Free and Open Source Software, howtos and Installations

posted by Rianne Schestowitz on Jan 26, 2026

• bkmr - CLI knowledge management system - LinuxLinks

  bkmr is a fast, feature-rich command-line tool that extends bookmark management, snippet handling, markdown rendering, script execution and more.

  This is free and open source software.

• tcpulse - load generator - LinuxLinks

  tcpulse provides two distinct connection patterns to simulate real-world usage:

  Persistent Connections – Maintains long-lived connections and sends multiple requests per connection. This simulates applications like web services with connection pooling or persistent database connections.

  Ephemeral Connections – Creates new connections for each request, immediately closing them afterward. This simulates scenarios like HTTP/1.0 or testing connection establishment overhead.

  This is free and open source software.

• daph - terminal-based music player - LinuxLinks

  There’s a vast array of free and open-source music software available on the Linux platform, offering both maturity and sophistication. Linux boasts numerous music tools that provide enhanced functionality and seamless integration with various internet music services. With most desktop environments equipped with multiple audio players, alongside cross-platform applications and integrated media players, you’ll find yourself spoiled for choice when it comes to music players.

  Every music library is unique, and selecting the right open-source music player can truly elevate your listening experience, especially if you have a large collection.

  daph is a terminal-based music player for Linux. It’s written in the popular Rust language and published under an open source license.

• Tomat - Pomodoro timer - LinuxLinks

  Tomat is a Pomodoro timer for Linux, designed for seamless integration with waybar and other status bars.

  This is free and open source software.

• Soundscope - analyzing audio data - LinuxLinks

  Soundscope is a cross-platform CLI tool for analyzing audio files. It has a TUI interface.

  This is free and open source software.

• Kafka - distributed event streaming platform - LinuxLinks

  Apache Kafka is a distributed event streaming platform for high-performance data pipelines, streaming analytics, data integration, and mission-critical applications.

  This is free and open source software.