🌐 Opensource Apps

VIZ is an innovative utility tool designed to capture and extract text from images, videos, QR codes, and barcodes efficiently. Renowned for its simplicity and effectiveness, VIZ has gained widespread popularity, with the latest version 2.2 being downloaded 6,854 times. The utility is particularly helpful for professionals and tech enthusiasts needing to streamline text extraction tasks with precision. VIZ provides cross-platform functionality for quickly decoding QR codes and barcodes, making it essential for inventory management, digital archiving, and development. Importantly, the application claims to prioritize user security by ensuring no sensitive data or extracted content is collected or shared. Users can quickly download and integrate the tool with the command: brew install viz, making it a lightweight and accessible open-source option.

VIZ offers a robust suite of text extraction features for free, highlighting its open-source nature, supported by a GitHub repository.

Ripes is an open-source visual simulator and assembly code editor designed for the RISC-V instruction set architecture. It focuses on education and helps users understand machine code execution, cache design, and the compilation process. Ripes simulates processor interactions with memory-mapped I/O and provides prebuilt binaries for easy installation on various operating systems. Advanced users can also build Ripes from source. It offers detailed documentation and a tutorial for beginners, and there is a web-based version available for experimentation. Ripes is free and encourages active participation through its GitHub repository and discussion pages.

Paperless-ngx is an open-source document management system that helps digitize and organize physical documents into a searchable online archive, supported by the community. This innovative platform supports a variety of file types, including PDFs, images, Office documents, and plain text files. It offers advanced features like Optical Character Recognition (OCR) with the Tesseract engine, allowing text in scanned documents to be searchable. Additionally, it incorporates machine learning to automatically tag, classify, and assign document correspondents. All data is stored on the user's server for maximum privacy, and Paperless-ngx doesn't share or transmit any documents externally. The system supports multi-language OCR, recognizing over 100 languages, offering exceptional adaptability for global users. Documents are saved in the archival-friendly PDF/A format with original versions preserved, ensuring long-term compatibility. To enhance usability, the web application includes features like drag-and-drop file uploads, customizable dashboards, bulk editing, and advanced filtering. Paperless-ngx offers secure sharing through public links with customizable expiration dates and includes a workflow system for better document management control. Paperless-ngx is a powerful tool for organizing documents, offering features like auto-completion in searches, extensive filtering, multi-user permissions, mobile compatibility, and dark mode support.

Paperless-ngx is a free, open-source platform that helps organizations and individuals improve document management.

Lopaka is a feature-rich graphics editor specifically tailored for developers working on platforms like u8g2, AdafruitGFX, Arduino, TFT_eSPI, and FlipperZero. This tool generates C source code and converts images to bitmap formats, making it ideal for embedded systems and display libraries. The app supports numerous libraries, including TFT_eSPI, LovyanU8g2, and M5, and is compatible with different display resolutions and color settings. Lopaka offers features such as layer management, zooming, workflow shortcuts, and an intuitive editor for image conversion. Developers can also create and edit projects using hundreds of built-in fonts. It includes a real-time code preview feature, which is invaluable for visualizing outputs and testing compatibility with devices like FlipperZero. Additionally, the software integrates support for exporting static bitmap graphics directly to C-style arrays, enabling seamless implementation into microcontroller-driven projects. Lopaka prioritizes user convenience by allowing signed-in users to save projects and access all features. The app is optimized for desktops but also provides a great experience for embedded systems enthusiasts and professionals working on electronics and IoT projects. The platform offers a blog, gallery, and user feedback channels, creating a community-focused space for sharing projects and promoting innovation.

There are two subscription options: Basic, which includes basic features and limited projects and screens, and Plus, which includes unlimited storage, projects, and screens, as well as additional features like custom fonts and priority support. The Plus subscription is priced at $5.95 per month.

Cling is a powerful macOS-focused application designed for instant file searching with unmatched efficiency. It uses the powerful features of fd and fzf for quick fuzzy searches, allowing users to find any file, including system files, hidden files, dotfiles, and application data, which traditional tools like Spotlight often miss. Cling maintains a live index of the entire disk, automatically updating and ensuring current data without excessive re-indexing. Key features include robust searching for partial or misspelled queries, keyboard shortcuts for quick file actions, and customizable workflows with user-created scripts in preferred programming languages. The distraction-free UI works smoothly with macOS, focusing on functionality and minimalism. It offers hotkey features such as Quick Filters, batch renaming, and Quick Look. Cling lets users exclude certain files or folders from the index using .fsignore, similar to .gitignore. It also optimizes memory and CPU usage by moving inactive index data to disk when needed. Despite a high-performance focus, Cling minimizes background CPU activity and manages memory intelligently, offering optimal usability for power users.

fzf (fuzzy finder) is a powerful, general-purpose command-line tool designed to simplify working with lists interactively. It offers an easy way for users to manage files, directories, command histories, system processes, Git branches, Kubernetes namespaces, and more. fzf uses a "fuzzy matching" algorithm that enables users to search lists without needing exact matches. Users can type patterns with missing characters to quickly refine their results. Integrating fzf into the terminal streamlines operations that typically require multiple commands, such as grep, find, or tab completions, into one seamless action. It boosts efficiency, making it popular among terminal users by improving productivity and reducing redundant tasks. Fzf claims to not collect any private data or risk users' sensitive information, as it only processes local inputs and does not send data to external servers.

n terms of pricing and features, fzf is open-source and completely free to use, distributed under an MIT license.

The Startup Folder app is an easy-to-use tool that automates launching apps, scripts, shortcuts, or links at startup for macOS users (compatible with macOS 14.0 and later). Creating a "Startup" folder in the home directory allows users to easily manage startup actions by placing items in it. This includes dragging apps, links, or writing scripts directly into it. The app allows aliases with the Command-Option shortcut for convenience, and features an easy-to-use interface for managing them. Notably, the lightweight background agent ensures optimal performance without impacting system speed. Startup Folder allows users to launch apps in the background or hide ones that are overly visible, helping to create a cleaner startup experience. Additional features such as relaunching crashed apps and built-in crash-loop detection improve reliability, making it a vital tool for streamlining workflows for macOS users.

Users can enjoy the features of Startup Folder without any apparent cost.

Stats is a lightweight, open-source application designed specifically for Mac users to effortlessly monitor and optimize their system's performance. Stats is a macOS app (requires macOS 10.15 or later) that provides detailed insights into your Mac's performance, including CPU usage, GPU performance, RAM, disk activity, network status, battery health, Bluetooth devices, and system sensors, all organized into nine key modules. Stats has over one million downloads and has been actively developed for six years, making it a reliable tool for both tech enthusiasts and everyday users. It provides 13 fully customizable widgets, offering flexibility and simplicity to monitor system health in real time. The app is not only user-friendly but also a product of community-driven innovation, resulting in its availability across 39 languages. Being open-source, Stats invites contributions from developers worldwide, ensuring consistent updates and enhancements to its feature set. The website emphasizes that Stats values user privacy and doesn't require sensitive personal data, making it a great option for privacy-conscious users. Stats is a lightweight and customizable system monitoring solution for Mac users.

Stats is entirely free to use, as it is an open-source project actively maintained through collaboration between developers and contributors.

Live Server is a popular Visual Studio Code (VS Code) extension developed by Ritwick Dey that provides a feature-rich environment for rapid web development. With over 60 million downloads, this free and lightweight tool allows developers to launch a local development server with a live reload capability for both static and dynamic web pages. It supports instant hot-reloading, enabling seamless updates to the browser during code editing. Live Server is highly customizable, offering options such as setting custom ports, using specific browsers including advanced configurations (e.g., Chrome Debugging Attachment), enabling HTTPS, and utilizing customizable tags for live reloading. Developers can also exclude specific files for change detection and connect remotely through WLAN for mobile debugging. Accessibility is another key feature, with multiple user-friendly shortcuts to start or stop the server via the status bar, file explorer, editor menus, or command palette. Valuable features like CORS-enablement, proxy support, multi-root workspace capabilities, and SVG compatibility make it a versatile and efficient extension for web developers. Any sensitive claim about data like remote or mobile connection is backed by the phrase "[Live Server claims]," ensuring clear communication about its capabilities.

Error Lens is a Visual Studio Code extension that improves the visibility of errors, warnings, and diagnostics in code, enhancing the development experience. This tool, with over 6 million installs, helps developers quickly identify and fix issues by highlighting entire lines and adding messages inline. Key features include highlighting lines with diagnostics, showing messages at the end of those lines, displaying gutter icons for easy identification, and providing detailed messages in the status bar. The extension is highly customizable, with 73 settings for developers to adjust font size, message styles, alignment, and diagnostic message formats for improved readability. The extension boosts productivity by allowing users to toggle error types (errors, warnings, info, hints), copy problem messages for reference, and search for solutions online. Error Lens claims to respect user preferences for problem visibility in Visual Studio Code and ensures that sensitive project data remains private. Error Lens enhances productivity for all programmers by providing a color-coded error marking system, dynamic updates with editor changes, and experimental features for advanced users.

Error Lens is a free tool for developers, suitable for personal and enterprise projects.

RustDesk is an open-source remote desktop solution that offers secure and high-performance remote access by enabling users to self-host servers. RustDesk allows businesses and individuals to keep control of their data, ensuring compliance with regulations and minimizing the risk of data breaches, unlike traditional SaaS platforms. By allowing on-premise deployment, it enhances performance, reliability, and security, since all data remains under user control. The software offers over 90 configuration options for businesses wanting flexibility, allowing users to personalize their client experience with custom logos, icons, and brand names. RustDesk supports multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and even offers a web client for seamless remote connections. RustDesk is designed for easy deployment using Docker, making it accessible to users with little technical knowledge. Its strong community presence, with millions of downloads and thousands of active contributors, ensures continuous updates, improvements, and support. The new RustDesk Server Pro version includes improved features like user-level Access Control Lists (ACLs) and device group management, enhancing security and efficiency for remote work, IT administration, and support.

RustDesk offers a free open-source solution along with a professional version, RustDesk Server Pro, which provides additional advanced features for enhanced management capabilities.

Stubby is an open-source DNS privacy tool that encrypts DNS queries using DNS-over-TLS, enhancing user privacy by preventing query interception. It serves as a local DNS privacy resolver, sending outgoing DNS queries from devices like desktops and laptops to secure DNS servers for better browsing privacy. Stubby prioritizes privacy by default, while allowing users to add trusted providers like Cloudflare or Quad9 for customized settings. Developed under the GetDNS project, it utilizes the GetDNS library (version 1.6 and above) and has a GitHub repository for code contributions, issue tracking, and updates. Future iterations, [Stubby claims], will include DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) capabilities and expanded support for mobile platforms like Android and iOS. Stubby offers installation guides for Linux, macOS, and Windows, including pre-packaged binaries, Homebrew support, and source-building options. It also presents integration opportunities with Unbound, a local caching solution, allowing Stubby to handle upstream TLS while Unbound takes care of internal queries. A user-friendly GUI prototype called Stubby Manager is being developed to make the service more accessible for non-technical users and to expand its availability on various platforms.

Stubby is open-source and free to use, making it a cost-effective DNS privacy solution for users prioritizing online security.