David Callé
on 11 September 2017
September, back to school! This month’s pick of the top snaps is all about productivity and collaboration tools. Very competent web browser? Check. Messaging clients? Check. PDF and Video files editing? Check. Hacking your router to host apps and Minepocket server management? Well, September also has weekends – check!
If the term “snaps” doesn’t ring a bell, they are a new way for developers to package their apps, bringing many advantages over traditional package formats such as .deb, .rpm, and others. They are secure, isolated and allow apps to be rolled back should an issue occur. They also aim to work on any distribution or platform, from IoT devices to servers, desktops and mobile devices. Snaps really are the future of Linux application packaging and we’re excited to showcase some great examples of these each month.
Our August selection
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1. ChromiumUpstream snap team |
An open-source browser project that aims to build a safer, faster, and more stable way for all Internet users to experience the web. Chromium is the basis on which Google Chrome is built.
- Install Chromium from the Software Center.
- or from the command-line:
sudo snap install chromium
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2. DinoMarius Gripsgård |
Dino is a modern Jabber/XMPP Client using GTK+/Vala and strongly adhering to the latest GNOME design guidelines.
- Install Dino from the Software Center.
- or from the command-line:
sudo snap install dino-client
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3. Paradrop toolsParadrop Labs |
ParaDrop lives on Wi-Fi routers, where special applications can be installed with the permissions of owners. These apps enable your router, the nerve center of all Internet in the home, to solve complex problems in ways that are impossible using today’s routers.
The ParaDrop tools package provides the command line utilities to work with ParaDrop routers
- Install Paradrop tools-cli from the Software Center.
- or from the command-line:
sudo snap install paradrop-tools
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4. PocketMine Server ManagerAd MCPE |
PocketMine (https://pmmp.io) is a server software for Minecraft Pocket Edition.
PocketMine Server Manager is a Graphical User Interface allowing you to manage multiple servers without having to deal with the trouble of finding the right binaries, using commands to do what you want to do. Everything is done for you from the installation of servers to managing it by clicking a few buttons.
- Install PocketMine Server Manager from the Software Center.
- or from the command-line:
sudo snap install pocketmine-server-manager
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5. MKVToolNixJacob Zimmermann |
MKVToolNix is a set of tools to create, alter and inspect Matroska (mkv) files. Merge multimedia streams into a Matroska file, list elements contained in a Matroska file, extract specific elements, analyze and modify file properties.
- Install MKVToolNix from the Software Center.
- or from the command-line:
sudo snap install mkvtoolnix-jz
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6. IRCproxyOliver Grawert |
This snap, also available for arm, is based on the Bip IRC proxy. Install it on your Raspberry Pi, update the config file in /var/snap/ircproxy/current/config.yaml with your IRC credentials and servers you want to connect to, and you are good to go!
- Install IRCproxy from the Software Center.
- or from the command-line:
sudo snap install ircproxy
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7. gpingTom |
Gping adds a nice graph to the ping command.
- Install gping from the Software Center.
- or from the command-line:
sudo snap install gping
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8. GogsThorben Bräutigam |
Gogs is a fast and easy way to set up a self-hosted Git service, with a Web UI akin to GitHub. Install the snap and open your web browser at http://localhost:3001 to get started.
- Install Gogs from the Software Center.
- or from the command-line:
sudo snap install gogsgit
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9. KropCarlos Gomes |
Krop is a simple graphical tool to crop the pages of PDF files. It is written in Python and relies on PyQT, python-poppler-qt4 and pyPDF for its functionality.
A unique feature of krop is its ability to automatically split pages into subpages to fit the limited screen size of devices such as eReaders. This is particularly useful, if your eReader does not support convenient scrolling.
- Install Krop from the Software Center.
- or from the command-line:
sudo snap install krop
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10. IRCCloud DesktopDaniel Llewellyn |
IRCCloud Desktop is a desktop client for IRCCloud, a well-known contender in the IRC proxy area, supporting history browsing, file uploads, image and video embeds, code snippets, markdown, etc.
- Install Krop from the Software Center.
- or from the command-line:
sudo snap install irccloud-desktop
