The great thing about open source projects is that there are so many options. The downside, there are so many options and it can be overwhelming. Rather than give you ALL the options, I will give you my “go to” applications that I regularly count on. In no way am I saying that these are the best applications, there may be better options out there but these work well for me and is a starting point. Should my choice of application be lacking in some sort of feature, it is likely there is something similar that would work better for you.
This is my list of ever changing applications that I use. In the open source world, some projects drift off and new projects appear and some just change their name while others fork. Here is what I recommend for a good openSUSE Linux experience.
Base Application List
This my recommended list of applications and modifications to the base install to maximize your experience with openSUSE. For legal reasons, openSUSE cannot install certain bits of software that users can elect to add. I highly recommend these upon a fresh installation.
Web Browsers
Here is my take on web browsers today. What browser I like for what purpose along with steps to install them.
Multimedia Applications
This is a quick guide to get all the things installed and configured that openSUSE is not allowed to automatically include due to some legal nonsense. This will allow you to play DVDs, watch movies encoded in MP4, M4V, AVI, etc.
Communication
Quick reference, mostly for me, to install the “communication” applications I use regularly.
Utilities
Applications that aren’t necessarily fun but are really useful or tools to make tech life less tedious through automation or accessibility.
Education
Since I have kids, this section is now becoming important. There are many well produced web-based educational programs out there but I find many to be lacking. This area is currently under development, there will more to come here later.
Engineering
Engineering applications for those involved in any such activities that require some sort of engineering, mechanical, electrical or otherwise. These are programs I use or have used and can recommend.
Games
I don’t get a lot of time to play games, but when I do, I like to have them handy. There are only a few games that are not well publicized of which I get much enjoyment.
Emulators
I use emulators primarily for retro gaming, there are some other good applications you can play with… but the reality is, I use them just for the fun experiences of old technology, not the productivity.
Terminal Applications
Although This section shouldn’t really be a section. I like the Terminal Applications. They are a nice throwback to times past, as well as has very practical usage today. The terminal is just much, much faster to interact with then the graphic interfaces.