In today's open source roundup: MakeUseOf picks the best software for Linux. Plus: ZDNet reviews MakuluLinux Xfce 7.0, and DistroWatch reviews Manjaro 0.8.11 The best software for Linux Linux has zillions of different applications available in various categories. But it’s not always easy to separate the wheat from the chaff. A writer at MakeUseOf has come up with a helpful list of what he thinks are some of the best applications for Linux. I’ve included the basic list below but click through to the article for descriptions of each application as well as screenshots. Danny Stieben at MakeUseOf reports on the best Linux software: Linux is full of awesome apps, both open source and proprietary. People new to Linux might be used to Windows or Mac OS X apps that aren’t available on Linux, and don’t know about available alternatives. Even seasoned Linux users tend to find new and useful software quite often. Browsers Firefox Chrome/Chromium Opera Games Civilization 5 Team Fortress 2 Minecraft OAD Dota 2 Urban Terror Maintenance Ubuntu Tweak Bleachbit Editors and Development Gedit Kate Geany Eclipse Documents/Office Suites LibreOffice GNOME Office Calligra Suite Desktop Environments GNOME KDE Xfce LXDE Cinnamon MATE Unity Audio, Video and Image Manipulation Audacity GIMP PiTiVi Lightworks Email and Communication Thunderbird Evolution KMail Claws Mail Pidgin Skype XChat Media Players Totem VLC MPlayer More at MakeUseOf Image credit: MakeUseOf MakuluLinux Xfce 7.0 review MakuluLinux now has an Xfce version based on Ubuntu. A writer at ZDNet has in-depth coverage of MakuluLinux Xfce 7.0 and has dubbed it “…the most beautiful Linux distro I have ever seen.” JA Watson at ZDNet reports on MakuluLinux Xfce 7.0: I would say just about the same thing I have said about other Makulu releases. It is the most graphically beautiful Linux distribution I have ever seen. The care and attention to detail in the selection and integration of themes, wallpapers, icons and desktop layout goes far beyond impressive. Honestly, this distribution is worth looking at just for that. It has the most eclectic selection of applications and packages I have ever seen as well. For example, I don’t know of any other distribution that includes four different menu/launcher packages in the base distribution (Xfce menus, Whisker Menus, Docky and Synapse). It includes Compiz, along with a menu selection to enable/disable it. It includes Wine and Steam, neither of which are common in general-purpose Linux distributions. But it is not the kind of over-the-top, throw absolutely everything you can think of into it distribution that some of the previous Makulu releases have been. More at ZDNet The official MakuluLinux site has a full release announcement about MakuluLinux Xfce 7.0 and notes that speed was an important feature in it: Here is it Ladies and Gentleman, this is what you have been waiting for, The Fastest and most Beautiful Xfce on the whole planet. Thought only true love could make you weak in the knees ? wait till you fire up this baby. There is a reason this edition is codenamed “The Concorde” or “The bullet” as I have come to know it. I have drawn on all my experience and instinct as a Linux developer and pushed the limits and boundaries on this edition, my main goal “To provide Raw speed and Pure Beauty“. This build has even surpassed my own expectations when I started working on it. Sporting a beautiful theme that was initially built for our cinnamon release, This edition improves on that beautiful sleek look. I have included a variety of Themes in this build as well as in the repository, with mouse cursors to match and a selection of beautiful wallpapers. Users can easily change the look and feel with a few clicks around the desktop. Now add the latest version of Compiz and Emerald into this mix and now we are blending a serious concoction of beautiful all in one edition, The magic is to use these tools and make a masterpiece. Indeed the new Xfce does not disappoint in this department, now sporting more transparency than ever before, it almost feels like every window you open is lying on top of this magical see through layer of awesomeness… More at MakuluLinux UrAvgLinuxUser has a video review of MakuluLinux Xfce 7.0 on YouTube: Manjaro 0.8.11 review Manjaro is a rolling release distribution based on Arch Linux. DistroWatch took version 0.8.11 for a spin and came away with a mostly positive impression of Manjaro. Jesse Smith at DistroWatch reports on Manjaro 0.8.11: I found it easy to like Manjaro. Part of the appeal I think is in the friendly style of the distribution. The website is pretty easy to navigate, there are lots of options (both on the website and in the distribution itself), but those options are presented in a clean manner. The installer is easy to navigate, the default desktop theme is a good combination of modern design (flat icons) and traditional layout. I like the colours in the default theme, it’s attractive without being distracting. There are lots of useful applications included and Manjaro presents us with plenty of functionality. I like most of the configuration utilities and I found the package manager to be fairly straight forward. All in all, I like the general style of the distribution, it is fast and flexible. Manjaro offers a lot of choice without being overwhelming and most of the options are presented through newcomer friendly interfaces. It seems to me this is a distribution that is easy for novice users to get up and running, while there are enough features and options to keep more advanced users happy. That is a hard line to walk and I think the Manjaro developers have done a good job. More at DistroWatch Image credit: DistroWatch The about page on the Manjaro site has additional information about this distro: Manjaro shares many of the same features as Arch, including: Speed, power, and efficiency Access to the very latest cutting- and bleeding-edge software A “rolling release” development model that provides the most up-to-date system possible without the need to regularly install a new operating system release Access to the Arch User Repositories The versatility to be shaped and moulded in every respect to suit personal taste and preference. However, Manjaro boasts a few extra features of its own, including: A simplified, user-friendly installation process Automatic detection of your computer’s hardware (e.g. graphics cards) Automatic installation of the necessary software (e.g. graphics drivers) for your system Dedicated software repositories that deliver fully tested and stable software packages Support for the easy installation and use of multiple kernels More at Manjaro SourceForge has ISO downloads for Manjaro 0.8.11: Both 32 and 64 bit versions of Manjaro are available in the following flavours (i.e. with the following desktop environments pre-installed): XFCE 4.11 KDE 4.14 Net-Edition More at SourceForge What’s your take on all this? Tell me in the comments below. Open Source