So I thought I’d put together some of my favorite, useful applications that I use daily. I’ll update it from time to time as my mood and needs change.
Browsers
- Firefox – a great open source project to get behind, extendable beyond imagine.
- Midori/Arora – fast little open source webkit based browsers.
Browser Extensions
- All-in-One Sidebar – can’t function without it anymore
- UrlbarExt – nifty things to make browsing easier.
- Firebug/YSlow/Firecookie – makes development a bit easier.
- FEBE – backs up my profile to my server
- Xmarks – backs up my passwords/bookmarks to my server
- Firefox Sync (formerly Weave) – same as Xmarks, but I’m not sure which I like better.
- Thunderbird – I’ve used this for years. Combined with the Lightning extension, it’s all I’ve ever needed. I’ve never been subjected to Exchange servers and the like, so this is perfect.
- Gmail – Pretty much my default email app now, I use Thunderbird to connect to Gmail when I need to process a lot of email. Otherwise, this is usually open in a tab in Firefox.
Thunderbird Extensions
- Lightning - for when I need to schedule something, integrates nicely with google calendar.
- Compactfolder – just a toolbar button for compacting folders.
- Folderpane Tools – so I can rearrange folders as I like.
Office
- OpenOffice – not that I use office apps regularly, but this one serves my purposes.
- Google Docs – I usually save my important docs here as a backup, plus I can easily share them.
Development
- XAMPP – if you’re stuck on Windows, this is the easiest way to get a dev environment up and running in a matter of minutes.
- Komodo Edit – My default editor/IDE right now. Extendable like Firefox.
- Aptana Studio – my other go to IDE when I’m doing something large.
Komodo/Aptana Extensions
- JSTreeDrive (Komodo) – makes navigating files a bit easier
- RemoteDriveTree (Komodo) – same as above but for remote resources.
- CakePHP (Komodo) – useful if you work with the CakePHP framework.
Instant Messenger
- Pidgin – I like consolidating all my accounts into one interface. There’s even a Skype plugin (which I have to use at work). My default IM client.
- Kopete – I’m giving this one another try in Linux, very on par with Pidgin mostly.
Operating Systems
- Kubuntu – I love the whole *buntu family, but I’ve been a KDE junky forever.
- Xubuntu – I run this on my old Pentium 3 based Dell Inspiron.
- FreeBSD/PC-BSD – Probably my favorite OS. I’ve been focusing on Linux lately to keep my skillset sharp, but FreeBSD always has a large piece of my heart.
Languages/Frameworks/Databases
- PHP – I’ve used this for so long now, it’s almost second nature.
- CakePHP – takes PHP to a whole other level. Let’s me focus on building my app without having to worry about all the utility code.
- jQuery – This is usually my go to javascript kit when I need to take my app up a notch.
- MySQL – again, something I’ve used in conjunction with PHP for a long time. It’s comfortable to work with. Nothing against PostgreSQL.
- CouchDB/MongoDB – these I want to dabble with in my CakePHP apps.
Image Editing
- Adobe Photoshop – I’m sorry GIMP, I tried to love ya, but I can’t. Photoshop can do so much and is probably the only app I think really should be purchased and used if you are doing anything in design or photography.
- Paint.NET – If you’re stuck in Windows and need something lightweight and free, this one is great and something I tend to use now for quick touchups or one-offs.
- Krita – This is what I tend to use in KDE for simple stuff. Pinta is something I’d like to test out though.
