Parent: UserDocumentation
Introduction
There are many, many projects – thousands, in fact – that are available on Ubuntu to serve all sorts of needs. What follows is an alphabetical list of the main applications available (see also: Applets).
You may also be interested in the software list which follows the Ubuntu menu structure, both lists link to the same software guides.
Note: this is currently a work in progress, so more programs will be added. If you wish to include a project not covered here, you may wish to download the following template pack:
SoftwareTemplates.tar.gz
Once started place a suitable link both here and on the Applications list.
See also: FreeSoftwareAlternatives
Alphabetical List of Software Available on Ubuntu
A
AbiWord - a well-featured standalone word processor
Agave - compare and experiment with color schemes
Amarok - a full-featured, KDE-based music player and management application
ApacheHTTPserver - a powerful HTTP server
Archive Manager - open, create and edit compressed files in different formats
B
Baobab - analyze how your disk space is being used
Blender - a professional-level 3D-modeling application
Brasero - a CD and DVD writing application
C
Calculator - with basic, advanced, financial, and scientific modes
Character Map - select a large range of non-standard and international characters to put in your documents (See also: Applets)
D
Device Manager - an application for examining the details of your hardware
Dia - create and edit technical diagrams and plans
Dictionary - look up definitions in different dictionaries
Disk Usage Analyser (See Baobab)
E
EclipseIDE - a flexible, cross platform Java based IDE for many programming languages and tasks
Elisa Media Center - an open source cross-platform Media Center connecting the internet to your all-in-one media player
Epiphany - the GNOME web browser
Evince - default document viewer for PDF (Portable Document Format) and PostScript files
Evolution - mail, calendar, contacts, memos and tasks application
Exaile - GTK+-based music player, which aims to be like Amarok
EyeofGNOME - Ubuntu's default image viewer
F
Firefox - highly-rated Web browser which is the default for Ubuntu
Firestarter - an application for configuring your firewall
F-Spot - a personal photo manager
G
Gcolor2 - a simple color picker
GdMap -view a graphical representation of your hard drive
gedit - the default text editor for Ubuntu
GPROFTPD -A GUI based FTP server
gFTP -an easy to use FTP client
GnuCash - a personal finance manager
GNUpaint - a simple painting program
GNU TeXmacs - a word processor with special features for scientists
Google Earth - view the earth and sky
gThumb - view slide shows, edit images, import pictures from a camera, and more
TheGIMP - a powerful image editing application
H
HardInfo - hardware information and report generator
I
ImageMagick - a software suite which can be used to create, edit and display images from the command line or using a graphical interface
Inkscape a vector graphics illustration program
Istanbul - record desktop events to a video file
J
JabRef - graphical bibliography reference manager
K
K3b - a CD and DVD writing application
KTorrent - a BitTorrent client for KDE
L
LibreOffice - a complete, cross-platform office suite
M
MATLAB - The Language Of Technical Computing
Maxima - a computer algebra system
Mercurial - a distributed Source Control Management system
Mozart - The programming environment for the Oz language based on GNU/Emacs
Mozilla Firefox - (see Firefox)
N
NetworkManager - networks.
O
P
Pan - a Usenet Newsreader based on Forte's Agent
Picasa - Google's Picasa is a photo management application with some intermediate-level editing features
Pidgin - a Instant Messaging client
psyBNC - an easy to use IRC-bouncer with many features
Q
qingy a GDM/KDM frame buffer replacement
R
RationalPlan - a project management software application (See also: ProductivityApplications)
Revelation - a password generator and manager (See also: Applets)
Rhythmbox - Ubuntu's default music player
S
SBackUp - a simple back up software
Scribus - a desktop publishing application
Synaptic Package Manager - Ubuntu's graphical software installer
T
Terminal - enter commands and start programs from a command-line interface
TeXmacs a word processor with special features for scientists
Thunderbird - an email application which can be customized with extensions and themes like Firefox
Tomboy Notes - a desktop note-taking application (See also: Applets)
Totem - Ubuntu's default multimediaplayer
TuxPaint - an award-winning drawing program for children
U
V
VMware - run other operating systems inside a virtual machine
W
WeeChat - a modern IRC client, based on a text-driven interface
WordPress - a popular blogging software written in PHP.
X
XChat-GNOME a beginner-friendly IRC (Internet Relay Chat) Client
XSane - an application to control a scanner and acquire images from it
Y
Z
Further Reading
Community Help Wiki
Further Information on Software Packages
KDE-APPS.org - Categorizes, rates, reviews and lists KDE-based software.
osalt.com - Lists 'open-source' alternatives to proprietary software.
SourceForge - Repository of open source software
ubuntuvideo - Collates videos on Ubuntu from across the Web. Has some clips of software in action
FLOSS: Background and Theory
To better appreciate your software and how the world of FLOSS (Free, Libre, Open Source Software) works - in development, support, communities, and so on - it helps to have some understanding of its background, its theoretical underpinnings and how it works in practise.
The following links are a start to help get you towards that better understanding.
The Cathedral and the Bazaar - An example of how FLOSS works in practise
The Halloween Documents - What Microsoft thought about FLOSS...behind closed doors. Some of the beliefs that non-Linux computer users have about Linux are traceable to Microsoft's campaigns against Linux, which promoted much information that has been discredited. This site provides some insight into how anti-Linux advocacy works.