Software Recommendations
These recommendations change as newer or better options become available, or if the privacy and security of a particular package comes into question.
All recommendations are free and open-source, with a preference for packages that are lighter weight, contain fewer dependencies, and are available via the official Arch Linux repositories for desktop packages, or Git hosting services like CodeBerg or GitHub for Android Package Kits (APKs).
Desktop
| Application | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Arch Linux |
| Web browser | Firefox with the arkenfox user.js configuration |
| Office suite | LibreOffice |
| Media player | VLC |
| PDF editor | PDFtk |
| PDF annotator | Okular |
| PDF viewer | Zathura + MuPDF dependency |
| PDF creation from bulk images | img2pdf |
| eBook viewer/manager | calibre |
| Password manager | KeePassXC |
| Screen recorder/capturer | OBS Studio |
| Video editor | Shotcut |
| Audio editor and recorder | Audacity |
| Raster graphics editor | GIMP |
| Vector graphics editor | Inkscape |
| Raw photo developer | darktable |
| Photo stitcher | Hugin |
| Photo aligner | Hugin |
| Photo focus stacker | Enfuse |
| Text editor | Neovim |
| IDE | Neovim with custom configuration |
| UML diagramming | Draw IO (browser-based) |
| Binary editor (basic) | hexedit |
| Terminal emulator | Alacritty |
| Terminal file manager | lf |
| Task management | Taskwarrior with VIT |
| Note taking | Obsidian |
| 3D CAD modeller | FreeCAD |
| 3D g-code generator | PrusaSlicer |
| 2D CAD modeller | LibreCAD |
| 3D building planner and interior design | Sweet Home 3D |
| Secure drive eraser (bootable image) | ShredOS (uses nwipe) |
| Project manager | ProjectLibre |
Mobile (Android)
| Application | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Operating system | GrapheneOS |
| Web browser | Vanadium or Cromite |
| Application manager | Obtainium |
| Media player | VLC for Android |
| Messenger | Signal |
| Navigation | OrganicMaps or OsmAnd |
| 2FA | Aegis Authenticator |
| Proton Mail | |
| Calendar | Proton Calendar |
| Cloud storage | Proton Drive |
| Note taker | Notally |
| Keyboard with speech-to-text input | FUTO Keyboard |
| Text-to-speech (TTS) engine | RHVoice |
| Digital assistant | Dicio |
| Document editor | ONLYOFFICE |
| Habit tracker | Loop Habit Tracker |
| Flash cards | ForgetMeNot |
| Alternative YouTube front-end | Clipious or LibreTube |
| RSS reader | ReadYou |
| Loyalty card manager | Catima |
| Productivity timer | Goodtime |