Best Tools to Install on Fresh Linux Mint Installation

Linux Mint is a popular Linux distribution among open-source community. It's known for its ease of use and customization options. When you install Linux Mint on your computer, you get a clean slate to work with, which means you'll need to install additional software to make most of your operating system. In this article, we'll be looking at best tools to install on a fresh Linux Mint installation.

Package Manager

The first thing you'll need to install on your fresh Linux Mint installation is a package manager. package manager is a tool that allows you to install, remove, and manage software packages. Linux Mint comes with its own package manager called "Software Manager," which is a graphical user interface for Apt package management system. It's easy to use and has a wide range of software available.

However, if you prefer using terminal, you can use "apt" command to install software packages. To install a package, you simply type "sudo apt install package-name" in terminal. You can also use "sudo apt update" to update package list and "sudo apt upgrade" to upgrade all installed packages.

Browser

A browser is an essential tool for browsing web. Linux Mint comes with Mozilla Firefox preinstalled, but you can install other browsers as well. Google Chrome, Chromium, and Opera are popular alternatives. To install Google Chrome, you can download deb package from official website and install it using Software Manager or terminal. Alternatively, you can add Google Chrome repository to your system and install it using "apt" command.

Text Editor

A text editor is a tool that allows you to edit plain text files. Linux Mint comes with Gedit text editor preinstalled, but you can install other text editors as well. Vim, Emacs, and Nano are popular alternatives. Vim is a powerful text editor that's widely used among developers. Emacs is another powerful text editor that comes with a built-in Lisp interpreter, which allows you to customize it to your liking. Nano is a simple text editor that's easy to use and great for beginners.

Media Player

A media player is a tool that allows you to play audio and video files. Linux Mint comes with VLC media player preinstalled, which is a great media player that supports a wide range of formats. However, if you prefer a different media player, you can install alternatives such as SMPlayer, GNOME Videos, or Kodi. SMPlayer is a lightweight media player that has a simple interface and supports multiple audio and video formats. GNOME Videos is a simple media player that's integrated with GNOME desktop environment. Kodi is a media player that's designed for use on a TV or home theater system.

Office Suite

An office suite is a collection of productivity applications such as a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation software. Linux Mint comes with LibreOffice preinstalled, which is a great open-source office suite that's compatible with Microsoft Office documents. However, if you prefer a different office suite, you can install alternatives such as WPS Office, OnlyOffice, or Google Docs. WPS Office is a powerful office suite that's compatible with Microsoft Office documents and has a user-friendly interface. OnlyOffice is another open-source office suite that's compatible with Microsoft Office documents and has a focus on collaboration. Google Docs is a cloud-based office suite that's free to use and has collaboration features.

Image Editor

An image editor is a tool that allows you to edit and manipulate images. Linux Mint comes with GIMP image editor preinstalled, which is a powerful open-source image editor that's comparable to Adobe Photoshop. However, if you prefer a different image editor, you can install alternatives such as Krita, Inkscape, or Pinta. Krita is a digital painting and illustration program that's great for creating artwork. Inkscape is a vector graphics editor that's great for creating logos and other graphics. Pinta is a simple image editor that's similar to Microsoft Paint.

Terminal Emulator

A terminal emulator is a tool that allows you to interact with your Linux system using command line interface. Linux Mint comes with default terminal emulator called "Terminal," which is a simple and easy-to-use tool. However, if you're looking for more advanced features, you can install alternatives such as Terminator or Guake. Terminator is a terminal emulator that allows you to split screen and have multiple terminals open at once. Guake is a drop-down terminal emulator that allows you to access terminal with a keyboard shortcut.

File Manager

A file manager is a tool that allows you to manage your files and folders. Linux Mint comes with Cinnamon file manager preinstalled, which is a user-friendly file manager with a modern interface. However, if you prefer a different file manager, you can install alternatives such as Dolphin, Thunar, or Nautilus. Dolphin is a file manager that's integrated with KDE desktop environment. Thunar is a lightweight file manager that's great for low-spec systems. Nautilus is a file manager that's integrated with GNOME desktop environment.

Compression Tool

A compression tool is a tool that allows you to compress and decompress files. Linux Mint comes with default archive manager preinstalled, which is a tool that allows you to extract and create archives. However, if you need more advanced features, you can install alternatives such as 7-Zip or PeaZip. 7-Zip is a powerful compression tool that supports multiple formats and has a high compression ratio. PeaZip is a simple and easy-to-use compression tool that supports multiple formats.

Virtualization Tool

A virtualization tool is a tool that allows you to run multiple operating systems on your computer at same time. Linux Mint comes with VirtualBox virtualization tool preinstalled, which is a great tool for running virtual machines. However, if you need more advanced features, you can install alternatives such as VMware or QEMU. VMware is a powerful virtualization tool that's great for running multiple virtual machines at same time. QEMU is a free and open-source virtualization tool that's great for running virtual machines on low-spec systems.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Linux Mint is a great operating system that's easy to use and customize. When you install Linux Mint on your computer, you'll need to install additional software to make most of your operating system. tools listed above are essential tools that you should consider installing on a fresh Linux Mint installation. However, there are many other great tools and applications available for Linux Mint, so feel free to explore and find tools that work best for you.