1. Tomboy/Gnote
Tomboy is a simple note-taking app. It’s not for Linux only – you can get it for Unix, Windows, and macOS, too. Tomboy is pretty straightforward to use – you write a note, choose whether to make it sticky on your desktop, and delete it when you are done with it.
2. MyNotex
If you want a note-taker with more features but still prefer a small and simple app rather than a huge suite, check MyNotex. In addition to simple note taking and retrieval, it comes with some nice perks, such as formatting abilities, keyboard shortcuts, and attachments, to name a few. You can also use it as a picture manager.
3. Trojitá
Though you can live without a desktop email client, if you are used to having one, out of the dozens that are available, try Trojitá. It’s good for productivity because it is a fast and lightweight email client, yet it offers all the basics (and more) a good email client must have.
4. Kontact
A Personal Information Manager (PIM) is a great productivity tool. My personal preferences go to Kontact. Even though it hasn’t been updated in years, it’s still a very useful PIM tool to manage emails, address books, calendars, tasks, news feeds, etc. Kontact is a KDE native, but you can use it with other desktops as well.
5. Osmo
Osmo is a much more up-to-date app with calendar, tasks, contacts, and notes functionality. It comes with some perks, such as encrypted private data backup and address locations on the map, as well as great search capabilities for notes, tasks, contacts, etc.
6. Catfish
You can’t be productive without a good searching tool. Catfish is one of the must-try search tools. It’s a GTK+ tool and is very fast and lightweight. Catfish uses autocompletion from Zeitgeist, and you can also filter results by date and type.
7. KOrganizer
KOrganizer is the calendar and scheduling component of the Kontact app I mentioned above. If you don’t need a full-fledged PIM app but only calendar and scheduling, you can go with KOrganizer instead. KOrganizer offers quick ToDo and quick event entry, as well as attachments for events and todos.
8. Evolution
If you are not a fan of KDE apps but still you need a good PIM, try GNOME’s Evolution. Evolution is not exactly a less popular app you haven’t heard of, but since it’s useful, it made the list. Maybe you’ve heard about Evolution as an email client ,but it’s much more than this – you can use it to manage calendars, mail, address books and tasks.
9. Freeplane
I don’t know if many of you use mind-mapping software on a daily basis, but if you do, check Freeplane. This is a free mind mapping and knowledge management software you can use for business or fun. You create notes, arrange them in clouds or charts, set tasks with calendars and reminders, etc.
10. Calligra Flow
Finally, if you need a flowchart and diagramming tool, try Calligra Flow. Think of it as the open source alternative of Microsoft Visio, though Calligra Flow doesn’t offer all the perks Visio offers. Still, you can use it to create network diagrams, organization charts, flowcharts and more. Productivity tools not only speed up work, but they also make you more organized. I bet there is hardly a person who doesn’t use productivity tools in some form. Trying the apps listed here could make you more productive and could make your life at least a bit easier
