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Free and Open Source Software, howtos and Installations
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SimpleNvimEditor - minimalist graphical interface for Neovim
The application provides a focused interface without introducing a separate editing engine or an additional plugin ecosystem. It can serve as a text editor, development environment, terminal interface, or graphical diff tool, depending on how Neovim is configured. Neovim must be installed separately.
This is free and open source software.
FlameWM - lightweight window manager and desktop shell
The shell’s interface is compiled into native rendering code without requiring an embedded browser. FlameWM offers X11 and Wayland sessions, with X11 serving as the default. Its Wayland compositor supports native Wayland applications and XWayland clients, although the shell and some desktop components currently run through XWayland.
The project separates window management, desktop rendering, settings and applications into distinct components. Its interface follows a familiar desktop layout while offering configurable shortcuts and visual customisation.
This is free and open source software.
CTranslate2 - efficient Transformer inference engine
The software uses a specialised execution runtime rather than relying on a general-purpose deep learning framework. Models trained using compatible frameworks can be converted into an optimised representation for deployment.
CTranslate2 focuses on reducing memory consumption and improving inference speed while retaining the functionality required for production applications. It supports several Transformer architectures, making it useful for deploying both sequence-to-sequence and language generation models.
This is free and open source software.
Revisited: BM - minimalist terminal music player with gapless playback
When I first looked at BM in July, I liked its uncluttered interface and straightforward approach to navigating a music collection. But there was one fairly serious omission: gapless playback. That’s something I consider essential in a music player, particularly when listening to live albums or recordings where tracks flow into one another.
The good news is that gapless playback has arrived. The developer has also been busy improving directory navigation, searching, playlist handling, and the player interface. There’s enough new functionality to justify taking another look.
This is free and open source software.
MQLens - graphical MongoDB database client
The application connects to local MongoDB instances, self-hosted deployments and MongoDB Atlas. It provides a workspace with multiple tabs, split panes and detachable windows, allowing users to inspect different collections and query results simultaneously.
MQLens combines document editing and database administration with more advanced tools for analysing query performance and examining database structures. It can be used without creating an account, and its optional AI functionality is not required for ordinary database operations.
This is free and open source software.
taskwarrior-tui - terminal user interface for Taskwarrior
The application uses Taskwarrior as its backend, working with the same task data and configuration. It is particularly useful for people who already use Taskwarrior but prefer navigating task lists, reviewing information and performing common operations through a keyboard-driven interface rather than entering individual commands.
This is free and open source software.
OceanBase - distributed relational database
The database supports MySQL-compatible applications and can handle online transaction processing (OLTP) and online analytical processing (OLAP) workloads without requiring separate database engines. Its architecture is particularly suited to applications that need consistent access to large datasets while supporting high transaction volumes.
This is free and open source software.
Nitrite - embedded document database
Nitrite includes transaction management and schema migration capabilities. These allow applications to coordinate modifications and adapt their stored information when the application’s data model changes.
It is particularly useful when an application needs document queries and persistent storage but does not require the network services of a standalone database server.
This is free and open source software.
l8w8jwt GUI - graphical JSON Web Token utility
JSON Web Tokens are commonly used to exchange claims between applications, particularly in web authentication and authorization systems. The utility gives developers direct control over token contents, signing algorithms and cryptographic keys.
Users can construct tokens containing standard JWT claims and additional custom data, sign them using a supported algorithm, and examine or verify existing tokens. The application also includes cryptographic key generation facilities, making it useful for developing and testing services that rely on signed authentication tokens.
This is free and open source software.
MongoBench - desktop MongoDB administration client
Its interface provides a database explorer, tabbed query editors and monitoring dashboards. Users can maintain multiple active MongoDB connections, each with its own connection pool, and switch between databases without repeatedly reconnecting.
MongoBench places particular emphasis on database editing and query development. It supports MongoDB shell expressions, preserves BSON data types and offers safeguards against accidentally overwriting documents modified by another user.
This is free and open source software.