DEV Community: Technocrats

Good Linux distros for new users.

Bhawesh Kumar — Sat, 14 Nov 2020 08:31:59 +0000

Are you willing to switch to linux or maybe give it a shot? Well I was too and to between all these hustle of distros and desktop environments I did what you did to find this article, I googled,"top linux distos". So here are my top distros that I'd recommend to a new comer.

1. Ubuntu

Let's begin with probably the most popular distro, Ubuntu itself. Ubuntu is based on Gnome desktop environment. It's comes with a side dock by default good for people who want something different than windows' taskbar and mac's dock, though it is customizable like any other linux disto. It comes with libre office preinstalled. Overall I'd suggest ubuntu to anyone who have heard about it and want to see what ubuntu is.

2. Pop OS

I'm currently using pop os as my main distro. It has probably the cleanest desktop out of every distro. It is built on top of ubuntu but there are several key differences. By default it has a hidden dock like default gnome, it's latest release has built in windows manager for people who are into that. It comes with a only a few basic software. It's made by system 76 for their hardware but it runs like a charm on any device. Overall I'm loving it and I'd recommend it to you if you want a clean desktop. I'll write an article on how I customize my pop os for learning and developing python.

3. Linux Mint

If you're a windows user and want similar user experience on linux then Linux Mint is for you. It is built to attract windows users with a similar user interface and props driver installation and media codes on boot. I've not used it for long but with the short time I spent on it I'd say it was really good and polished.

4. Elementary OS

If you're switching from mac and want a similar user interface by default then I'd recommend you Elementary OS. It's clean, it's simple and it's beautiful. It does a few things different from other distros, like having a 'Pay what you want' model. For apps in it's app center you can pay whatever you like to the developer to get that application, of-course you can choose to pay nothing. It also has something called Curated app, i.e, apps developed specifically for elementary os keeping it's theme in mind. Do give it a shot if you want something clean.

Bonus

If you want something with arch then give manjaro a try. I've personally never used manjaro but I've heard some good things about it.

Open source tools for game development.

Bhawesh Kumar — Sat, 07 Nov 2020 18:03:36 +0000

There are open-source tools for almost everything out there. Game development is not different. There are tools like unity engine and unreal engine which you can use for free but you'll need to pay them one day or other. Here is a list of top game development tools that are open-source and 100% free to use. However you can choose to donate if you want to.

Game engine- Godot

The obvious choice in past few years is Godot game engine. It's a completely open-source game engine with both 2D as well as 3D game support. It uses it's own Python like scripting language called Gd-script but it does have support for C#. It is available on all three major OS'es, windows, Linux, and mac-OS. It's almost as good as unity or unreal engines is not better. It's in constant development, and has a very user friendly interface.

Click here to check out their website.

3D Modeling, Animation,Texture Painting, Rendering, etc.- Blender

Well if you are here there's a very high chance that you've heard about Blender. It's one of the best software for 3D modeling and other things you need for developing a 3D game. It uses Python as it's scripting language if needed. And it is 100% open-source. I don't need to explain much about it as it's one of the more popular softwares.

Check out blender here.

2D assets- Krita

Need an open-source alternative to photoshop to create concept art, sprites, other hand drawn assets? The open-source community knows that krita is the one of the best ones.

Check out krita here.

Sound editing and production- Audacity & LMMS

Audacity

Most audio related work can be done with Audacity. Multi-track editing nd recording with with an impressive collection of impressive tools and effects, with a support for plugins.

Check out Audacity here.

LMMS

If you need a software for music production for your game, LMMS is a good option. It is created as an open-source alternative to FL Studio and is in active development. It comes with a lot of instruments, samples, and effects included in the package.

Check out LMMS here.

Code editing- Visual Studio Code

Though Godot has a built-in coe editor which is pretty competent in itself but if you still want to use something then you probably know what you should use. And if you don't check out Microsoft's Visual Studio Code. Let's be honest here, you most probably already know what VS Code is.

Check it out here.

Bonus: The OS itself

Why not go open source all the way? Ever tried linux? Give it a shot, it's not all text-based and confusing, it can look the way you want it to. Heck, make your own linux distro for the world to use.

6 FREE Modern WordPress Themes for Blogs

ExWhyZee — Sat, 07 Nov 2020 00:02:51 +0000

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If you want to impress your site visitors with a unique, organized, and aesthetically pleasing WordPress blog layout, you’re in the right place.

We’ve hand-selected these WordPress blog page templates that can help you create a gorgeous blog for your business. Whether you’re looking for a personal brand WordPress theme, the best WordPress themes for lifestyle blogs, or a WordPress blog layout that reflects your industry, we’ve got you covered!

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🔰 Astra

If you’re looking for a theme that’s self-proclaimed the “perfect theme for any website” on their website, Astra is for you.

This is definitely one of the best WordPress themes for blogs since it’s highly customizable. Whether you sell heavy equipment or makeup, you’ll love this WordPress theme for your blog.

Why you’ll love it: There are a lot of things to love about the Astra theme, but there are a few things that we love the most.

◾ You can customize it without having to worry about code. If you don’t currently work with a web design agency and manage your blog on your own, the fact that you can customize it without HTML knowledge is key.
◾ You can create full-width pages. Some WordPress themes don’t allow you to create full-width pages, which means they’re not fully customizable. Don’t worry, Astra lets you do just that!
◾ The theme is made for speed. You’ll love the performance because it’s nothing but
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🔰 Bento

Bento is a super powerful WordPress theme for blogs that allows you to be flexible with your design. The layout is responsive, which means users will be able to enjoy it on any device and is also optimized for speed.

Why you’ll love it: Here are just a few of the things we love about the Bento layout.

◾Provides a variety of icons. If you’re a fan of customization, we know you’ll love the fact that the Bento theme offers over 500 high-quality vector icons for you to use on your blog.

◾Offers advanced WooCommerce integration. You’ll be able to integrate WooCommerce in a flash, which is extremely beneficial if you plan to sell things on your blog.

◾Implements SEO best practices. Your blog is nothing without great search engine optimization (SEO), and this theme uses all the best practices.
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🔰 Revive

With an impressive 4.88-star rating from previous users, we guarantee you’ll love the Revive WordPress blog theme, too. With tons of header layouts, an improved menu layout, and multiple social icon styles, you’ll fall in love with this theme just like we did.

Why you’ll love it: Check out the top three things we love about the Revive theme.

◾It’s ready for 4k. Having a WordPress theme for your blog that is equipped for 4k display is a huge bonus — visitors are bound to love what they see.

◾Unlimited colors. You’ll spend hours deciding on the perfect colors for your blog since Revive offers unlimited color options. Pretty impressive!

◾Sidebar options. If you’ve ever been annoyed by a blog layout that didn’t let you decide where you wanted our sidebar, or if you want one at all, with Revive, you won’t have to worry. You can place your sidebar on the left, right, or opt for no sidebar.
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🔰 Satori

Another highly customizable WordPress theme for your blog, Satori is a gorgeous WordPress blog layout that is image-heavy. It works best for blog sites that utilize a lot of pictures, and it even offers gallery options to show off your shots.

Why you’ll love it: There’s a lot to love about Satori — here are the biggest reasons:

◾Drag and drop feature. This blog layout allows you to drag and drop page elements without any coding knowledge.

◾Customizable blog layout options. Whether you want your blog to be left alighted or top-aligned, you can do either with Satori. There are also tons of additional blog layout options to ensure that your blog is as unique as your brand.

◾Integrated with popular plugins. This theme is already integrated with popular plugins to make your life even easier.
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🔰 Garfunkel

Boy, do we love this theme. It’s exactly what we think of when we picture a stereotypical WordPress blog layout and features a grid layout to organize your blog posts. It also supports custom headers, guaranteeing a unique look.

Why you’ll love it: Not only does Garfunkel feature a classic blog layout, but you’ll also love these features:

◾ It features Jetpack infinite scroll. This means that no matter how far a user scrolls, new posts will always automatically appear.

◾ It has six post formats. If you want a variety of choices for your post formats, Garfunkel has you covered. They offer six different formats for your post to fit your customizing needs.
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Vogue

This WordPress blog layout earned an impressive five out of five stars from users and has over 10,000 active installations. That’s not surprising, considering it features a fully responsive design, multiple blog layouts, and tons of customization options.

Why you’ll love it: If you need more reasons to love the Vogue theme, read on.

◾ It features four blog layouts: We meant it when we said highly customizable — this layout offers four different blog layouts to help you create your own style.

◾ multiple header and footer layouts: With four blog layouts, four header layouts, and two footer layouts, that makes for tons of customization. The choice is yours!

◾ WooCommerce integration: If you also sell things on your blog, you’ll be happy to know that the Vogue theme offers integration options for WooCommerce.