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Best Free and Open Source Software
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FractGen - extensible fractal generator
The software is designed for creating fractal images at arbitrary output sizes, with the practical limit determined by available virtual memory. Projects can be saved as FractGen files and later reopened, processed from the desktop applications or rendered from scripts.
The command-line component makes FractGen useful beyond interactive exploration. Existing project files can be rendered in batch jobs with explicit image dimensions, iteration limits and output formats, making it straightforward to automate large image sets.
This is free and open source software.
pstate-frequency - control CPU p-state settings
pstate-frequency is a shell-based utility for controlling CPU frequency-scaling policy on Linux. It provides a single command-line interface for querying and changing settings exposed by supported CPU scaling drivers.
The program works with Intel P-state, AMD P-state in supported modes and acpi-cpufreq. It changes policy values presented to the kernel and processor rather than forcing a modern CPU to run at an exact clock speed, so the frequency actually selected by the hardware can vary from the requested limits.
This is free and open source software.
gh-stack - GitHub CLI extension for stacked pull requests
gh-stack is a GitHub CLI extension for managing stacked branches and pull requests. Stacked pull requests break a large change into a chain of smaller changes, with each branch based on the one below it. This gives reviewers a focused diff for each layer while developers continue working further up the stack.
The extension keeps stack metadata alongside the Git repository and coordinates local branches with GitHub’s stack information. It is aimed at terminal users who want common stacked-branch operations handled through the gh stack command rather than manually updating branch bases, pull requests and local tracking data.
This is free and open source software.
Matras - native Mattermost client for GNOME
The application brings together channel conversations, direct messages, threaded discussions and voice and video calls. Its adaptive interface uses a channel sidebar, conversation area and contextual panel for threads or the inbox. The layout adjusts to narrower windows, making it suitable for different screen sizes.
Matras communicates with Mattermost servers through their REST API and WebSocket connections. It supports multiple server accounts and stores authentication tokens using the desktop’s Secret Service. Some functionality remains incomplete, including browsing older message history, link previews and slash commands.
This is free and open source software.
6 Best Free and Open Source Molecular Dynamics and Simulation Tools
Molecular dynamics software can simulate proteins, liquids, polymers, membranes and solid materials. These tools typically support the construction of molecular models, execution of simulations and analysis of results. Many take advantage of parallel processing and GPU acceleration to handle computationally demanding simulations.
The software is useful for computational chemists, molecular biologists, biophysicists, materials scientists and pharmaceutical researchers. It also provides valuable educational resources for students studying molecular modelling and computational science.
Skorpion OS - Debian-based Linux distribution with local AI
Skorpion OS is a Debian-based Linux distribution designed to bring artificial intelligence into everyday desktop work. Its SKAI subsystem uses Ollama to run language models on the user’s computer, with the aim of keeping AI requests and their processing away from third-party services.
The project is intended for people who want to interact with Linux in natural language, including users unfamiliar with terminal commands. It retains a conventional desktop and command-line environment, so experienced users can work without relying on the assistant.
Par Fractal - GPU-accelerated 2D and 3D fractal renderer
The application covers familiar escape-time sets such as Mandelbrot, Julia, Burning Ship and Tricorn alongside Buddhabrot visualisations, strange attractors and ray-marched 3D structures such as Mandelbulb, Mandelbox, Menger Sponge and Apollonian Gasket. Deep zooming uses perturbation techniques to avoid the precision collapse that normally appears at extreme magnification.
The same code base supports Linux through Vulkan and can also run in a compatible web browser using WebGPU. Rendering quality can be adjusted to balance visual fidelity and performance on different graphics hardware.
This is free and open source software.
lazyftp - keyboard-driven terminal FTP client
The application is intended for users who prefer terminal applications but still want the convenience of a visual file browser. Local and remote panes behave consistently, and files can be selected, inspected and transferred using keyboard shortcuts.
Transfers run in the background with live progress information, leaving the interface available for further navigation. Connection and transfer activity is also recorded in a scrollable log. This is free and open source software.
hyprsunset - blue light filter for Hyprland
The application uses Hyprland’s colour transformation matrix protocol to modify the appearance of connected displays. It supports automatic changes at specified times and manual adjustments through command-line controls, allowing users to configure different display characteristics throughout the day.
This is free and open source software.
git-spice - manage stacked Git branches
A typical workflow creates one branch on top of another, submits the stack for review, synchronises with the remote repository after changes are merged, and then restacks the remaining branches on top of the latest base. The short gs command and compact command aliases keep these operations quick to invoke from a terminal.
This is free and open source software.