Here’s my list:
1. vi / vim / gvim
This is my editor of choice. Knowing the keyboard shortcuts is a must. The learning curve is a bit steep but it’s all worth it.
This is the my current vim settings, ~/.vimrc :
set nu
set nowrap
set tabstop=4
set shiftwidth=4
set expandtab
set wmw=0
set guioptions=mic
set autoindent
set statusline=%F%m%r%h%w\ [FORMAT=%{&ff}]\ [TYPE=%Y]\ [ASCII=\%03.3b]\ [HEX=\%02.2B]\ [POS=%04l,%04v][%p%%]\ [LEN=%L]
set laststatus=2
set guifont=Bitstream\ Vera\ Sans\ Mono\ 12
set backupdir=~/.vimbackup,/tmp
syntax enable
colorscheme desert
" open tabbed left/right
nmap <C-h> :tabprev<CR>
nmap <C-l> :tabnext<CR>
" move the current line up/down
nmap <C-j> :m+<CR>==
nmap <C-k> :m-2<CR>==
" move the selected block up/down
vmap <C-j> :m'>+<CR>gv=gv
vmap <C-k> :m'<-2<CR>gv=gv
" indent/unindent selected
vmap <Tab> >gv
vmap <S-Tab> <gv
2. gnome-terminal
A good terminal is a good friend if you’re a Linux admin/developer. Yeah, I know some server settings can be configured with GUI tools, especially if you’re using a RHEL-based distribution, but if most (if not all) of your Linux servers are headless and you’re in a cramped space and you have to access it remotely, your terminal is still your best friend.
I’m using these keyboard shortcuts patterned from vim 🙂
3. rapidsvn
This is my preferred GUI svn client. It’s simple and it works, and that’s all I need.
4. meld
This a diff viewer for GNOME. It can browse SVN working copies as well.
5. tomboy notes
This one is a life saver. It’s built for saving small tidbits of information and I don’t have to worry if I press save (it doesn’t have one). I find the features search and synchronization to Ubuntu One very useful. I seldom use the “note linking” feature though.
6. gnome-dictionary (with offline enabled)
Having a handy-dandy dictionary while you’re reading some articles is always a good thing. You’ll never know when you’ll encounter those pesky new words. By default, gnome-dictionary needs an internet connection but you can an install an offline dictionary as well. Here’s a good guide that I followed to make it offline.
7. pidgin
This was the default IM client of Ubuntu before it was replaced by Empathy. One good reason why I can’t let go of Pidgin is because of its Off-the-Record plugin (pidgin-otr), basically, encryption support. The last time I checked, Empathy is not interested in OTR, so I’m not interested in switching in the foreseeable future either.
8. browsers & add-ons/extensions
I interchangeably use Firefox and Chrome. I was planning to switch to Chrome completely but it doesn’t support the Offline feature of Gmail.
These are the add-ons or extensions that I use…
Firefox:
– downthemall!, this is a nice download manager
– gmarks, this is how I keep my bookmarks in-sync with Chrome, its keyboard shortcuts are a gem: ctrl-d to add, tap Home twice to search
– flashblock, nice tool to block annoying, huge flash applications/ads
Google Chrome:
– chrome bird, nice twitter client with built-in support for URL shorteners
– google bookmarks, extension to access my Google bookmarks. But unlike its Firefox counterpart it doesn’t have keyboard shortcuts… 😦
– flashblock, same as the firefox add-on
9. Ubuntu One
Sync files. That’s it. I sync my documents to Ubuntu One so I don’t have to bring my work laptop every time I travel. All I need to do is set-up June’s netbook to access my Ubuntu One account and I’m ready to access my documents in case I need to.
By the way, this only works in Ubuntu and the first 2Gb free 🙂
10. Wammu
This application is very helpful if you need to send/receive SMS in your Ubuntu machine. See my previous post for more details.
11. gnucash
This is an accounting software. It’s a big help if you need to keep track of your finances (I think we all need to). Learning curve can be steep if you don’t have a background in simple accounting (debit/credit). The gnucash’s built-in help can assist if you find it difficult.
12. frogr
If you have a flickr account and you need to upload hundreds of photos, this is a good tool you can use in Linux. I’ve tried other tools but I’ve settled with this one because it can handle intermittent connections better. It’s not in the Ubuntu repository yet but you can download frogr here.
🙂
un-mundane idiosyncrasies 