Switching to Linux has exposed me to dozens of great apps I never even knew existed before. Here are some of my favorites that improve my productivity and cut out some web apps that I’ve been stuck with forever.
Joplin
Joplin is a free, open-source note-taking app that is available for Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS.
In my case, I was searching for a privacy-focused note-taking app that still allowed me to use some kind of cloud synchronization between devices, which is the original appeal of Google Keep.
Here, Joplin shines, and you can choose from any number of automated sync solutions. For example, you can automatically sync your encrypted Joplin notes over the internet using a professional cloud service—like OneDrive or Dropbox—or you can self-host your own Joplin server, which means the files never leave your control.
Regardless of the option you choose, Joplin allows you to encrypt your notes, so no one will be able to read them.
Related
You should always use this free app before uploading files to the cloud
Don’t lose control of your data after a leak.
On the user interface side, Joplin is built around a series of notebooks, each of which can be subdivided into individual notes. Normally, I use a notebook for each day’s projects, so I can keep track of my random thoughts, notes on important pieces of information while I’m doing research, and preliminary drafts for articles.
ONLYOFFICE
Over the years, I’ve repeatedly flipped between Google Docs and Microsoft Word for my word processor needs. However, I have growing problems with both.
Google Docs is a popular alternative to Microsoft Word because it is free, easily integrates with everything else in the Google ecosystem, and supports seamless cloud collaboration. Sadly, I’ve been trying to de-Google, so Docs is out.
Word for the Web is decent, but it isn’t as fully-featured as the desktop version, which introduces another problem: cost.
Microsoft Word—and Office more generally—isn’t cheap. Depending on your plan, it can cost you anywhere between $100 and $130 per year. If you’re subscribed for any length of time, that subscription cost can quickly get into the cost range of a plane ticket for a vacation, or a new GPU, as it did in my case.
All of these considerations have led me to abandon the web-based Google Docs and Word—and the desktop-based Microsoft Word—in favor of ONLYOFFICE.
Related
I replaced Microsoft Word with a self-hosted, open-source alternative
It also includes a spreadsheet and presentation editor!
ONLYOFFICE is a free, open-source alternative to Microsoft Word or Google Docs. In many ways, the user interface closely resembles Microsoft Word, so if you’re familiar with that, you’ll be right at home. The familiar user interface is paired with capabilities that very closely mirror Word’s capabilities, too, and I haven’t had to search for extra tools.
Additionally, ONYLOFFICE supports all the same file types as Word and Docs, and in my time using it, I haven’t run into any compatibility issues.
If cloud collaboration is a must-have feature, there is a server available that you can self-host.
Super Productivity
For most of the time I’ve been using productivity apps, they’ve been web-based. However, when I switched my laptop over to Linux, I made an effort to migrate all of my tools over to privacy-focused, local (or self-hosted) alternatives.
After trying a number of options, I ultimately settled on Super Productivity, which is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and the web app.
I primarily use it for the task scheduler and tracker, which also includes a timer, which has helped me improve how I use time during my workday. I’ve broken up my tasks into projects related to the topic area I’m writing about, but the tool is flexible enough that you can make it work for pretty much any organization scheme you want.
Above and beyond scheduling and timers, Super Productivity also includes an Eisenhower Matrix tool, which helps prioritize tasks, and a Kanban board, which is used to track upcoming tasks and tasks in progress.
Merkuro (Formerly Kalendar)
Previously, my main calendar was Google Calendar, since it easily synced between devices and was fairly flexible. However, I was very happy to discover Merkuro, which is a fairly capable calendar app. I use it to keep track of my meetings, long-term deadlines, and anything else work-related.
Merkuro doesn’t have instant cloud sync like Google Calendar does, but so far I haven’t run into much of a problem with that. I do 90% of my work on my Linux system these days anyway, so I haven’t missed having immediate access on every device.
Though it seems obvious, one of my favorite parts about these programs is that they run on Linux—it opens up a few unique advantages. Because Linux is so incredibly easy to run on a portable SSD or even a flash drive, I can have all my favorite apps in my pocket at all times. Above and beyond the convenience for work, it has also allowed me to troubleshoot more computers than I can count over the years.
All you need is a USB drive or external solid-state drive, a Linux ISO, and 15 minutes to burn the ISO to the drive.
