If you have learn my article about how I switched to Linux, then you realize that I’m a superuser. I additionally said that I’m not an “expert” on something. That’s nonetheless truthful to say. But I’ve realized many useful issues over the past a number of years, and I would prefer to cross the following pointers alongside to different new Linux customers.
Today, I’m going to debate the instruments I take advantage of once I write. I based mostly my decisions on three standards:
- My major writing instrument should be appropriate for any writer once I submit tales or articles.
- The software program should be fast and easy to make use of.
- Free is nice.
There are some fantastic all-in-one free options, equivalent to:
However, I are likely to get misplaced and lose my practice of thought once I’m looking for info, so I opted to go along with a number of purposes that go well with my wants. Also, I don’t wish to be reliant on the web in case service goes down. I set these applications up on my monitor so I can see them all of sudden.
Consider the next instruments recommendations—everybody works otherwise, and also you would possibly discover another app that higher suits the best way you’re employed. These instruments are present to this writing:
Word processor
LibreOffice 6.0.1. Until lately, I used WPS, however font-rendering issues (Times New Roman was at all times in daring format) nixed it. The latest model of LibreOffice adapts to Microsoft Office very properly, and the truth that it is open supply ticks the field for me.
Thesaurus
Artha offers you synonyms, antonyms, derivatives, and extra. It’s clean-looking and quick. Type the phrase “fast,” for instance, and you will get the dictionary definition in addition to the opposite choices listed above. Artha is a large reward to the open supply neighborhood, and extra folks ought to strive it because it appears to be a type of obscure little applications. If you’re utilizing Linux, set up this utility now. You received’t remorse it.
Note-taking
Zim touts itself as a desktop wiki, nevertheless it’s additionally the best multi-level note-taking app you’ll discover wherever. There are different, prettier note-taking applications out there, however Zim is strictly what I have to handle my characters, places, plots, and sub-plots.
Submission monitoring
I as soon as used a proprietary piece of software program known as FileMaker Pro, and it spoiled me. There are loads of database purposes on the market, however for my part the best one to make use of is Glom. It fits my wants graphically, letting me enter info in a kind reasonably than a desk. In Glom, you create the shape you want so you’ll be able to see related info immediately (for me, digging by way of a spreadsheet desk to seek out info is like dragging my eyeballs over shards of glass). Although Glom now not seems to be in improvement, it stays related.
Research
I’ve begun utilizing StartPage.com as my default search engine. Sure, Google will be one in all your greatest pals while you’re writing. But I do not like how Google tracks me each time I wish to study a selected individual/place/factor. So I take advantage of StartPage.com as a substitute; it is quick and doesn’t monitor your searches. I additionally use DuckDuckGo.com as an alternative choice to Google.
Other instruments
Chromium Browser is an open supply model of Google Chrome, with privateness plugins.
Though Thunderbird, from Mozilla, is a good program, I discover Geary a a lot faster and lighter e-mail app. For extra on open supply e-mail apps, learn Jason Baker‘s glorious article, Top 6 open source desktop email clients.
As you may need observed, my style in apps tends to merge the perfect of Windows, MacOS, and the open supply Linux alternate options talked about right here. I hope these recommendations enable you to uncover useful new methods to compose (thanks, Artha!) and monitor your written works.
Happy writing!