Free and Open Source Software

posted by Rianne Schestowitz on Mar 12, 2026

• Tooters - Rust TUI-based Mastodon App - LinuxLinks

  Tooters is a Rust-based Terminal User Interface (TUI) Mastodon app.

  The project was created as a means to learn Rust and scratch a personal itch

  This is free and open source software.

• Archium - wrapper for AUR helpers - LinuxLinks

  Archium is a command-line tool for managing packages on Arch Linux. It provides a simple and intuitive interface for common package management tasks using yay, paru, or pacman. Archium is a faithful fork of Archie.

  This is free and open source software.

• Bao - verified streaming tool - LinuxLinks

  Bao is an implementation of BLAKE3 verified streaming, as described in Section 6.4 of the BLAKE3 spec.

  Tree hashes like BLAKE3 make it possible to verify part of a file without re-hashing the entire thing, using an encoding format that stores the bytes of the file together with all the nodes of its hash tree. Clients can stream this encoding, or do random seeks into it, while verifying that every byte they read matches the root hash.

  Bao is beta cryptography software. It has not been formally audited yet.

  This is free and open source software.

• Rivulet - terminal RSS reader - LinuxLinks

  Rivulet is a terminal-based RSS feed reader designed to provide a clean and efficient way to follow news and blog feeds from the command line. It presents feeds, articles, and content in a structured multi-panel interface, allowing users to browse subscriptions, view article lists, and read entries without leaving the terminal.

  The application focuses on usability for users who prefer keyboard-driven tools. It supports organising feeds into categories and managing subscriptions using OPML import and export. Rivulet offers a simple and distraction-free environment for keeping up with RSS feeds directly within a terminal session.

  This is free and open source software.

• Cryfa - encryption tool for genomic data - LinuxLinks

  Cryfa is an encryption tool specifically designed for genomic data.

  Besides providing robust security, it also compresses FASTA/FASTQ sequences by a factor of three, making it an efficient solution for managing genomic data.

  This is free and open source software.

• gptop - cross-platform GPU monitor - LinuxLinks

  gptop is a terminal-based GPU monitoring utility designed to provide real-time insights into GPU activity in a text user interface similar to tools such as `top` or `htop`.

  The application displays live charts and statistics for GPU usage, memory consumption, and hardware metrics, making it useful for developers, machine learning practitioners, and system administrators who need to monitor GPU workloads from the command line. It supports multiple hardware platforms and focuses on providing detailed process-level insights into how GPUs are being used on a system.

  This is free and open source software.

• ClusterCut - cross-platform clipboard sync - LinuxLinks

  ClusterCut keeps your clipboard in sync across Linux, macOS, and Windows without your data ever leaving your local network. No clouds, no accounts, just seamless productivity.

  This is free and open source software.

• DNGLab - camera RAW utility and DNG converter - LinuxLinks

  DNGLab is a command line tool to convert camera RAW files to Digital Negative Format (DNG).

  It is currently in alpha state, so don’t expect a polished and bugfree application.

  This is free and open source software. It runs under Linux, macOS, and Windows.

• KokoVP - cross-platform mpv frontend - LinuxLinks

  KokoVP is a modern video player built as a frontend for the mpv media player. The project aims to reimplement the core functionality of SMPlayer from scratch using a cleaner modular architecture and modern technologies while keeping the interface lightweight and responsive. It provides a graphical interface built with Qt and uses libmpv for video playback, combining mpv’s powerful playback engine with a traditional desktop media player experience.

  The application focuses on essential playback features such as playlists, subtitle and audio track discovery, and configurable input controls. It is designed to integrate well with modern Linux desktop environments, supporting Wayland and HiDPI displays while maintaining a simple and efficient interface for everyday video playback.

  This is free and open source software.

• GitY - simple and fast Git repository browser - LinuxLinks

  GitY is a simple and fast Git repository browser. View branches, commit diffs, and search through all commit messages.

  This is free and open source software.

• lssub - search and download subtitles - LinuxLinks

  lssub is a terminal user interface application written in Rust for searching and downloading subtitles through the OpenSubtitles API. It is designed to provide a simple text-based workflow for locating subtitle files without leaving the terminal, making it useful for users who prefer command-line tools and lightweight interfaces.

  The program supports interactive subtitle searching, language configuration, account login and logout, and downloading selected subtitle files directly to disk. It stores configuration in a user config file and can use a supplied file or directory path to determine the initial search query and download destination. Its interface is focused on fast keyboard-driven operation and straightforward subtitle retrieval from within a terminal session.

  This is free and open source software.

• Memerist - simple meme editor designed for Linux desktops - LinuxLinks

  Memerist is a simple meme editor designed for Linux desktops.

  The application offers an easy way to create memes by loading an image and adding captions or graphical elements directly on top. It focuses on a clean and lightweight interface built with GTK and Libadwaita, making it integrate well with modern Linux desktop environments.

  Users can quickly experiment with captions and layouts while seeing the results immediately, allowing memes to be created and exported in just a few steps.

  This is free and open source software.

• fortsh - shell written in Fortran - LinuxLinks

  fortsh is an experimental POSIX-compatible command shell written in modern Fortran. The project explores the feasibility of implementing a practical interactive shell using Fortran while maintaining compatibility with established Unix shell behaviour. It demonstrates that modern Fortran can be used to develop complex system utilities traditionally written in languages such as C.

  The shell aims to implement the standard POSIX shell feature set while also supporting a number of commonly used features found in popular shells. fortsh provides an interactive environment for running commands, managing jobs, and navigating the filesystem, making it both a functional shell and an interesting demonstration of modern Fortran capabilities.

  This is free and open source software.

• ripdrag - drag and drop utilty - LinuxLinks

  ripdrag is a small utility that enables drag and drop operations directly from the terminal. Many graphical applications rely on drag and drop for opening or importing files, which normally requires using a file manager. ripdrag removes that extra step by opening a small GTK4 window containing files specified on the command line, allowing them to be dragged into other applications.

  The tool is particularly useful for users who spend most of their time in the terminal or who use tiling window managers where file managers are rarely opened. ripdrag integrates easily with shell pipelines and command line tools, allowing files to be selected with utilities such as fuzzy finders and then dragged into graphical programs.

  This is free and open source software.

• rawbit - camera RAW image preprocessor and importer - LinuxLinks

  Rawbit processes raw image files by converting them to the DNG format in parallel, while offering the ability to manipulate metadata and customize file name formatting.

  This is free and open source software.

• Snow - emulate classic (Motorola 680x0-based) Macintosh computers - LinuxLinks

  Snow is a modern emulator for classic Motorola 68k-based Apple Macintosh computers. It focuses on accurate hardware-level emulation rather than patching ROMs or intercepting operating system calls. The project provides a graphical interface for running and interacting with emulated systems while also offering powerful debugging capabilities that allow developers and enthusiasts to inspect system behaviour, memory, and CPU state.

  This emulator supports a variety of early Macintosh models and emulates key hardware components such as Motorola 68000 series CPUs, floppy drives, SCSI devices, networking interfaces, and serial connections. Snow is particularly useful for running vintage Macintosh operating systems and software in a controlled and debuggable environment, helping preserve and study classic Mac software ecosystems.

  This is free and open source software.

• Cute DBC Editor - desktop application for viewing and editing CAN Database - LinuxLinks

  Cute DBC Editor is a graphical application for inspecting and editing CAN DBC database files. DBC files are commonly used in automotive and embedded systems development to describe the structure of CAN bus communication, including messages, signals, and node relationships. The application provides a visual interface that allows engineers to explore and modify these files without manually editing the underlying text format.

  The software is intended for developers and engineers working with CAN networks who need a convenient way to browse and understand DBC structures. It enables users to view messages and signals, examine their properties, and edit database elements through an interactive interface. This makes it easier to analyse CAN communication definitions and maintain DBC databases used in vehicle and embedded system development.

  It’s built with Python, PyQt6, and cantools.

  This is free and open source software.