Essentials
Operating system
Windows 11, and EndeavourOS or Fedora for Linux.
Web browser
For the desktop and Android, I recommend Microsoft Edge, or Firefox.
I recommend these following extensions:
- uBlock Origin - This is the only ad/content blocker you should use. If you're not sure on what extensions to use, use this one.
- SponsorBlock - Allows you to skip sponsored segments of videos, and more (filler segments, non music sections)
- Violentmonkey - Userscript manager, open source version of Tampermonkey and updated version of Greasemonkey.
- Unhook - Remove various annoying features of YouTube.
- BlockTube - Block YouTube channels from appearing on YouTube.
- uBlacklist - Blocks sites from appearing in Google search results.
Terminal emulator
Konsole for Linux, and Windows Terminal for Windows.
Multimedia
Music player
I use Spotify, but MusicBee for Windows, and Strawberry for Linux (but also available on Windows). Also consider foobar2000 on Windows.
Video player
mpv. If you need a no-fuss all in one video player, just use VLC. Also consider Haruna for an mpv frontend.
Image editor
GIMP. For pixel art, I recommend Aseprite.
Digital art
Krita and I also recommend OpenTabletDriver for Wacom tablets.
Other
Text editors & IDEs
For text editors, I recommend VSCode. For Python and .NET I use JetBrains PyCharm and Rider respectively.
Password manager
Bitwarden. If you don't want to rely on Bitwarden's servers or cannot self-host Bitwarden or Vaultwarden, use KeePassXC.
BitTorrent clients
qBittorrent. If you use GNOME, check out Fragments.
Office suites
LibreOffice should be fine for most people, but you can just use the Google suite, or if you really need the complicated MS stuff then just use 365. If you somehow cannot or do not want to touch MS Office but still need to have maximum compatibility with it, try OnlyOffice.
I use Outlook (web).. For a more "private" email service, try Proton. I don't use an email client, but if you really need an email client I recommend Thunderbird as it has gotten a modern refresh recently.
Games
Launchers
For the most part, I just use Steam. Also try Playnite. For Minecraft, I exclusively use Prism Launcher.
Emulators
- 32X: RetroArch (PicoDrive)
- 3DS: Azahar Emulator - A contuination of the now shut-down Citra emulator.
- Dreamcast: Flycast
- DS/i: RetroArch (melonDS) or melonDS (Standalone)
- GameCube / Wii: Dolphin
- Game Boy / Color: RetroArch (SameBoy or Gambatte)
- Game Boy Advance: RetroArch (mGBA) or mGBA (Standalone)
- Genesis/Master System/Game Gear/Sega CD: RetroArch (GenesisPlusGX)
- N64: RetroArch (Mupen64), or Rosalie's Mupen GUI, or Parallel Launcher for ROM hacks
- NES: RetroArch (Mesen)
- PS1: DuckStation
- PS2: PCSX2
- PS3: RPCS3
- PSP: PPSSPP
- PSVita: Vita3K
- Saturn: RetroArch (Beetle Saturn)
- SNES: RetroArch (Snes9x)
- Switch: Ryubing - Contuination of Ryujinx. There is also Eden for a continuation of Yuzu. Use Ryubing first, then use Eden if there are any issues.
- Wii U: Cemu
- Xbox: Xemu
- Xbox 360: Xenia or Xenia Canary. Use Xenia first as it should support what you need.