Used open software

This post is dedicated to a list of software I am using (or tracking in case I need more functionality to process data). Nowadays there is so much software that it is difficult to choose anything for personal needs. So I decided to create this list to keep track of the programs that might be very helpful. By default, all programs are open source and freely available for Windows, Linux, macOS and for browsers Android and iOS. However, some are distributed under restrictions, which is indicated near the program. LibreOffice and Firefox, available under Mozilla Public License 2.0, are well known, so there is no reason to give more description for them.

  • Internet
  1. Brave (Mozilla Public License 2.0) - another browser, which blocks much more stuff and has better protection compared to firefix over the internet. However, according to my experience, sometimes it does not display the content correctly and it is not among the list of browsers accepted by various sites. So I am use it together with Firefox.
  • Image processing

  1. GIMP (General Public License v3.0) - an image manipulation program for raster graphics. It has various tools for selecting, editing, filtering elements, as well as plugins and extensions.

  2. Inkscape (General Public License v2.0) - an image manipulation program for vector graphics. It has various tools related to manipulating the vector objects on image.

  3. Fiji (General Public License v3.0) - a 3d images processing program for raster graphics. The important feature is that software supports plugins, which can be easily added. A plugin can be written on one of several prgramming languages, and the software has a huge list of functions to access the image.

  • Image creating
  1. Krita (General Public License v3.0) - (never used, keep in list if need to create images) - a tool to construct images. It has a lot of features that helps creating images and inimations.
  • Audio processing

  1. Audacity (General Public License v3.0) - a rather lightweight library that can filter and clean audio record, as well as add certain effects to the voice.

  2. Ardour, LMMS (General Public License v2.0-v3.0) - (never used, keep in list in case of more essential audio processing) - a more advanced software. In addition to different features they allow recording from microphone and also simulate several digital instruments.

  • Video processing
  1. Kdenlive (General Public License v3.0) - a lightwell tool to process videos, combine them and add audio recordings. Does not have a lot of functionality, but I have not found more advanced software for free yet.
  • Mesh (3d model) processing

  1. Blender (General Public License v3.0) - a powerful 3d computer graphics tool. It allows creating animations and visual effects, but I used it mainly to clean and improve 3d models. The strong point is that Blender allows selecting and performing manipulation only for a subset of the model.

  2. Paraview (BSD 3-clause license) - a 3d model post-processing and visualization engine. It might process polygonal (not only triangular) and unstructured meshes. But all modifactions are done through filters, the manual modifcations are limited. In Paraview, it is also easy to create animations from a set of meshes.

  3. Meshlab (General Public License v3.0) - a simpler 3d mesh processing tool. However, it contains certain processing options that are not available in Paraview or Blender. The modifcations are also usually done through different filters.

  • Mesh (3d model) creating
  1. Gmsh (General Public License v2.0-v3.0) - a simple 2 and 3d (superficial and volumetric) mesh generator. The shape is generated object is described with surfaces using an input file with a specific format. The format is not trivial, but there is a possibility to specify a shape as a program script, for example in Python via pygmsh.
  • Other applications
  1. Stellarium (General Public License v2.0) - an open planetarium. It allows obseving and searching astronomical objects on the sky as well as go back or forward through time to see where those objects were or will be.
  • System applications (work almost only with Linux), Windows and macOS have their own tools to track and process the system.

  1. Stacer (General Public License v3.0) - a linux optimization tool and system monitor that has functionality similar to windows task manager. There is a possibility to manage applications, system processes, and installed software (only for .deb based package managers).

  2. timeshift (General Public License v3.0) - a system restore tool. Support creating environment snapshpots and restoring from them from the working and not working systems. In the latter case the restoration is performed through live CD or USB systems.

  3. htop (General Public License v2.0), btop (Apache License v2.0) - command line interactive resource monitors. Btop has nicer interface and track slightly more stuff, but it is not included by default in linux distributions.

  4. vokoscreenNG (General Public License v2.0) - (also available for Windows) - a simple tool to capture screenshots and scrrenvideos.

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