A Dozen Apps for Ubuntu Users

Ubuntu Logo

I am a big fan of wubi. No other distro but Ubuntu supports installing a linux OS inside windows. So I find myself shift+delete-ing Ubuntu installation once a new one arrives. Over the years, I’ve narrowed down a dozen apps I find installing immediately after the OS itself. This post introduces my favorite (and useful) dozen.

Hamster Time Tracker

hamster time tracker

A small utility to keep track of how much time you have spent on activities you choose to track.

Netspeed – Network speed monitor

netspeed

Netspeed is just a little GNOME-applet that shows how much traffic occurs on a specified network device (for example eth0). Installation details are available here.

Vim

By default, Ubuntu comes with vi editor. But if you want to really enjoy the beast, you need VIM. “Vim is a highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing. It is an improved version of the vi editor distributed with most UNIX systems.”

Vimrc

If you are a programmer you will love VIM ( or you already do) . Adding a proper vimrc file is like dusting pepper on an omelet! Download this customized vimrc for your pleasure. (link) Installation instructions are available here.

rm alias mv

Wish you had an ‘undo’ for ‘rm’? You can alias ‘rm’ to move all your rm-ed files to Trash folder. Here is how.

VLC

The default media player that comes with Ubuntu is no good. Thats why you need VLC. Installation is about 20MB but its worth the effort. A detailed installation guide is available here.

Infinite scroll

GNOME terminal infinite scroll

Again for the keyboard savvy, making GNOME-Terminal remember everything pays off in the long run. Goto Edit->Profile Preferences->Scrolling and then tick Unlimited as shown in the picture.

Nautilus-open-terminal

nautilus open terminal

An option to launch a GNOME-Terminal from inside nautilus is a bonus. Install nautilus-open-terminal package using Synaptic Manager to achieve this.

Network Time

NTP Server setting in linux

I like to stay updated – at least to keep my system time up-to-date. Install NTPD as described here.

Chrome

This is a no-brainer. No description is needed as to why this is needed. Or is it?

Freemind – Mind map

Free Mind - Mind mapping tool

A mind-mapping tool that helps to organize thoughts and ideas around a central concept. A handy tool to have at your disposal.

G2ipmsg

g2ipmsg

A popup style message communication tool for GNOME2. A detailed installation description is available here.

And

Let me know if there is anything I should add to my kitty.