content: Lets create a megathread for useful/alterative software that runs on Mint linux. This will be slightly Mint based, since thats most common here, in the fact i'll note if its in the repos (most are) Everything listed here is FLOSS (Free, Libre, Open Source Software) unless noted otherwise.  Firefox - common web browser Midori - simple light weight web browser LibreOffice - office productivity suit vim - high level command line, extreamly powerful text editor. If you can learn it through and through, you will be very, very, efficant emacs - basicly vim but with a different design ideaology/keybinds. geany - high level text editor, but with a GUI, and pretty much no learning curve compared to vim/emacs. Blender - Modeling,Video Editing, Game Engline, Animation Krita - Art app/painting. For the basic user it should be able to replace photoshop Gimp - more of a raw technical image editor imagemagic - Like gimp, but even more techncial and raw. Its often used in command line for automation (not in repo) Natron - Video Compositing software.  While not in repo, its install script is simple.  (not in repo) Veracrpyt - Encrpytion. Living fork of truecrypt. Again not in repo, but its an easy install Audacity - Low level sound editing/recording youtube-dl - commandline tool for downloading videos from youtube, and common sites. Which includes many porn sites Kdenlive - easy to use, but powerful Video editor. Is considered the best currently. (excluding learning video editing in blender) openshot - Also a video editor. Other video editors use its code. Pitivi - Also a video editor. Different lay out, but seems to be at the level of Kdenlive OpenOctave - Music program. Don't think its in repo, but its not low like audacity FFMPEG - universal translater between video and audio formats.  command line tool, and easy to use. Front ends exist.  LMMS - mixing audio. Like garage band/foot loops. Not me element, so I cannot comment on quality. It has many options and looks professional. Jack/ALSA - Technical audio stacks in linux. If you are going to have some technical audio set up, you might want to switch to jack (default is alsa), for less delay.  inkscape - vector art program synfig - 2d vector animation program synaptic - GUI package manager installer. (basicly the ubuntu/Mint app store, but much more technical, while still maintaining a GUI) openJDK - open source java JRE/JDK. Is considered more secure and easier to install than oracles/suns java on linux.  It can run pretty much anything the other ones can. Including minecraft. Personal experiance for is that openJDK often works better than the alteratives, especially with Minecraft servers and mod packs. (not in repo) terasology - a next gen minecraft. Runs on java/openJDK 8, content is divided in modules. Multiple modules (aka mods) and module packs (AKA mod packs). It supports killer graphics, a modules API, infinite high and depth, extreamly high biome ID number, (as well as virticual biomes) and more. Many useful and technical benifites exist. Its easy to run.  Grab the stable (terasologyOmega.zip) of the github page for preadded modules.  MineTest - Basicly terasology, but doesn't look as pretty, and takes a different approach on things. Is in repos how ever. Not java based.  armagetronad - a clone of the classic Tron ligh bike game. 3d, supports local network multiplayer, over the internet multiplayer, and local games with AIs.  great time sink, especially with the new Daft Punk album coming out, i mean Tron 3/Tron Destiny. Tor - The Onion Router. Configure it system wide or browser wide.  (browser addon store) ublock orgin - ad blocking software. lighter than the other ones. For Firefox and common browsers (browser addon store) Privacy beadger - tracker blocking software. For firefox and common browsers.  (browser addon store) noscript - privent scripts from running. For firefox and common browsers.  (browser addon store) https everywhere - force connections to https when supported, for firefox and common browsers.  (might be in repo) boot-repair - install it on a liveUSB, you can use it to repair your boot loader if you screw up grub.  screenfetch - a tool to display technical/show off infomation in terminal. Its often used when people show of their desktop screenshots. conky - a technical program to display useful information on desktop.  xpenguins - a toy to make penguins fall and play on your desktop. They interact with windows and various other GUI elements.  got any yourself? add them below.  EDIT: almost forgot:  transmission - a simple to yet powerful and light weight torrent client. Comes in gui and command line favours.  SSH paired with tmux and transmission-cli make a perfect seedbox.  (not in offical repos) popcorntime - a netflix like front end for movie and video torrenting.  How legal/moral it is really depends on you, as there are public domain movies, as well as others. I have no moral qualms agaist reobtaining something in a DRM free fashion if you already payed for it (ie, a netflix subscription). I believe theres a ppa in mint where you can to download it. Otherwise, its easy to run from the version on site. http://www.popcorntime.io/ . Again, user disgression is advised. I do not wish this post to be deleted on piracy grounds.  darktables - like lighttables, allows for image color editing.