Issue 33: Productivity – Turn Ubuntu into the Best Work Environment

Sometimes, I admit, I struggle to find topics for this editorial piece. There is only so much you can say about Ubuntu, Free Software, and Linux before you start repeating yourself. But there is no danger of that this month, oh no! There is enough in the news on Ubuntu to fill a book, let alone, one side of an A4 page.

This month, on our double-sided disk, we have the newest version of Ubuntu, 17.04 – Zesty Zapus and the 64-bit version of Ubuntu.

There is the idea that Linux and, by extension, Ubuntu, is only good for developers and experimenting. This perception is wrong.

Makagiga is an integrated solution that takes on numerous tasks in the day-to-day office setting. It also replaces several of the small tools that are part of your desktop.

Digital archives do away with the need for traditional filing cabinet storage. Even so, Paperwork tries to make your life easier.

GnuCash is a powerful financial accounting program that is well suited for both personal and small business finances.

When writing fine literature, specialized word processors can help you stay on task, allowing you to shape your suspense-laden storyline and characters. To this end, we're examining four free authoring tools.

The Spigot calculator distinguishes itself with its high accuracy and precise results from the shell.

The ultra-slim web server HTTPie turns out to be an elegant synthesis of curl and wget, making it ideal for use with pipes.

Routino is an offline route-planning application that uses OpenStreetMap data to calculate efficient and convenient routes. We discuss what this software can do.

KDE Plasma Activities remove the limitations of having a single desktop and allow you to have multiple environments with their own sets of launchers for applications, files, and URLs, each customized for a single purpose.

Trojitá is new to the scene of email clients, but it already stands out for its intuitive interface and speed. Even so, this client is still missing some essential functions.

If you can master the idiosyncrasies of this software, then you will be able to edit audio files in a flash.

With Eskil, you can easily compare the differences between files. If necessary, you can even compare them with a version control system.

Ubuntu 17.04 offers almost no changes to the installation process. But, in case you are new to Ubuntu, we'll walk you through upgrading or installing the latest release.

With NetworkManager, you can access the Internet during the Ubuntu installation process. The first step is to download updates to make your system more secure.

The new Ubuntu Software app lets you install just about anything, including free software, purchased apps, and games.

You can watch movies, play music and place calls over the Internet with ease with Ubuntu. You just have to load the right software packages onto your computer. We present some of our favorite multimedia apps.

The Fairphone 2 strives for a balancing act. As an open platform it offers easy repair and freedom of choice in terms of its operating system, while trying to ensure raw material mining and production take place under fair conditions.

The KDE Slimbook bolsters the ranks of Linux notebooks with this good-looking and powerful Ultrabook.