An article for well-deserved Appreciation to FOSS
By: Prathamesh Majgaonkar
Tags: Foss, Open Source, Ubuntu, Development, Gratitude

Image by: Opensource.com

As an avid developer and FOSS (Free and open-source software) enthusiast I would like to take this opportunity to appreciate some of the FOSS I have been using.

As a professional — busy with our daily work and projects — we tend to visit forums, blogs and stackoverflow only when we have issues or want to report a bug in a software. We don’t realize the efforts and hours of coding and debugging put in by the developers, maintainers and contributors (in any form) towards making the software possible (that too free for use).

So, join me today and take a moment to appreciate the FOSS applications that have helped you shape your decisions and accelerated you in your career or hobby.

Here are the top 5 FOSS used by me in my daily work and I would like to give them a huge shout-out for helping me not only in my journey of becoming a developer but also keeping up with my hobbies!

1. UBUNTU

My Ubuntu Laptop

My daily driver, the Operating System of my choice! It has been 4 years since I have ditched Windows and I am glad to say that I have never regretted or looked back! It all started with Ubuntu 16.04 LTE and now I am currently using Ubuntu 18.04 LTE.

I am trying my best in giving back to the community by answering questions on AskUbuntu.

2. ATOM

atom.io

My earlier text-editor of choice, an application in which I have written almost all of my code (until recently when I made a switch to VSCode).

In the varying choice of programming language like Javascript (Node.js, ReactJS, Angular), Python, Java the one thing that remained constant was Atom! The immense customization possibilities and plethora of plugins to tailor Atom to your needs made it the Number 1 editor of choice for developers.

3. Chromium (Kiwi on Android)

Chromium browser (Developer tools)

It is the Open-source project on which Google has built its Chrome browser. Chromium is the browser of my choice since it does not have the Google branding and spying. Most of my time is spent in the developer console. Above is a screenshot of me debugging a ReactJS app on Chromium.

Kiwi for Android is also based on Chromium has a built-in AD blocker and dark mode. (which is pretty amazing!)

4. Inkscape

Inkscape: For Vector designs

A free alternative to Adobe’s Illustrator and IT IS AMAZING! The satisfaction that you get after making your design in Inkscape is inexplicable! I have used it to make logos, icons and vector graphics for websites and projects. The above image shows how I used it to design the Visiting Cards for my company.

5. Krita

Krita for raster graphics

Another graphics editor (raster) for making digital paintings and animations. I like to make my artwork in Krita. It has helped me keep in touch with my long-lost hobby of drawing and painting. I use it on weekly basis to make my artwork and share on Instagram (@artbyptm).

The ease of use, frequent bug fixes, updates and the incredible brush engine makes it an alternative to the Adobe Photoshop (if you are using it for designing and artwork that is).

CONCLUSION:

So, here’s my list of FOSS applications that I love and use in my day to day life. I take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in giving their valuable time and efforts for the development of these softwares and indirectly helping me in my achievements and shaping my career and professional life. :)