Best System Utilities for Debian

Kasm Workspaces streams your workplace environment directly to your web browser…on any device and from any location. Kasm is revolutionizing the way businesses deliver digital workspaces. We use our open-source web native container streaming technology to create a modern devops delivery of Desktop as a Service, application streaming, and browser isolation. Kasm is more than a service. It is a platform that is highly configurable and has a robust API that can be customized to your needs at any scale. Workspaces can be deployed wherever the work is. It can be deployed on-premise (including Air-Gapped Networks), in the cloud (Public and Private), or in a hybrid.

You have the option to either run Pi-hole inside a container or directly install it on a supported operating system using our automated installer. This smart installer simplifies the process by asking you a series of questions before setting everything up for you automatically. After completing the installation, the next step is to configure your router’s DHCP settings to ensure that all clients utilize Pi-hole as their DNS server, or you can opt to manually set each device to connect to Pi-hole. To enhance your experience, consider pairing Pi-hole with a VPN, which allows for ad-blocking on mobile devices, thus conserving precious bandwidth on limited data plans. By centralizing ad-blocking with Pi-hole rather than relying on browser extensions or separate software installations for each computer, your entire network benefits from enhanced protection. This network-level blocking enables you to eliminate advertisements from various sources, including mobile applications and smart televisions, independent of the hardware or operating system in use. Since ads are blocked before they have the opportunity to download, you'll notice an improvement in network performance, resulting in a quicker and more efficient online experience. Moreover, this streamlined approach to ad-blocking can significantly reduce distractions and enhance user satisfaction across all devices connected to your network.

This application enables users to track the development of a Debian-based distribution through both email notifications and an extensive web interface. The convenience of having all relevant package information centralized in one location is especially valuable for package maintainers, contributors, and advanced users alike, enhancing their ability to stay informed and engaged with the distribution's progress. Additionally, this centralized system streamlines communication and collaboration among the community members.

This repository contains the code for snapd, which is the background service responsible for managing and maintaining the installed snap packages. Snaps are versatile application packages designed for desktop, cloud, and IoT environments, featuring automatic updates. They are user-friendly, secure, compatible across different platforms, and do not require additional dependencies, making them popular on millions of Linux systems daily. In addition to various service and management capabilities, snapd offers the snap command for installing and removing snaps while facilitating interaction with the broader snap ecosystem. It also enforces confinement policies that keep snaps isolated from the base system and from each other, and it manages the interfaces that allow snaps to utilize specific system resources beyond their confinement. For those interested in installing applications like Spotify or Visual Studio Code, the Snap Store is a great place to explore. Furthermore, if you're keen on creating your own snaps, we recommend starting with our comprehensive documentation on how to build a snap. This documentation will guide you through the essential steps for developing and packaging your apps effectively.

Aptitude serves as a text-based interface that utilizes Ncurses and functions through the command line to provide access to various Apt libraries, which are similarly employed by the default package manager for Debian, Apt. Operating within a terminal environment, Aptitude utilizes a syntax reminiscent of mutt for flexible package matching. Users can designate packages as either "automatically installed" or "manually installed," enabling the automatic removal of packages that are no longer needed, a feature also present in Apt since several Debian iterations. It offers a visual preview of proposed actions, distinguishing each with different colors to indicate the nature of the action. Additionally, Aptitude allows users to interactively access and view the Debian changelog for all available official packages. Its score-based dependency resolver is particularly adept at handling interactive dependency resolution, accommodating user preferences such as excluding certain parts of a solution while retaining others for future attempts. In contrast, Apt's dependency resolver is tailored for effective "one-shot" solutions, making both tools valuable in their own right for managing packages on Debian systems. Overall, Aptitude enhances user control and visibility over package management tasks.

Synaptic is a user-friendly graphical interface for managing packages through the apt system, offering functionalities similar to the apt-get command-line tool but with a more accessible Gtk+ front-end. Users can easily install, uninstall, upgrade, or downgrade both individual and multiple software packages, as well as perform comprehensive system upgrades. The program allows for the management of package repositories through the sources.list file and facilitates searching for packages based on various criteria, including name and description. Additionally, it provides the capability to filter and select packages by their status, section, or customized parameters, while sorting can be done according to name, status, size, or version. Users can explore available online documentation for specific packages and access the latest changelog versions. The tool also includes functionalities to lock packages to their current versions, enforce the installation of particular package versions, and utilize undo/redo features for selection changes. Furthermore, a built-in terminal emulator enhances the package management experience, and for users on Debian/Ubuntu systems, it allows configuration through the debconf system and supports fast searching via Xapian, thanks to contributions from Enrico Zini. Overall, Synaptic is an essential tool for users who prefer a graphical approach to package management while still retaining the powerful capabilities of apt.

The Fink initiative aims to introduce the extensive realm of Unix open-source software to Darwin and Mac OS X environments. By modifying Unix applications to ensure they compile and operate seamlessly on Mac OS X—essentially "porting" them—we provide users with a unified distribution available for download. Utilizing Debian tools such as dpkg and apt-get, Fink offers robust binary package management capabilities. Users have the flexibility to either download precompiled binary packages or opt to build everything from source code. The project supplies both precompiled binary options and a fully automated system for building from source. While Mac OS X comes with merely a fundamental set of command-line tools, Fink enhances these tools and presents a variety of graphical applications designed for Linux and other Unix systems. With Fink, the compilation process becomes entirely automated, freeing users from the complexities of Makefiles and configure scripts, along with their various parameters. Additionally, the dependency management system ensures that all necessary libraries are automatically accounted for, streamlining the overall user experience. As a result, Fink significantly enriches the software ecosystem available to Mac OS X users.

Introducing a decentralized software installation framework that operates seamlessly across Linux, Windows, and macOS platforms. This fully open-source solution allows users to launch applications with just a single click, enabling them to run programs without the need for prior installation. Users can manage all operations through either a command line or a graphical interface, ensuring complete control over their computing experience. The installation process is transparent, eliminating the uncertainty typically associated with software deployment. It supports the combination of both stable and experimental applications on a single system, fostering a versatile software environment. Anyone has the capability to distribute software, empowering developers to create a single package that functions across various platforms. This system allows publishing on any static web host, establishing a decentralized ecosystem devoid of any central authority. Moreover, it features robust dependency management and automatic updates, prioritizing security at every step. Installing an application does not bestow it with administrator privileges, and digital signatures are meticulously verified before any new software is executed. Applications can share libraries while maintaining a level of trust, which enhances security. This framework also introduces automatic self-updating mechanisms, staged rollouts, and numerous enhancements for desktop integration, thereby enriching the overall user experience. With such features, it redefines the way users interact with software on their devices.

FPM is a versatile tool designed to simplify the process of creating packages for various operating systems, including Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS, RHEL, Arch Linux, FreeBSD, and macOS, among others. Rather than introducing a new packaging methodology, FPM serves as a facilitator, streamlining the creation of packages for existing systems with minimal effort. This is achieved through its user-friendly command-line interface, which enables users to generate packages with ease. Developed in Ruby, FPM can be installed via the gem package manager. However, for certain package formats, such as RPM and Snap, specific dependencies must be present on your machine to successfully build them. Additionally, when packaging for different operating systems or distributions, you may need to install other tools to ensure compatibility. FPM effectively transforms your software into easily installable packages across multiple platforms, capable of converting any Node.js package, Ruby gem, or Python package into formats like deb, rpm, or pacman. With FPM, the packaging process becomes significantly more efficient, saving developers both time and effort.

This applet for clipboard management enables users to efficiently store and organize their clipboard contents with features like history tracking, allowing up to 100 clips, and a private mode for enhanced security. It also includes options to search through the clipboard history, delete specific clips, and clear all saved clips, while automatically saving new entries and providing notification support for updates. Users can customize the applet to their liking and have the ability to restore to default settings when needed. Additionally, the applet simplifies the process of pasting by automatically inserting the selected clip into the active window. Designed specifically for Debian and Ubuntu-based systems, it can be easily installed directly from the welcome screen if you are using Ubuntu Budgie. While xdotool is optional for pasting text, it can enhance functionality. To get started, simply download the zip file and execute it from the folder where it has been extracted, ensuring seamless access to your clipboard management needs. This applet not only streamlines your clipboard experience but also adds layers of customization for a more personalized workflow.

Visual LVM provides an improved and user-friendly approach to managing logical volume management on Linux. As a graphical interface for LVM, it presents a straightforward and clear visualization of your storage configuration, allowing for the management of multiple hard drives with greater ease and speed. By eliminating the need for intricate command-line inputs, it enables users to perform tasks simply through intuitive clicks and drags, making the experience more accessible. This innovative method of LVM management not only streamlines the process but also conserves your time and effort, allowing you to concentrate on your objectives while enhancing overall productivity. Ultimately, Visual LVM transforms the way users interact with their storage systems, making it a valuable tool for both novices and experienced users alike.

DPKG serves as a utility for managing Debian packages, allowing users to install, build, and remove them efficiently. Aptitude acts as the primary and more intuitive interface for DPKG. The functionality of DPKG is accessed solely through command line parameters, which include a single action paired with zero or more options that modify the action's behavior. The action parameter indicates the specific task DPKG should perform, while options adjust how this task is executed. Additionally, DPKG can function as a front-end for DPKG-deb(1) and DPKG-query. A detailed list of supported actions is provided in the actions section. When an action is called, DPKG executes either DPKG-deb or DPKG-query with the supplied parameters, but without passing any specific options; to utilize those options, the back-ends must be directly invoked. DPKG also keeps track of relevant information about available packages, categorizing it into three types: states, selection states, and flags, which are primarily managed using dselect. This organization of information aids in the effective management of package statuses within the Debian ecosystem.