My favourite desktop open-source software

Linux: apt

Ubuntu

Ubuntu usually uses the debian package format. But firefox is pre-installed and provided as a snap package. On the one hand, you don’t need to install it manually. On the other hand, snap-packaging breaks printer integration.

VLC is provided both as a debian package and as a snap package. But the deb package will be left outdated with security issues (unless you register for Ubuntu Pro and allow Ubuntu to send all your data to chinese government authorities).

So installation of the remaining favourite packages is:

sudo apt install -y thunderbird libreoffice gimp
sudo snap install vlc

Raspberry Pi OS

Raspberry Pi OS uses the debian package, too. So installing my favourite open-source software goes like this:

sudo apt install -y firefox-esr thunderbird libreoffice gimp vlc

Linux: Flatpak

1. Install flatpak

https://www.flatpak.org/setup/

2. Install packages from flatpak

flatpak install -y flathub org.mozilla.firefox
flatpak install -y flathub org.mozilla.Thunderbird
flatpak install -y flathub org.libreoffice.LibreOffice
flatpak install -y flathub org.gimp.GIMP
flatpak install -y flathub org.videolan.VLC

MacOS: Homebrew

1. Install Homebrew

https://brew.sh/

2. Install packages from homebrew

brew install --cask firefox
brew install --cask thunderbird
brew install --cask libreoffice
brew install --cask gimp
brew install --cask vlc

Additional note to self: When installing a brew package from a git repository, it needs ssh. But homebrew cannot deal with passphrase-protected ssh keys. The easiest workaround is temporarily changing the ssh passphrase to an “empty” string. After installation, we can change it back to the real passphrase. https://www.unixtutorial.org/changing-passphrase-to-your-ssh-private-key

Windows: Chocolatey

1. Install Chocolatey

https://chocolatey.org/install

2. Install packages from Chocolatey

choco install firefox thunderbird libreoffice gimp vlc

Upgrade all software

You should update your software regularly.

Linux: Flatpak

flatpak update

Linux: apt

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y

Linux: apt and snap

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y
sudo snap refresh

Homebrew

brew update && brew upgrade

Chocolatey

choco upgrade all -y

Windows users usually don’t like the command line. So with the help of https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1894967/how-to-request-administrator-access-inside-a-batch-file I’ve created a script:

@echo off

:: BatchGotAdmin
:-------------------------------------
REM  --> Check for permissions
    IF "%PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE%" EQU "amd64" (
>nul 2>&1 "%SYSTEMROOT%\SysWOW64\cacls.exe" "%SYSTEMROOT%\SysWOW64\config\system"
) ELSE (
>nul 2>&1 "%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\cacls.exe" "%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\config\system"
)

REM --> If error flag set, we do not have admin.
if '%errorlevel%' NEQ '0' (
    echo Requesting administrative privileges...
    goto UACPrompt
) else ( goto gotAdmin )

:UACPrompt
    echo Set UAC = CreateObject^("Shell.Application"^) > "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"
    set params= %*
    echo UAC.ShellExecute "cmd.exe", "/c ""%~s0"" %params:"=""%", "", "runas", 1 >> "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"

    "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"
    del "%temp%\getadmin.vbs"
    exit /B

:gotAdmin
    pushd "%CD%"
    CD /D "%~dp0"
:--------------------------------------    
    choco upgrade all -y
    timeout 7

Copy this script into a text file and save if as update.bat on your desktop. Then for updates, you just need to double-click on the icon.

more programs

There are a few more programs, that I recommend:

Although Bitwarden and Brave legally open source software, there are companies that dominate the development process.

Flatpak:

flatpak install -y flathub com.jgraph.drawio.desktop
flatpak install -y flathub com.bitwarden.desktop
flatpak install -y flathub com.brave.Browser
flatpak install -y flatpak install flathub org.gnome.DejaDup

Chocolatey:

choco install drawio bitwarden brave 7zip notepadplusplus

Homebrew:

brew install --cask drawio
brew install --cask bitwarden
brew install --cask brave-browser

Updates

2024-02-20/2024-03-01

Howto upgrade packages

2024-08-17

  • change package managers for Linux to Flatpak
  • add Brave browser
  • add backup software

2024-12-21

  • document use both apt and Flatpak for linux
  • minor changes

Any comments or suggestions? Leave an issue or a pull request!