Xubuntu

Chapter 5. Quick guide to default applications

Table of Contents

Graphics
Internet
Media
Office
System

Graphics

Ristretto is an image viewer designed to be very light on resources. More information can be found in the Ristretto online documentation.

Simple Scan is an easy-to-use scan utility designed to do simple tasks like scanning to email or directly to PDF. Read more at the Simple Scan website.

Internet

Firefox is a mature and stable web browser which can be extended with a wide variety of available add-ons. Read more on Firefox's online help.

Thunderbird is a versatile mail client which can handle multiple email accounts and different identities simultaneously. Like Firefox, it can also be enhanced with add-ons to customize its appearance and extend its functionality. If you are migrating from another mail program, Thunderbird allows importing your emails and address books. In Thunderbird, navigate to ToolsImport to start the Import assistant. Read more on the Thunderbird Support page.

Pidgin is the default instant messaging client capable of handling MSN, XMPP (Google Talk, Facebook) and more. Read more from Using Pidgin at the Pidgin online help.

Media

Parole is a simple media player that can play video and audio files. More information can be found in the Parole online documentation.

[Note]

It will be necessary to install xubuntu-restricted-extras in order to play proprietary media formats like e.g. MP3.

PulseAudio Volume Control allows you to control the different sound sources available on your machine e.g. HDMI or other audio ports and where you hear the sound. Once open, the tabs available in pavucontrol are self-explanatory. However, if you have no sound - check specifically the Playback, Output Devices and Configuration tabs. More detailed information on PulseAudio and controlling it can be found at the PulseAudio website.

Xfburn is the chosen program for creating your CDs and DVDs.

To read more about media in Xubuntu, refer to Chapter 6, Media applications.

Office

LibreOffice Writer is a word processor with extensive WYSIWYG word processing capabilities. Read more at the LibreOffice Writer website.

LibreOffice Calc is a spreadsheet editor with a number of unique features, including a system which automatically defines series of graphs, based on information available to the user. Read more at the LibreOffice Calc website.

Atril Document Viewer is a lightweight and easy-to-navigate PDF reader with a compact selection of features, such as thumbnail browser, bookmarking, and toolbar editor function to tweak its user interface.

Mate Calculator is visually similar to a lot of hand-held calculators and has been designed to be used with either the mouse or the keyboard.

Dictionary provides an easy way to access a number of different dictionaries across the internet. Read more at the Xfce4 Dictionary online help.

Orage has been designed to be a simple but effective calendar application to keep track of your appointments and trigger alarms. Read more at the Orage website.

System

Gigolo is an easy way to connect to local and remote file systems. Read more at the Gigolo website.

Engrampa is an archive manager which allows to create and modify archives, view the contents of an archive and extract files from the archive.

Task Manager provides a graphical overview of running applications. More information can be found in the Task Manager online documenatation.