3 free Linux apps for writing, SSHing, and tea-drinking
Have a novel brewing?
Are you looking for useful apps among the myriad of free and open source software in Linux repositories? These are a few I can personally recommend trying, depending on how you use your computer.
KTeaTime: Steep in your desktop
If you drink hot tea while you're working on your Linux desktop, then you'll appreciate KTeaTime (aka Tea Cooker). It's a KDE app that integrates best with the KDE Plasma desktop, living in your task tray. Right-click it, and you have a variety of tea types to choose from. Clicking one starts a timer for steeping that tea type. When the timer is up, you get a notification. With reminders enabled, you can also get repeat notifications reminding you to stop steeping.
Why I like it
I drink a lot of hot tea, and I don't like to over-steep my tea, so KTeaTime comes in handy on many a morning. I like that you can customize the timers to adjust the steep time, and custom tea types are also configurable.
How to get it
You can download KTeaTime from Flathub, so you can likely find it just by searching your software manager. For those who prefer the terminal, you can also use one of these commands.
sudo apt install kteatime #Debian and Ubuntu
sudo dnf install kteatime #Fedora
sudo pacman -S kteatime #Arch
sudo zypper install kteatime #openSUSE
novelWriter: A complete workplace for an author
Writing a novel is no easy task, and something more powerful and dedicated than LibreOffice Writer might be necessary if you're trying to write on a Linux desktop. The app novelWriter is designed to let you do just that, and it's completely free and open source. It organizes different parts of your novel into smaller plain text files for simplified project management. There are formatting tools not just for the novel itself but also for your notes and cross references, so the entire writing workflow can be contained inside novelWriter.
You can switch between an outline overview and a novel view, in addition to the regular interface. When you're ready to share the project, novelWriter can generate a complete manuscript for you.
Why I like it
I've yet to write my novel, but playing around with it, I was struck by how extensively documented the app is to help you get comfortable with the interface. I also appreciate that the project's AI policy bans nearly all generative AI in the development process.
Jordan Gloor
How to get it
The easiest way to get the app is to go to the official novelWriter download page and get the AppImage. If you're on Fedora, you can also download it from your software manager or run the command sudo dnf install novelwriter.
SSH Pilot: Easily manage your SSH sessions
If you're like me and have multiple devices you're regularly connecting to via SSH (Secure SHell), then you might want to try SSH Pilot. Designed to fit into the GNOME and other GTK-based desktops, SSH Pilot keeps a list of the addresses you're regularly logging into and gives you a terminal emulator to interact with it. That's just the beginning, though, because it also gives you a graphical file manager and resource monitor so you can easily work in your remote device's files and track activity on it, too.
There are many advanced features, too, like key management and a dedicated Docker console. Theming your terminal emulator is also super simple.
Why I like it
Previously, I was just manually logging into each remote device in a regular terminal every time I needed to interact with it. As my list of devices grew, that process got tiring, and SSH Pilot ended up being exactly what I needed. What makes SSH Pilot extra nice is that it offers a lot of helpful tips if you aren't an SSH pro.
How to get it
Since SSH Pilot is on Flathub, you can probably find it in your normal software manager. If not, check the SSH Pilot download instructions for distro-specific installations. Those on Arch comfortable with the AUR can get it using yay -S sshpilot.
That's all I have to recommend this week, but you can check the archive of app recs to learn about more useful Linux software.
