Rocks

I stole this idea from TheEvilSkeleton, who stole it from Suckless.org. Feel free to steal this idea too and make your own Rocks page.

Free and Open Source Software

Linux Distributions

• Arch Linux: I run this on my primary gaming rig machine. It's an operating system that believes in the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) ideology by letting you choose what to install on your machine. Installation is through a command line interface with no GUI. Not for the faint of heart.

• Fedora Linux: When I use Distrobox, I sometimes use Fedora containers. It has multiple branches such as Rawhide for those who like rolling releases, as well as a stable branch more like how Ubuntu has it with updates every 6 months. You can download additional programs with Flatpak.

• Gentoo Linux: A source-based Linux Distrobution. I was originally going to use this to power my primary machine, but I don't wish to compile every package I need for my computer. I still consider it a good distro for those who want to experiment around and learn more about Linux and GNU.

• Ubuntu Linux: For those just starting on their Linux journey, I encourage them to try this distro first. Owned by Canonical, Ubuntu strives in it's stable packaging of only 6 months per upgrade and providing graphical interfaces to make it accessible.

Package Managers

• Pacman: The default package manager for Arch Linux. It is incredibly powerful and does its job very well. The recent addition to parellel downloading allows downloading multiple packatges at a time. It usually never breaks unless you do something unrecommended or dangerous, and even then it's easy to fix it with enough knowledge and internet searching.

• Paru: Sadly, some packages are not hosted on Arch Linux's package page. This tool allows you to download pre-written instructions to compile programs that aren't available pre-compiled and updates them when necessary. It's also written in Rust, which is very cool.

• Flatpak: When you don't wish to compile a piece of software, Flatpak comes in handy. They have stable releases of your favorite software in containers so that you can enjoy a secure experience. I find it useful when I don't want to download a ton of pre-requisite junk on my computer for a program to run.

• Brew: I honestly didn't know you could run Brew on Linux until very recently when I dug into it more. I find it very purposeful for installing user packages without having to deal with additional fuss. It's also used on Mac OS to install packages.

• Nix: Ever hate having to get a perfect build with the perfect software and the perfect version? Nix can help with that, making sure environments are heavily reproducible.

Desktop Environments

• Gnome: This is the main desktop environment I use. It's focus is to be user-friendly and minimal. I add extensions to it to add features I find useful and create a unique experience I like.

• KDE Plasma: I used to use Plasma as my main desktop environment. After finding it unstable and crash-worthy, I switched to GNOME. Despite this, Plasma is very powerful in terms of customization and has come far from the past where only modern computers would be able to run it.

Window Managers

• i3: i3 is a tiling window manager, allowing you to easily place windows in a certain area, move them out of the way easily yet being able to get back to them just as easily, and not have to worry about hogging system resources compared to other desktop environments and possibly other window managers.

• Sway: I used to use this for months until I found it too complicated for my needs. It is very minimal, however. I recommend those with lower power computers to check it out.

Social Media Platforms

• Mastodon: After quitting Twitter, I find Mastodon to be a much better alternative. I feel I can really connect with people and I don't have to look at sad news stories nor advertisements. I use multiple accounts on different servers for different purposes.

• [Pixelfed](TODO: Add URL): As Mastodon is to Twitter, Pixelfed is to Instagram. You can upload images to the platform and interact with others'. I have not used the software recently, but it's great for those who wish to stick with something that is free and open source.

• Pleroma: Pleroma is also Fediverse software, meaning people can connect with those on Mastodon and vice versa. If you're looking for a different interface/backend, you should try this.

Office and Text Editors

• LibreOffice: I use this to write stories before I publish them to DeviantArt. This way, I don't lose anything if a problem arrises. It is comparable to Microsoft Office.

• [NeoVim](TODO: Add URL): NeoVim is one of my favorite text editors before I learned about Spacemacs.

Video Editing

• Kdenlive: I used to use this program to edit videos. Since I don't really produce videos anymore, I've stopped using the software. I loved the amount of creativity you could put in a production, even with the defaults provided by the package. I recommend video editors try it for themselves.

Music Production

• Ardour: My current digital audio workstation (DAW) that I use. It is amazing how many cool features a user can experiment and play with. This does not discount, however, the intermediate learning curve to master it.

• LMMS: The DAW I used in the past. I find it has less features than Ardour.

Images and Graphic Design

• GIMP: A Photo Manipulation tool I use to make my logos. While it is really meant to edit images and enhance them, I don't find myself doing such a thing often, especially since I've cut down on capturing photos.

• Inkscape: This is my primary favorite tool to make graphic designs with. The program is able to scale pieces of a design without compromising on the quality of it.

• PhotoGIMP: PhotoGIMP makes changes to the interface and adds features to provide a more Photoshop feel to GIMP. It is a pretty powerful tool, even though installation is more geared towards intermediate Linux users.

  • I recommend the developers come up with a better way to download and install this software for those who do not have as much experience in the Linux operating system.

Games

• Steam: A client and DRM (digital rights manager) for the many games I play on PC. It's a great place to keep what I want to play without having to go to the store and buy them. Gift cards can be bought at the store. Some of my favorite games can be found below.

I've listed numerous games without links below.

Fighting

• Super Smash Bros

Platformers

• A Hat In Time / Here Comes Niko / Super Mario 64, Sunshine

• Portal (1, 2)

• Super Mario Bros / SuperTux / SuperTux Advance

Puzzle

• Peggle / Peggle Nights

Racing

• Super Mario Kart / SuperTuxKart

Sandbox

• Minecraft / Minetest

Simulation

• Academia: School Simulator / Two Point Hospital / Theme Hospital

• Harvest Moon / Stardew Valley / Animal Crossing

• Sid Meyer's Civilization (5, 6)

• The Sims (Especially 3 and 4)

Tower Defense

• Bloons Tower Defense 1-5

Visual Novel

• Carpe Diem

• Doki Doki Literature Club