Last Updated on March 26, 2020
It’s common knowledge that Christmas is a time for merriment, goodwill to all people, and above all a time for lists. So there’s no better time to compile a list for the year.
We’ve run through our statistics, and found our ten most well received posts that saw the highest page views this year.
There’s lots of stories that missed out from this countdown. This is therefore only a taster.
10) 8 Lesser Known Yet Awesome Text Editors
Text editors are used by a wide variety of people, for a wide variety of purposes. Software programmers and web developers use text editors to write and edit in programming and markup languages. And anyone who needs to administer a Linux machine will also benefit from a good text editor.
We are always looking to promote software that’s high quality, yet receives little publicity. All of the text editors are worth checking out.
9) Asus Tinker Board S – Single-Board Computer
This single-board computer really captured our thoughts. It’s considerably more powerful than many SBCs including all of the Raspberry Pi series.
It’s ARM-based with a quad-core CPU, 2GB RAM and support for 4K video and HD audio. But the 16GB onboard eMMC storage also sets it apart from its peers.
8) Essential LaTeX Tools – typeset beautifully
We’ve spent a lot of resources on updating many of our Group Tests, covering the length and breadth of open source Linux software. From the updated group tests, this article on LaTeX tools just shaved ahead.
LaTeX is a document preparation system and document markup language for high-quality typesetting. It’s often used for technical or scientific documentation, particularly because it generates well formatted papers with beautifully crafted formulae, but the system can be used for any form of publishing. It employs beautifully crafted typesetting algorithms. Academic journals will often accept submission in this format.
7) The Linux Podcast Scene
We had enormous fun in writing this detailed review, selecting the finest Linux podcasts. Along the way, we unearthed a few real gems, as well as shows we’ve been listening to for years.
To say the least, it was problematic to arrange them in a pecking order. After listening to many hundreds of podcasts and considerable deliberation and argument, Ubuntu Podcast, FLOSS Weekly and Late Night Linux emerged as our winners.
6) Linux Means Business – Best Free Business Apps
This round-up covered a wide range of software essential to the running of any business. Open source software covering categories such as CRM, ERP, Accounting, Groupware, Project Management, Document Management, Office Suite, Business Intelligence, and Security were covered. For each, we awarded gold, silver and bronze medals. 42 medals in all. The article generated a lot of debate and feedback.
5) Linux With Education – Best Free Education Apps
In this article, we awarded another 42 medals, this time to superb open source educational software. We showcased free software ideally suited for young people, parents, teachers, academics, and administrators – basically anyone involved in education.
From study aids, to writing papers, to managing classes, to running an entire institution, Linux covers all bases. We offered three recommendations for each category.
4) Linux Desktop Environments: Pantheon, Trinity, LXDE
This was a follow-up article to our roundup of the best Linux desktop environments (see below). It extended that survey with 3 other desktops: Pantheon, Trinity Desktop Environment, and LXDE. We looked at their features, user experience, system resources, extensibility, and documentation/support.
3) Essential System Tools
This is, in fact, an on-going series of articles highlighting indefensible tools for system administration. We recommended the following tools: ps_mem, gtop, pet, Alacritty, inxi, BleachBit, catfish, journalctl, Nmap, ddrescue, Timeshift, and GParted. There is one more system tool that will be covered this year. It’s Clonezilla. And we’ve going to continue this series into the new year, so look out for more essential system tools that makes system administration easier.
2) Best Linux Desktop Environments
A desktop environment is a collection of disparate components that integrate together. They bundle these components to provide a common graphical user interface with elements such as icons, toolbars, wallpapers, and desktop widgets. Additionally, most desktop environments include a set of integrated applications and utilities.
This article ranked 9 popular desktops by features, user experience, system resources used, extensibility, and documentation/support.
1) 24 Excellent GNOME Extensions
Our most-read article this year was published only this month. It offers our recommended GNOME shell extensions. They all help to take the desktop to the next level, either by adding useful functionality, improving your workflow, or simply offering a touch of panache to the desktop.
We’ve got lots of new articles in the offing. Coming up will be more GNOME related articles, but other desktops including KDE will also receive extensive coverage. Stay tuned folks!
And a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!