Hi, this document contains the software that I use in my Ubuntu 20.04 or Ubuntu 20.04 MATE to make the typical tasks.

I recommend this software because is my fav, it’s the software I use and I’ve installed in my computer.

The categories are:

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Office suite

LibreOffice

LibreOffice is a powerful and free office suite, a successor to OpenOffice(.org), used by millions of people around the world. Its clean interface and feature-rich tools help you unleash your creativity and enhance your productivity. LibreOffice includes several applications that make it the most versatile Free and Open Source office suite on the market: Writer (word processing), Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations), Draw (vector graphics and flowcharts), Base (databases), and Math (formula editing).

  1. Install: 
    sudo snap install libreoffice
  2. Activate Ribbon style interface. Open the LibreOffice Writer application, clic View Menu -> User Interface. Choose Tabbed option, finally Apply to All.

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Fonts

Microsoft fonts.

This package allows for easy installation of the Microsoft True Type Core Fonts for the Web including:

  • Andale Mono
  • Arial Black
  • Arial (Bold, Italic, Bold Italic)
  • Comic Sans MS (Bold)
  • Courier New (Bold, Italic, Bold Italic)
  • Georgia (Bold, Italic, Bold Italic)
  • Impact
  • Times New Roman (Bold, Italic, Bold Italic)
  • Trebuchet (Bold, Italic, Bold Italic)
  • Verdana (Bold, Italic, Bold Italic)
  • Webdings
  1. Install: 
    sudo apt install ttf-mscorefonts-installer
sudo fc-cache -vr

If you are interested and know more details about microsoft fonts and Linux, you can read: How to install microsoft fonts in Ubuntu - Manual

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Text Editors

ReText

A markdown editor with live preview capabilities.

  1. Install it! 
    sudo apt install retext
  2. Improve visualization: clic in Edit Menu -> Use webkit renderer. This allows scroll sincronization between code and preview windows.

Optional step:
Install aditional beatiful and useful style for preview window. This style was designed by MikePeralta1 Copy these files to ~/.config/ReText project/ folder.

After that your preview will appears like this.

Remarkable

It’s a markdown editor. It’s good but now their “live preview” feature is ⚠️NOT working⚠️ in Ubuntu 20.04. Meanwhile it receives an update, I am using ReTextc Editor.

Website: https://remarkableapp.github.io/

VScodium

Website:
https://vscodium.com/#install

  1. Add the GPG repository key: 
    wget -qO - https://gitlab.com/paulcarroty/vscodium-deb-rpm-repo/raw/master/pub.gpg | gpg --dearmor | sudo dd of=/usr/share/keyrings/vscodium-archive-keyring.gpg
  2. Add the repository: 
    echo 'deb [ signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/vscodium-archive-keyring.gpg ] https://download.vscodium.com/debs vscodium main' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscodium.list
  3. Update then install vscodium: 
    sudo apt update && sudo apt install codium

ghostwriter

Free and Open Source Markdown editor. No excuses. No distractions. Just write.
Specs: Distraction-Free Writing. Themes. Live Preview. Navigation. Focus mode. Document and Session Statistics

Website: https://ghostwriter.kde.org/download/#linux

Sublime Text (Versión 4)

Website:
https://www.sublimetext.com/download

  1. Install the GPG key: 
    wget -qO - https://download.sublimetext.com/sublimehq-pub.gpg | sudo apt-key add -
  2. Ensure apt is set up to work with https sources: 
    sudo apt-get install apt-transport-https
  3. Add the repository: 
    echo "deb https://download.sublimetext.com/ apt/stable/" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/sublime-text.list
  4. Update apt sources and install Sublime Text: 
    sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install sublime-text

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Web browsers

Firefox is installed in Ubuntu, if you want another web browser try Chromium (Google Chrome is based in Chromium).

Chromium

sudo apt-get install chromium-browser

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Chat clients

WhatsDesk

If you need a WhatsApp client in Linux, there is not a official app. WhatsDesk is a good option!, it pretty much works the same way as WhatsApp web.

Install:

$ sudo snap install whatsdesk

Website:
https://snapcraft.io/whatsdesk

WhatsApp for linux - app

It’s an unofficial WhatsApp desktop application written in C++ with the help of gtkmm and WebKitGtk libraries. It’s a lightweight option to use a WhatsApp client.

How to install:

$ sudo snap install whatsapp-for-linux

Website:
https://github.com/xeco23/WasIstLos

Ferdium

«All your services in one place, built by the community». Ferdium is an app for using multiple services: WhatsApp, Telegram, Skype, Google chat, Slack, WeChat and many more. And it has included Todoist, a task manager.

If you need all-in-one communication solutions, Ferdium is a great solution.

Website:
https://ferdium.org/

How to install:

# to install the latest stable release:
snap install ferdium
# connect additional interfaces:
snap connect ferdium:camera
snap connect ferdium:audio-record

Franz

«Franz is your messaging app for WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Slack, Telegram and many many more.»

Multiplattform chat software available for Linux, Windows and MacOS. And have a simple TO DO tasks manager too!.

Website:
https://meetfranz.com/

Steps:

  1. Download the .deb file from https://meetfranz.com/#download
  2. Install it!. Right click on the DEB file (the file you have downloaded) and select Open With Software Install; or Doble clic in the file to open the Software Install.
    1. Clic in Install Button.
    2. Installing software always requires administrator privileges. Enter your password to proceed with the installation.

Option B, you can install manually typing this:

$ sudo dpkg -i franz_5.6.1_amd64.deb

in case of error: dpkg: error processing package

$ sudo apt install -f

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FTP clients

Filezilla

$ sudo apt-get install filezilla

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PDF software

Okular viewer

This allows you view and annotate pdfs.

  1. Install using the snap package manager. Open a Terminal. 
    $ sudo snap install okular

Pdftk

pdftk is a command-line tool for working with PDF files. It is commonly used for client-side scripting or server-side processing of PDF files.

Using pdftk is a tool to edit pdf files: divide, combine, encrypt, decrypt, decompress, recompress and repair.

  1. Install 
    $ sudo snap install pdftk
  2. Examples of use:

a) Cut or extract some pages:

pdftk first.pdf cat 2 5 6 9 output 1.pdf

b) Extract some pages from 2 files:

pdftk A=first.pdf B=second.pdf cat A2 A5 A6 A9 B6 B7 B15 B19 output final.pdf

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Converter utilities

Pandoc

Website: pandoc.org

Pandoc is a free-software document (markup format) converter. It works with many formats: HTML, LaTeX, docx, ODT, RTF, pptx, epub, DocBook, JSON, Markdown,reStructuredText, man, etc.

To install, execute this script:

03_install-pandoc-3.5-ubuntu-v24.04.sh

pandoc-crossref

pandoc-crossref is a pandoc filter for numbering figures, equations, tables and cross-references to them.

website:
https://github.com/lierdakil/pandoc-crossref

To install pandoc-crossref filter:

  1. Download

https://github.com/lierdakil/pandoc-crossref/releases/tag/v0.3.11.0a

  1. Install, execute this script: /home/rogelio/Downloads/install-latex-pandoc/04_install-pandoc-crossref-Linux-ubuntu-v20.04.sh

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LaTeX (TexLive base distribution)

To install, execute a script:

TexStudio (LaTeX IDE)

website: https://www.texstudio.org/

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:sunderme/texstudio
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install texstudio

equalx - LaTeX Equation Editor

sudo apt-get install equalx

(optional) If you want to create a shortcut:

  1. Open a new file in gedit and type: 
    #!/usr/bin/env xdg-open
[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Terminal=false
Exec=equalx &
Name=equalx
Comment=edit and preview your latex equations
Icon=

    Save the file as equalx.desktop

  2. Set permissions. 
    chmod +x something.desktop

    and click right mouse button on that label and select Allow launching.

website: https://equalx.sourceforge.io/

Jab Ref - Bibliography manager

JabRef is an open source bibliography reference manager. The native file format used by JabRef is BibTeX, the standard LaTeX bibliography format.

There are two versions available in repositories:

Install 5.3 version:

sudo snap install jabref

or install 3.8.2 version.

sudo apt-get install jabref

website: https://www.jabref.org/

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Music

Lollypop

  1. Install the app using the Terminal. 
    sudo apt-get install lollypop
  2. Add music to the catalog.

Choose Preferences->Music(tab) and add your music folder.

Pulse Effects

A graphical equalizer.

  1. Install 
    sudo apt install -y pulseeffects lsp-plugins
  2. Search and open the application PulseEffects

Spotify

Spotify is a digital music, podcast, and video service (streaming).

download.spotify.com/debian/pubkey_5E3C45D7B312C643.gpg | sudo apt-key add - 
echo "deb http://repository.spotify.com stable non-free" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/spotify.list
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install spotify-client

Source: Spotify website. Install spotify using apt-get

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Video

VLC player

website: https://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-ubuntu.html

sudo snap install vlc

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Images (bitmap images)

webp viewer

sudo apt-get install gthumb

Optional: Make gThumb the default application for WebP images in Ubuntu.

  1. Select a webp file. Right clic->Properties->Open With (tab)->gThumb Image Viewer

webp converter

Using command line to convert WebP images in Linux

  1. Install WebP tools 
    sudo apt-get install webp
  2. Example 1. Convert jpeg to webp 
    cwebp -q 90 example.jpeg -o example.webp
  3. Example 2. Convert webp to png 
    dwebp example.webp -o example.png

Another option is install “Save image as PNG”
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/save-image-as-png/nkokmeaibnajheohncaamjggkanfbphi

shutter - The feature-rich screenshot tool

Website: https://shutter-project.org/

How to install:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:shutter/ppa
sudo apt install shutter
sudo apt install gnome-web-photo
sudo apt install gir1.2-appindicator3-0.1

ksnip

Ksnip is a Qt5 screenshot tool for Linux which uses a minimalistic interface, but provides an extensive list of features.

From its New button dropdown, you can select to create a new screenshot of:

  • a rectangular area
  • the current screen
  • all monitors (full screen)
  • the active window
$ sudo snap install ksnip

https://github.com/ksnip/ksnip/releases

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Images (vectorial images)

Inkscape

Inkscape is a Free and open source vector graphics editor for GNU/Linux, Windows and macOS. It offers a rich set of features and is widely used for both artistic and technical illustrations such as cartoons, clip art, logos, typography, diagramming and flowcharting. It uses vector graphics to allow for sharp printouts and renderings at unlimited resolution and is not bound to a fixed number of pixels like raster graphics.

Website: https://inkscape.org/

How to install:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:inkscape.dev/stable
sudo apt update
sudo apt install inkscape

Recommended manual: https://inkscape-manuals.readthedocs.io/en/latest/export-png.html

LibreOffice Draw

Website: https://www.libreoffice.org/discover/draw/

Draw is part of LibreOffice, LibreOffice is already installed in Ubuntu 20.04 Desktop.

Draw lets you produce anything from a quick sketch to a complex plan, and gives you the means to communicate with graphics and diagrams. Draw is a an excellent package for producing technical drawings, brochures, posters and many other documents. Draw lets you manipulate graphical objects, group them, crop them, use objects in 3D and much more.

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Images (wallpapers)

Variety

Variety is a feature-rich wallpaper changer focusing on automatic wallpaper change functionality.

Variety is an automatic downloader and changer wallpaper application. It can download wallpapers from many sources: online sources, including Flickr, Unsplash, NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day, etc.

Website: https://peterlevi.com/variety/

How to install:

 sudo apt update && sudo apt install variety

For Ubuntu, a PPA (repository) is also available that provides newer releases than the ones available in the Universe repository:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:variety/stable
sudo apt update
sudo apt install variety

Inkscape

Compression software

Unrar

sudo apt-get install unrar

How to use, example:

unrar e ia.rar

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Network tools

linssid

LinSSID is a simple graphical software that can be used to find the wireless networks available and channels. It is completely open source, written in C++ using Linux wireless tools, Qt5, and Qwt 6.1., and is similar to Inssider (MS Windows) in terms of look and functionality.

How to install:

sudo apt-get install linssid

https://sourceforge.net/projects/linssid/

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Calendar or todo tasks apps

Todoist

“The best to-do list app right now” - The Verge

Todoist is used by 20 million people to organize, plan, and collaborate on projects, both big and small.

Use Todoist to:

  • Capture and organize tasks the moment they pop into your head.
  • Remember deadlines with reminders and due dates.
  • Build lasting habits with recurring due dates like “every Monday”.
  • Collaborate on projects by assigning tasks to others.
  • Prioritize your tasks with priority levels.
  • Track your progress with personalized productivity trends.
  • Integrate your tools like Gmail, Google Calendar, Slack, Amazon Alexa, and more.

Available on any device, Todoist will quickly become your hub for getting work and life organized.

Happy organizing!

How to install:

sudo snap install todoist

Source:
https://todoist.com/es/downloads

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Video call or web conferences

OBS Studio

Free and open source software for video recording and live streaming.

OBS Studio allows you to use virtual background (replace your background), add captions or images. You can stream your screen too.

How to install:

sudo apt install ffmpeg
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:obsproject/obs-studio
sudo apt install obs-studio

After install OBS Studio. You need to install the virtual cam:\

sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r) v4l2loopback-dkms

The virtual cam will allow you to use your webcam in a webconference software: Google Meet, Zoom, etc.

website:
https://obsproject.com/es/download

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For teaching

Open Board

Interactive whiteboard for schools and universities. For Windows, macOS and Linux.

website:
https://openboard.ch/index.en.html

Credits

LibreOffice icon provided by icons-icons.com in the Macaron pack.
Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com
Icons made by Good Ware from www.flaticon.com\

Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com
Icons made by photo3idea_studio from www.flaticon.com

TeX icon provided by Mart from Icon Archive.

Icons made by Bingge Liu from www.flaticon.com
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