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ZDNET's key takeaways
Linux has tons of productivity tools waiting to help.
There are both GUI and command-line apps available.
All of the tools listed are free to use.
When you think of productivity, I'm sure the usual suspects come to mind:
Office suite
Groupware
PDF creators/editors
Image editors
File managers
Content Management Systems (CMS)
To-do lists
Project management tools
To assume those are the only productivity tools available would be a mistake, as there are so many to choose from. What you use depends on your needs, so the collection of apps you use will likely differ from those I prefer.
Even so, there are so many Linux apps to choose from, some of which are much lesser-known than the likes of LibreOffice or GIMP. You might be surprised to know that some of those obscure apps are really quite helpful.
Also: Thinking about switching to Linux? 9 things you need to know
Let me see if I can pique your interest in a few handy apps that might just make you a bit more productive.
1. ManuSkript
ManuSkript is a tool for writers. This free, open-source app is great for those looking to embark on writing their first novel, play, TV/film script, or just about any complicated manuscript. ManuSkript includes features like an outline, distraction-free writing, an assistant (not AI), storylines, analysis, index cards, and more. ManuSkript follows the Snowflake method, which is a ten-step process for writing a novel that asks you questions, each of which builds on the others. It also guides you through this process.
ManuSkript is a GUI app that helps you grow your story from a single sentence to a paragraph, to a full summary, and then create characters, conceive plots, construct outlines, build worlds, track items, and more. If you're a writer and you'd like to try something similar to Scrivener, but without the associated cost. ManuSkript can be installed via Flatpak and is free.
2. Super Productivity
Super Productivity is an advanced task manager with a ton of helpful features. The best quality about Super Productivity is that it's the perfect combination of features and user-friendliness. Super Productivity includes features like to-do lists, time tracking, insights, timesheets, work summaries, integration with services such as Jira, Gitlab, GitHub, Open Project, and more. You'll also find CalDAV integration, focus mode, break reminders, notes, bookmarks, file attachments, and more.
This app has a well-designed, modern UI that makes using the tool a no-brainer. One of the best features of Super Productivity is the personal metrics, which can help you understand how you can improve your workflow. At first, you'll find yourself using only the basic features, but as you get accustomed to the app, you'll start venturing into the realm of the more complex offerings. Super Productivity can be installed via Flatpak or Snap and is free to use.
3. Eloquent
Eloquent has one function -- it proofreads your work. This app doesn't integrate into your desktop, word processor, or browser; rather, it allows you to paste text into the main window, and then it will analyze and proofread everything you've added.
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Eloquent works offline (so you don't have to worry that a third party is tracking you or using your work without permission) and supports nearly 30 languages. Eloquent uses the LanguageTool standalone server to proofread your work and offers suggestions to improve it. You can, however, run Eloquent as a background service and use it with LibreOffice, your web browser, and more. Eloquent is free to use and can be installed with Flatpak.
4. Atuin
The Atuin command-line tool is a powerful app to help sync your shell history, search everything instantly, and even keep your data encrypted as it is transported from machine to machine. Atuin works by storing your shell history in an SQLite database, while also recording additional context for your commands. The atuin tool features the ability to rebind Ctrl-R, store shell history, back up and sync your encrypted shell history, log exit codes and sessions, view statistics like "most used commands," quick jump to previous items, various filter modes, and more. One thing to keep in mind is that this tool is really only viable to those with plenty of command-line experience and who would like the CLI to be a bit more productive. The Atuin app supports the following Linux shells:
zsh
bash
fish
nushell
xonsh
Atuin is free to use and syncs with a cloud-based server, but can also be synced with a locally-hosted server.
5. CopyQ
When you copy a bit of text on your desktop, it's available to paste. After you paste that bit of text and copy another string of characters, the original copied text is gone. How many times have you needed the previously copied text and needed to find it, copy it, and then paste it? With a clipboard manager, you get access to a history of copied text, and CopyQ is one of the better options available.
The CopyQ app allows you to sort, create, edit, remove, copy/paste, drag, and drop items into a tabbed-based UI. You can also add notes to entries, use shortcuts and customizable commands, customize the UI, take advantage of a CLI version, ignore certain windows and/or text (such as passwords), and much more. If you copy and paste throughout the day, do yourself a favor and install CopyQ via a binary installer or from your package manager's standard repository.
6. Gemini-CLI
If you'd like to use the Gemini AI tool, but don't want to have to work with a GUI or web browser, you can always use the command-line version of the service. One thing to keep in mind is that this isn't a localized version of Gemini, which means it's using the Google service. If you'd rather keep things local, go with Ollama.
Also: Want to save your aging computer? Try these 5 Linux distributions
If, however, you prefer Gemini, the Gemini-CLI tool is the way to go. There is a free tier for Gemini-CLI, which gets you 60 requests/minute and 1,000 requests/day with your personal Google account. You can also get access to the Gemini 2.5 Pro (for a fee), which gives you access to a 1-million token context window. You also get Google Search grounding, file operations, shell commands, and web fetching. You do have to use npm to install Gemini-CLI, which means you'll need to first install Node.js. If you want the most efficient means of interacting with Gemini, this might be it.
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