What Software Should I Use?

One of the great things about using Linux (and other Unix-like operating systems) is the abundance of software to choose from. However, for new users, this creates the issue of deciding what software to use for certain purposes. Most distributions of Linux will come with one or more programs from most of the sections outlined below

In this section, I'll try to cover a few of the more common software needs and present some of the more popular packages. As with nearly everything else on this site, this section is not exhaustive; rather it is an attempt to help new users find stable software they can try and see what they like. I'll try to keep this as distribution-neutral as possible.

Unless otherwise stated, each program mentioned in this section is free in the sense that you don't have to pay for it, and in the FSF's, "freedom" sense.

Web Browsers	Image Manipulation
Chat	FTP Clients
Email	Office Suite
Music Players	Video Players
Web Authoring