My Favorite Software Applications for Creating Websites and Games
As someone who wears multiple hats – musician, web designer, and game developer – I rely on these applications to bring my ideas to life. Here’s how I integrate them into my workflow using Gnome.
AI
- Automatic1111
I use this AI image generation tool to create unique artwork and concept art for websites and other projects. It’s an invaluable asset when I need captivating visuals quickly. - Forge Web UI
Now testing FLUX dev on Windows 11 and the first results are impressive! - LMStudio AI
Leverages NVIDIA graphics cards for improved performance when running large language models (LLMs) locally. It also speeds up coding experiments and provides endless learning opportunities. - GPT4All (with NVIDIA GPU support)
My six-year-old Dell Inspiron 5680 is equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card and 8GB of VRAM. Because of that, it can still run GPT4All with some of the mid-sized LLMs with Q4 quants.
Browsers & Communication
- Brave Browser
I use Brave for general browsing, keeping my workflow separate from my Firefox sessions reserved for WordPress management and Google accounts. Its built-in ad-blocking and security features ensure a peaceful browsing experience. - Thunderbird
As an email client, Thunderbird keeps me organized with its reliable functionality. The ability to back up all my emails locally is a game-changer, providing peace of mind and easy access to my archives.
Multimedia & Design
- Blender
As a 3D modeling suite, Blender is my go-to for architectural visualizations and game assets. Whether it’s creating a new level for a game or designing a custom logo, Blender handles it all with ease. - GIMP
I primarily use GIMP to prepare images for web pages. It’s my trusted companion for cropping, resizing, adding overlays and text, and exporting in web-friendly formats like webp. - Godot Engine
I’ve adopted Godot for creating engaging 2D and 3D games due to its flexibility and feature-rich environment. When I’m not working on WordPress sites, you’ll find me experimenting with new game levels or exploring the engine’s capabilities. - HandBrake
Working with AI-generated talking avatars often involves handling custom video formats. HandBrake comes to the rescue by optimizing these videos for smooth web playback. - Shotcut
Shotcut is my go-to video editing software for editing and exporting footage from my Pixel phone and screen recordings. Its intuitive interface and features like color correction and keyframe animation make it easy to create professional-looking videos.
Productivity & Development
- LibreOffice
This versatile office suite helps me juggle multiple tasks and projects efficiently. Whether I’m creating documents, financial plans with Calc, workflow prototypes with Dia, or presentations, LibreOffice delivers professional results with ease. - VSCodium
As a Python-focused IDE, VS Codium streamlines my development process. Its extensive plugin ecosystem and instant code execution features help me catch errors and learn from my mistakes as an amateur coder.
Update: Since switching to KDE Plasma, I am slowly replacing VSCodium with Kate
Honorable Mentions
- Geany
This lightweight alternative IDE is perfect for web design and Python programming when I need something more minimal. - Forge Web UI
A faster fork of Automatic1111, Forge WebUI delivers improved image generation speed on older hardware like my Dell Inspiron 5680.
Expanding Our Linux Ecosystem
To better serve our diverse community, we’re expanding our software coverage to include KDE Plasma. By creating a mixed environment featuring both Gnome and KDE desktops, we’ll be able to test, review, and provide more comprehensive resources for all Linux users, regardless of their preferred desktop environment.
Stay tuned for updates!