
  1. VLC with SMPlayer. I don't understand why they keep shipping VLC as default. It sucks.
  2. Kate with KWrite.
  3. Nano with Vim in *buntu variants
  4. Elisa, Rhythmbox, etc. with Strawberry. Although I mostly just use Spotify nowadays.
  5. Calculator with calc.

Everything else works just fine, unless the distro made an insane choice like having XTerm as the default terminal emulator.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

If you haven't tried it the repl python is pretty in a pretty good calculator. Use "_" to use the output value.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments
view more: ‹ prev next ›