LINUX APPS TO REPLACE MY MAC APPS (for content creation)

[@Orbitoid]

10:29 - List of apps: Kdenlive - video editing Dark table - photography Blender - 3D modelling Inkscape - Graphics editing Gimp - Graphics editing Natron - compositing and vfx Krita - raster graphics editing Scribus - Publishing Libra Office - document editing Obsidian - markdown document/note taking vim (soon) - plain text/markdown editing for note taking Ardour - audio/audio workstation

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Awesome! Thank you for this!

[@donkekonge]

This is great! I also recently moved to Linux as my main OS (using all of the open-source engineering applications to get work done), and it's really exciting. Once you get familiar with the new workflow everything just becomes second nature, and it's sort of reassuring to know that I won't just lose access to software I need if I miss a subscription or don't have internet to check my license.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Yes! Exactly that’s my thinking too. There’s a liberation to doing this kind of thing. Thanks for joining this journey!

[@nickthaskater]

After Microsoft's recent event launching Copilot+ and the future of Windows, I more than ever before want to make the switch but lack the motivation to figure it all out myself. It's heartening to see someone else doing the same and the way you present is welcoming and accessible. I hope you keep it coming - subscribed 😊

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Thank you so much! And good point about the recent Copilot+ announcement. We’re at an interesting crossroads with this stuff. Thanks so much for watching and subscribing! Much more to come!

[@Sonya_Makepeace]

The biggest problem I had with Linux, when I started, was the file system. But, I persevered with it. Now I'm a semi-pro. Ditch MS and Apple. Play around with Linux on an old laptop, then make the switch.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

@@Sonya_Makepeace that’s great! That’s a similar mentality to what I’m taking with it.

[@borremoonkey]

I was already getting fed up with Windows a few years ago and dove into it without any idea, other than some quick KZbin tutorials. I've ran through all types of distros, from Linux Mint to Gentoo, but I've learned it's mostly about the package manager and the availability of packages that you should consider as the reason why a distro matters to you. Currently, on Fedora 40 on my desktop and I'm enjoying it but considering giving NixOS another shot, though perhaps I'll try on my laptop instead.

[@xeoknight845]

I recommend any of the UniversalBlue Fedora based distros, they have been extremely helpful in their Discord with any problems people have and in general their stuff has been user-friendly and simple (since they are based on the pretty user-friendly and simple Fedora after all). Linux gaming on a niche handheld? No problem, they have a very secure and featureful gaming distro that works great with both my desktop computer and a bunch of nicher handhelds. They also have some good distros aimed at general usage

[@eddygordov]

I have used Linux for the past twenty three years but I have been relying on Windows just for Civilization V and VI. I am glad to see Linux now getting some traction as I was preaching for it in the metaphorical desert. Good luck in your discovery, man.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Thanks for the support! It’s extremely helpful and reassuring to have long time Linux users like yourself a part of this journey. I’m already learning so much.

[@rustybroomhandle]

Both those games run on Linux. Use Proton instead of native builds for online play.

[@eddygordov]

@@rustybroomhandle Yes I have realized that last year and I found the start of Civ VI quite temperamental at time as I run it now native. I am not a big fan of online play despite having a Steam account.

[@GarryNichols]

25 years!

[@jamiercollyer]

Love Civ VI too!!

[@DevJeremi]

List of Linux apps I recommend: VSCode - for coding Godot - Game/App Engine QCopy - Clipboard Manager Flameshot - Screenshot tool MaterialMaker - an Substance Desinger alt. ArmorPaint - an Substance Paniter alt. LibrePaint - an ASprite clone MarkText - for Markdown LMMS - for Making music Audacity - for cleaing audio OBS - for recording screen Kdenlive - video editing Blender - 3D modelling Inkscape - Vector Graphics editing Gimp - Graphics editing

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Great list! Thank you!

[@Sonya_Makepeace]

I think, people are getting pissed off with Apple, as they are with Microsoft.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Right? Exactly. Let’s see where we can go with this channel, and show other creatives what is possible.

[@ChrisKhaled83]

I know I am getting pissed off with them. And adobe as well now. It seems that these companies no longer innovate with their software. They just add dystopian crap, spyware and other rubbish that we dont need. Its time for a change.

[@CptBlackEye]

Your layout/coverage is perfect for my (lack of) skillset. Most channels assume a baseline level of understanding and go from there. Its getting to that baseline that most new users struggle with most.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Thanks for the feedback! These are good things for me to keep in mind as I make more videos.

[@mhelmreich1]

I'm impressed that you are giving it a go. One BIG thing with open source software is that you keep control over your work. Wirh proprietary software you need to maintain licenses to access your own work.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Exactly! That was one of the big motivating factors for me to start this channel. Thanks for being here! I appreciate the support.

[@MrAlhaines]

I'm a 30+ year user and have found what I needed. Linux Mint with Calibre; Clementine; vlc; geany; deluge. I have collected things that take 12tb of drive space and since I've retired I now have the time to distro hop. Garuda Linux looked like a nice arch Linux distro. I keep that on a m.2 drive, which I now have six m.2 drives in my pc. I was a system admin for years and love using Mint as my daily driver!

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

That’s so cool! I’ve been pretty happy with mint, especially with my latest themes and settings. It’s actually changed a bit since my last video. I’ll share more about it soon. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@Locationary]

great to see linux getting more lover than just for server usage.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Exactly! There is a ton of great stuff going on in the Linux and FOSS space for creatives. I’m excited at all the possibilities.

[@eijentwun5509]

Problem is people here are giving you OPENBSOURCE apps only vs WHATEVER app is the BEST for the job Opensource or NOT. Video Editing: Da Vinci Resolve, or Lightworks Office: WPS Office & Softmaker Office (for smoother PPT transitions) and Google Dos and MS Office Web. 3D Rendering: Blender, Natron Adobe Photoshop: Krita, GIMP, and Webbased ones

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Those are great suggestions, thank you!

[@BluzBazz]

Been "all in" on Linux for years. Less bloat, more flexible, lighter weight..... it's just better.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

That’s awesome! It’s been great and getting even better for me. Thanks for watching!

[@222inverter]

Its going to be a steap learning curve!.. not only learning a new OS but new software aswell...just take your time and enjoy!..

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Thank you!

[@theredx3196]

To make it more feeling like MacOS desktop, install Plank, and then move your current menu bar to the top of the screen. It’s great!

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Oh nice! I’ll give that shot! Thanks!

[@theredx3196]

​@@LinuxCreativeProject I think you'll love it! And something not many know... if you want to adjust the preferences of the Plank app, hold down your Control key and then right click on it anywhere with your mouse, then choose Preferences... instead of trying over and over on the very end of the menu bar! LOL Enjoy!!!

[@theredx3196]

@@LinuxCreativeProject how was it for you?

Having that setup on my mint installation too. And I love how you can move things in the menu bar on top - like getting the clock into the middle. It's the little things. ;-)

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

That’s awesome. I’ll give it a try at some point.

[@nymusicman]

It's Proprietary, but REAPER as a DAW is just awesome.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

It’s definitely on my list of apps to explore! Thanks for watching!

[@Ajay-pf6bv]

@@LinuxCreativeProject I recommend Bitwig. Probably the most powerfull DAW on Linux.

[@Tyrannocaster]

Reaper may be proprietary but its cost is so reasonable (and you can try it free literally forever, until guilt gets you bc it's so inexpensive) and its capabilities are IMMENSE. It's far more than a multitrack recorder; I also use it as an editor (Audacity doesn't even compare imo) and you can even do minimal video editing on it. Reaper is impressive; been using it for 14 years.

[@BluzBazz]

I've been loving Reaper! And it's true cross-platform, so I can share projects with others who use it with other OSs (pretty uncommon). I also use Harrison Mixbus 32c. It's proprietary as well, but worth it. The devs started with the Ardour source code, and removed the mixer / processing engine, and replaced it with their engine that models their pro consoles (allegedly down to discrete component level). It sounds really good. Lots of folks use Reaper to record and then go to Mixbus to mix / master.

[@gjermundification]

9:25 Krita is amazing! It's more like Autodesk Sketch rather than GIMP / Photoshop however.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Great point! I’m leaning more and more how powerful Krita is.

[@bernardthooft8329]

Very interesting!

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Thank you! I hope you’ll check out my future videos.

[@HenriqueCE]

Natron is cool! A little unstable sometimes, but an awesome tool. One anoying limitation is that it cannot use audio files AT ALL. I've start to use Resolve Studio for motion graphics on Linux (once I switched from AMD to NVIDIA card).

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

That’s good to hear about Natron! Other than the sound part. Once I can use Fusion again I will for sure

[@HelpfulJourney]

Great stuff!

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Thank you!

[@nostalgianinja]

If you're used to Davinci Resolve, the Linux version works alright. You might need to finagle with it though as a result of needing to use a custom installer.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

I got it to install on this system since making this video but it wouldn’t play anything (Studio version) I gave up lol. I don’t think my system is sufficient enough to run it. (Older Ryzen mobile processor with onboard Vega graphics) But once I get a system that has the horsepower needed I’ll definitely run it on Linux. Thanks for watching and for the comment!

[@ultraprimez]

With people moving on to Linux from MS, Adobe and other apps user will surely get a hit slow and steady. I am a Photoshop user on MS but... I don't know what will i do. I don't want to upgrade or build up a New PC. I don't want to upgrade MS Win 11 23H2 to 24H2. This is a serious thing which is coming slow and horrible. We need a company out there that can do a Photoshop thing in Linux. Affinity is gone Adobe ways of doom. Everything is falling bit by bit.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Great points. We are definitely at a cross roads. It’s going to be bumpy for a bit but hopefully some of these apps and more will give some people a viable alternative.

[@raughboy188]

If you need to edit pdf's look into stirling pdf.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Ok cool! Thanks for the tip!

[@DenBlackburn]

Apps I use:- FREE Shotcut - video editing Darktable - photography Blender and UPBGE - Raytracing and game creation Gimp - Photo editing Mypaint - a very good close to real painting and drawng program Audacity - sound edit VLC - video viewing/slight editing PAID Plasticity - to use with Blender

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Great list!! Thank you!

[@DenBlackburn]

@@LinuxCreativeProject As I can see there is a pattern, most people use the same programs and I have to say they are amazing programs, I tried Kdenlive for video but had trouble with it, so I use Shotcut. Gimp on its own is good but has hundreds of addons, you can cutomise it a lot. Darktable was a program that really shocked me, I tested it on RAW images I had, it just blew me away, it is so powerful, ive even used it for astrol photogaphy. If your an artist Mypaint was a program I kept well away from, the names put me off, it was too close to MS paint, I couldn`t have been more wrong, its the best art program ive ever seen, and they are all free, I pay towards most that I use often but as you know there is no obligation. One of the best things to happen for the Linux comunity was Steam Deck, to get the games to work, steam had people writing programes for the games to run on the Deck, Proton has made gaming on linux so easy now, I left windows completly about 10 years ago, back then it was difficult to get some games to run, now its so simple. Im so settled with liunx mint, I hope you find what you want and it does everything you need.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

These are fantastic programs and I am extremely grateful for everyone who has put in all the work to make them happen and maintain them. I am going to find a way to contribute on a regular basis, financially and otherwise. And I truly appreciate feedback from people like you. You're going to help make this channel and this journey much better and more exciting. I will definitely check out Mypaint and will cover video editing on Linux soon too. Thanks again! and I invite you to join the channel Patreon even if it's only the free tier. I'm kicking the tires on extra content there and will give Substack a shot too. I just want to reach out to as many interested people as possible and see where all this can go.

[@CDMS_pt]

I will change to Linux in August for sure in a new computer, to Pop_Os or to Linux Mint. Goodbye Spyware OS.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Nice!!! Keep me updated when you make the switch. Hopefully by then I can upgrade my Linux workstation. I’m starting with this cheap pc to get this channel started

[@soloflo]

Just go with Linux Mint. Don’t waste time or heartache. 💪🏻

[@SwiatLinuksa]

And that's is good way to switch to Linux❤❤

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Thank you! It’s exciting

[@xenotiic8356]

Davinci Resolve is a good option for video editing on Linux, though it isn't FOSS.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Definitely! I agree! I will definitely run that on Linux at some point.

[@cxa24]

Older Macintosh, with any luck

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Cool thanks!!

[@cxa24]

Older Macintosh with any luck

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Thanks for watching and for the feedback!

[@aytviewer2421]

Get a drawing tablet for use with Krita!

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

I have a Wacom Intuos Pro from about 10 years ago but for some reason it's causing issues with my system so I can't use it for very long. I'm trying to trouble shoot it. I look forward to using it with Krita for sure! Thanks!

[@workshed556]

For note taking I really like Joplin and sync it through dropbox.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Very cool! I’ve heard of Joplin. I need to check it out more

[@fasih_rehman]

If you want to use Resolve on Linux you can, if you install a VM with GPU pass thru. If you search for tutorials to work out how to set that up.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Thanks! I’ll give that a shot.

[@Luxor_95]

But Resolve native work on Linux. you don't need a virtual machine.

[@d.wyndal]

Audio editing - Reaper is awesome.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Thank you! I need to spend some time with Reaper for sure

[@d.wyndal]

@@LinuxCreativeProject Reaper is highly customizable, including the look and feel of the entire interface. There is a paid and free version. The only difference is the bag screen when you launch the program. I have the paid version, but to each his own. You may also want to look at Zorin OS. Once again, there are paid and free versions. The difference is how much free software is loaded during installation, and how many of the user interfaces come with Core vs Pro. One cool thing is Zorin 17 and up allow you to directly install most Windows programs from their .exe or .msi files. If it can, it will suggest Linux alternatives, or you can just go ahead and install the Windows application. If they work, this is a good alternative for that rare Windows program that just doesn’t exist in the Linux universe.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Great info about Reaper! And I'll have to check out Zorin OS. I've heard the name but didn't know anything about it.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

The Windows SW Subscription/Drug Addiction model is out of control !!!

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Right? Things are getting crazy. It’s awesome to have Linux and other open source tools to fall back on.

[@AdrianJarvis-zk7ld]

It all falls apart when you work with other people who use Adobe or Steinberg software... Microsoft Office.

[@donkekonge]

I can only speak to Microsoft Office, but I found that OnlyOffice on Linux (it can be installed as a Flatpak) has almost direct translation with Microsoft Office, and has opened ever single file I've thrown at it exactly as it was in MS Office. LibreOffice (which is bundled with most Linux distros) is a fine office suite, but OnlyOffice is the best when it comes to MS Office compatibility imo, hence why I use it a lot.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

I totally hear you. There are some realities like this that I will definitely address in a future video. Thanks for watching and commenting! I’m excited to have you here

[@christopherlee7334]

​@@LinuxCreativeProject LibreOffice and OnlyOffice are great substitutes if you install Microsoft core fonts. Worst comes to worst, you can just make a web app for the 365 online version of office. As for Adobe, you can use the built in pdf viewer, or Okular or LibreOffice to edit and sign. Again, if you must, you can make a web app for the online version of acrobat.

[@FrankJonen]

@@LinuxCreativeProject Have you looked at MuseScore for notation? I sadly don't have much time to try stuff these days. I'm on Dorico for Mac and iPad. My Linux laptop is fairly basic (Lenovo 300w) so something lightweight would be nice. It's a cool laptop otherwise, pen support and touch screen.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

@FrankJonen Great tip about MuseScore. I'll check that out!

[@jazzdirt]

Isn't Blender also doing compositing and keyframe animation these days? Ardour ][ is good, I just have a miserable time to get my soundcards working right in Linux... I have some RME cards, and a Digi003, but the best I get is, them running as a 2 channel generic soundcard... I do need my multiple inputs.. but that is basically what's keeping me from fully changing to Linux...

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

You're right Blender does have compositing capabilities. I'll chat about this more soon. And I totally get what you're saying about audio. I'm actually just downloaded Waveform and am kicking the tires on it. Seems really cool so far. But my audio needs seem a lot more simple than yours so I totally get it being a stopping point. Thanks for watching and for your comment!

[@borremoonkey]

Do you have another channel dedicated to Photography? If so, its not often i see many photographers switching to Linux. Im in the same boat, but migrating from Windows. I havent used Linux in a year or two but i want to give it a shot and use it exclusively as before ive always dualbooted for Photography applications.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

I do have a photography channel. I haven’t uploaded much lately but will soon. - youtube.com/@craigbergonzoni?si=ohOkezTpvpTOIpQD

[@borremoonkey]

​@LinuxCreativeProject Ah ok, yeah I follow your other channel then. I just thought it was funny because I'm leaving Windows for Linux and looking for decent photography applications on Linux, then your Linux channel was recommended to me and thought your face looked familiar. 😅

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

lol that's awesome! Thanks for watching both channels!

[@wumi2419]

For audio, JACK is an interesting thing. I don't know much, as I don't work in that field, but I heard that it's very good for audio recording side.

[@thesullivanstreetproject]

Audio production on Linux is HORRIBLE. It’s very much overly-complicated, and it takes getting several pieces of software started up and working together in the right order to make it work. If you’re coming from MacOS, don’t expect to find anything that even remotely resembles the ease of use of Logic. I love Linux and use it daily, but there’s just no comparison there…

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Thanks for watching and for the feedback! It’s going to be a fun experiment to find out.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

@thesullivanstreetproject I hear you for sure. My expectations are modest and realistic but I’m still excited to explore it. I appreciate you watching and commenting!

[@Dave102693]

Or Audacity

[@3lH4ck3rC0mf0r7]

I'm optimistic that realtime multimedia will quickly improve on Linux distributions as they update to Pipewire. I've been using it as my only audio stack for a while now, and it's nothing like the struggles of JACK and PulseAudio.

[@dragonballjiujitsu]

I've been using MacOS since 2008 and Linux since 2004. I haven't found replacements for MacOS or Mac apps in Linux.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

I get that this is definitely the situation for some people. One of the intriguing parts for me is that nearly every app I mention in this video has a Mac version as well, so it’s not just about trying Linux, it’s also about being more open to working with FOSS applications (that happen to also be cross platform)

[@inout3394]

Gimp have skin to make Gimp look like a Photoshop with Photoshop shortcuts

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Very cool! Thanks for the tip!

[@onecleangti]

I might have missed it but what flavor of Linux did you decide to install?

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Right now I’m running Linux Mint (Cinnamon)

[@harrymagooslum5770]

I rely on facilities on MacOS such as indexing of my file system so that finding stuff is very fast and efficient. Is there similar for Linux? I’ve used MacOS, Linux, and Windows continuously for many years but haven’t dug into this for Linux. Hard to get out of MacOS without having facilities like this available to me on Linux so hopefully I’m just ignorant about this aspect of modern Linux. Thanks.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

I totally get what you mean. I'm going to explore these things and see what's possible for sure. I'll keep you updated. Thanks for checking out the channel!

[@yamai]

locate is the command you are looking for

[@gjermundification]

I thought Blender was a better video editor by now, no?

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

It’s definitely improved but still seems like a challenge for longer edits but maybe I’ll give it more of a chance and document that here.

[@robertobs30]

olive is another linux editor, still in alpha but it works well for light video editing

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Good point! I’ll talk about Olive soon and I will be following the development of that app extremely closely.

[@DavidDufourq]

The problem in considering Linux for any photo/video professional is that Adobe really cannot be matched. Particularly now with all the new AI tools the suite has. It equates to better commercial work; and faster. GIMP and Darktable are nice for amateurs only.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

There's definitely no replacing the Adobe suite exactly but from what I see so far I can get some cool creative work done with these tools.

[@sulfur2964]

Tbh I will take darktable over photoshop every day, it's just so nice to use, much faster and great for editing large amounts of photos. But yeah, I'm an amateur

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

@@sulfur2964 I’m loving Darktable too!! I’m going to do a Darktable specific video soon. And when it comes to photography, you could say I’m an amateur too. But I love it. Thanks for watching and commenting! Happy to have you here.

[@markloughtonUK]

Is it possible to add FX (Strokes, Gradient Overlays etc) to layers in GIMP ? I'm trying to move from Photoshop.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Not in the current stable release but some non-destructive adjustments like that are coming in 2.99/3.0. But you’ll probably need a combo of Inkscape + Gimp (and maybe some Krita mixed in) to replace Photoshop. It’s a tall task but the reward of being free of that subscription is worth it for me

[@phoenixrising4995]

I actually like Krita more for editing things. Plus, it has all the layering tools as non-destructive for editing.

[@phoenixrising4995]

@@LinuxCreativeProject There is Photopea which is web based and it seems to get good reviews, people put it above GIMP and even Krita sometimes.

[@witcnshum]

Blender has a video editing and vfx

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Yes! Good point! I don’t think I would use the build in video editor but the VFX and compositing seem amazing. I need to dive more into that. Thanks for watching!

[@gnuemacs1166]

Need a replacement for notes and finder

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

I’ll talk about this soon. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@gnuemacs1166]

@@LinuxCreativeProject finder has metadata like notes on a file Linux does not, plus it has preview, Linux has no comment metadata to a file

[@soloflo]

Linux Mint Nemo has a quick look function just like MacOS. Note just use Obsidian.

[@gnuemacs1166]

@@soloflo I have not seen anyone else do scrubbing in the file system like the Mac, Linux is also missing the comment data for the file, didn’t like obsidian on the iPad ….

[@sirrodneyffing1]

Plasticity 3D.

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Nice! I’ll check it out. Thanks!

[@sirrodneyffing1]

3DCoat 2024. Very mature 3D application.

[@IndigoVFX]

Have you tried Reaper for audio?

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

Not yet! But I intend to. I just also started trying Waveform. It’s not open source but there’s a free version.

[@HKLabs-tech]

Audacity for audio editing

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

I’ll definitely talk about Audacity soon! I’ve tried it in the past and will revisit it. Thank you!

[@EladBarness]

Why not just use davinci resolve for editing and compositing?

[@LinuxCreativeProject]

It won’t work on this cheap PC I’m running at the moment but when I can run it, I will