3 of 8

Write now Article Tools

Congratulation for choosing Linux! I believe that you will have a great time with your computer, under new, free, extremely great operation system. However, as a matter of fact, you would need to install some application that is vital to work and player everyday. Following is the list of applications that I would not survive without.

First and foremost, Emacs. Okay, I don't expect anyone non-programmer to know this puppy, but is is the single most powerful program under Linux and Unix. Basically, it is a text editor, kind of like an advanced NotePad. However, you should know one thing by now: everything under Linux is text base. Therefore, knowing and using a powerful text editor would be a great relief. And we have Emacs. It can edit just about every single kind of text you know of, from source code to HTML, even some shell script. It is also my editor of choice for Latex, which I will introduce shortly. Therefore, programmer or not, learning Emacs can only help.

Secondly, you should be familiar with Latex. Believe me, once you have mastered Latex, nothing is more nightmarish than returning to some office system (i.e. Microsoft Office, Open Office, etc.). Latex is a type-setting program. It is a You Get What You Ask For program. Hence, it will give you exactly what you need. Have you seen the newspaper to split long words into two lines to preserve the alignment? Or aligning everything exactly the same? That is what Latex is capable of. If you are a student, Latex is a time saver. MLA, APA, Chicago style, you name it. Latex manages all of those little detail for you, and free you to do the thing you really want: write a nice report. Latex is best to use with Emacs, I believe.

Next, you will want to install mplayer, with its GUI interface gmplayer. Just a recommendation: get the 32bit if you can, 32bit codecs are the best out of the bunch. Anyway, mplayer most important asset is its codec library. You can watch just about every single media file out there! This is especially important in Linux, where you may not have many support in media side. Install mplayer (and the codec pack) and you are set to go!

Another media player, VLC player. Why another? Well, it is always good to have something for back up. VLC is a cross-platform media player that is capable of playing 99% of all media file. It is my favorite media player since Windows time, and the interface for Linux version is the same. Recommended for everyone!

A Linux user would also appreciate either Opera or

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Must-have Linux applications?
We want to hear your view. Write now!