Stirling PDF
Stirling PDF is a robust open-source PDF editing platform, usable as a desktop app or self-hosted server. It's ideal for Linux users needing local PDF manipulation without external services.
Linux entries
lossless-cut
LosslessCut is an FFmpeg GUI that allows for extremely fast, lossless trimming, cutting, and other operations on video, audio, and subtitle files. It's my go-to for quickly extracting parts of videos without re-encoding and quality loss.
SadServers
SadServers is an excellent test platform where you get a broken Linux server and fix it. It's a fantastic way to sharpen your Linux and DevOps troubleshooting skills with real-world scenarios, almost like a LeetCode for infrastructure.
systemdb by example
systemd by example is an interactive playground for learning systemd directly in your browser. It's a safe way to experiment with systemd units without risking your actual system.
Espanso
Espanso is a privacy-first, cross-platform text expander that makes typing faster across all applications. I appreciate its file-based configuration and support for shell scripts, extending beyond basic snippet expansion to include emoji support.
Darling
Darling is essentially Wine for macOS applications on Linux, acting as a translation layer to run Darwin binaries directly. It implements a complete Darwin environment for compatibility.
shellfirm
Shellfirm intercepts risky shell commands, both default and user-defined, prompting a challenge for double verification. It's a pragmatic safety net for preventing accidental damage from common mistakes or AI agent missteps in various environments.
fzf introduction video
This YouTube video introduces fzf, an extremely useful command-line fuzzy finder. It integrates seamlessly into my shell and Vim, making file and history navigation significantly faster.
Restic
Restic is a deduplicating backup solution. While robust, I generally prefer Borg for my own use cases.
Flameshot
Flameshot is a highly customizable, open-source screenshot tool, especially useful on Linux and Wayland, offering robust in-app editing and a command-line interface for scripting captures.
nq
nq is a lightweight Unix command line queue utility for ad-hoc job execution. It requires no daemons, relying on filesystem-level flock(2) for synchronization and sequential task processing.
Restic
Restic is a modern, single-executable backup program supporting Linux, Mac, and Windows. I appreciate its focus on effective, verifiable, and cryptographically secure backups across diverse storage types, only transferring changed data.
Startship
Starship is a cross-shell prompt that provides a minimal, fast, and customizable command line experience across various shells and operating systems. I appreciate its broad compatibility and performance.
Nerdfonts
Nerd Fonts aggregates and patches developer-focused fonts with extensive icon sets like Font Awesome and Devicons. It's essential for a visually rich terminal and editor experience.
Anbox
Anbox allows me to run Android applications directly on any GNU/Linux operating system within a container, providing a more integrated experience than traditional emulators.
Cast videos with linux pipes
This article details using Linux pipes with youtube-dl and VLC to cast videos to Chromecast, bypassing the YouTube app's playback issues. It explores process substitution and named pipes for efficient, on-the-fly streaming.
NoiseTorch
NoiseTorch provided real-time microphone noise suppression, but the project is now dead due to a security breach. I would not recommend using it or any community forks.
Borgbase
Borgbase offers specialized server hosting for remote Borg and Restic backups. I find it a solid choice for secure, offsite storage, featuring append-only mode, integrated monitoring, and client-side encryption.
Borg
Borg is a fast incremental backup tool providing space-efficient, deduplicated storage with strong authenticated encryption and various compression options. I appreciate its FUSE mountable backups for quick data access.
Vorta
Vorta is a necessary GUI for Borg Backup, making the powerful CLI tool accessible for desktop users. It provides an intuitive interface for managing encrypted, deduplicated backups on macOS and Linux.
Questions & Answers
- What kind of links live here?
- This category features a collection of tools and resources for Linux users, focusing on system utilities, productivity enhancements, and development-related software. You'll find tools for system administration, media editing, text expansion, and backup solutions.
- Who is this category for?
- This category is designed for Linux power users, developers, and system administrators who want to optimize their workflow, manage their systems more effectively, or troubleshoot common issues. It offers practical solutions for daily tasks and advanced system interaction.
- What are some recurring themes or types of tools found in this list?
- Recurring themes include system administration and troubleshooting, exemplified by SadServers for skill sharpening and systemd by example for interactive learning. There's also a strong focus on productivity tools like Espanso for text expansion and fzf for command-line navigation, alongside robust backup solutions such as Borg and Restic.
- Can you name a couple of standout or representative entries from this category?
- Standout entries include Borg, a fast incremental backup tool known for its deduplication and encryption, and SadServers, which provides a unique interactive platform to practice fixing broken Linux servers. For productivity, Espanso is a noteworthy cross-platform text expander.
- When should I browse this category compared to others on Simon Frey's list?
- You should browse the Linux category when you are specifically looking for tools, utilities, or learning resources that run natively on or are designed for the Linux operating system. This includes solutions for system management, development workflows, or general desktop productivity within a Linux environment.