FOSS Linux

@2023 - All Right Reserved.

The 6 best PowerPoint alternatives for Linux users

This article introduces the top 6 powerpoint alternatives for linux, catering to those seeking efficient and versatile presentation tools. each alternative is discussed with its unique features, usability, and compatibility, providing linux users with a variety of options to create professional and engaging presentations..

powerpoint alternatives for linux

A s a Linux long-time user, I’ve often found myself in situations where I needed a robust presentation tool that could run smoothly on my favorite operating system. While Microsoft PowerPoint is the go-to solution for many, Linux users need alternatives that align with their OS choice.

In this article, I’ll share my top 6 PowerPoint alternatives for Linux, detailing their features, installation methods across different distributions, and adding a bit of my personal experience with each.

6 best PowerPoint alternatives for Linux

1. libreoffice impress.

LibreOffice Impress is a highly versatile and feature-rich presentation tool that’s part of the LibreOffice suite. It’s known for its strong compatibility with Microsoft PowerPoint, making it easy for users to switch between the two. Standout features include a vast selection of templates and animations, support for multiple monitors, and the ability to easily integrate various media types into presentations. It’s an excellent choice for users who need a comprehensive and reliable tool for creating detailed presentations.

libreoffice impress

LibreOffice Impress

Why I Like It : LibreOffice Impress is part of the LibreOffice suite, a powerful open-source office suite. I’ve found it to be a reliable alternative to PowerPoint, offering a wide range of features that cater to both basic and advanced presentation needs.

Key Features :

  • Compatibility with PowerPoint formats.
  • Extensive range of templates and animations.
  • Support for multiple monitors.

Installation :

  • Ubuntu/Debian : sudo apt-get install libreoffice-impress
  • Fedora : sudo dnf install libreoffice-impress
  • Arch Linux : sudo pacman -S libreoffice-still

2. ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors

ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors impress with their modern interface that closely resembles Microsoft Office, making it a comfortable choice for those transitioning from Windows to Linux. Key features include seamless cloud service integration, real-time collaboration tools, and support for document co-editing. This makes it a great option for teams that need to work together on presentations, particularly in a remote or hybrid work environment.

onlyoffice on pop! os

OnlyOffice on Pop!_OS

Why It Stands Out : ONLYOFFICE offers a sleek interface that reminds me of newer versions of Microsoft Office. It’s great for those who are transitioning from Windows to Linux.

  • Cloud service integration.
  • Real-time collaboration tools.
  • Familiar interface for MS Office users.
  • The 6 Best Download Managers for Fedora
  • KWipe – Multi-threaded disk wiping app for full deletion of the data
  • Atom – A hackable and highly customizable Text Editor
  • Ubuntu/Debian : Download the .deb package from the ONLYOFFICE website and install it using: sudo dpkg -i <package_name>.deb
  • Fedora : Download the .rpm package and install it with: sudo rpm -i <package_name>.rpm
  • Arch Linux : Available from AUR: yay -S onlyoffice-bin

3. SoftMaker FreeOffice

The presentation component of SoftMaker FreeOffice, known as Presentations, stands out for its user-friendly interface and high-quality design templates. It’s designed for ease of use, allowing users to quickly create professional-looking presentations. The software is noted for its strong compatibility with PowerPoint, ensuring smooth transitions between different presentation formats.

freeoffice on pop! os

FreeOffice on Pop!_OS

Personal Opinion : SoftMaker FreeOffice has a presentation tool called Presentations, which I find quite sleek and efficient for quick, professional-looking slides.

  • Strong compatibility with PowerPoint.
  • Beautifully designed templates.
  • Easy-to-use interface.
  • Download the package from the SoftMaker website .
  • Extract and run the installation script.

4. WPS Office

WPS Office is known for its striking similarity to Microsoft PowerPoint in terms of layout and functionality. It offers high compatibility with MS PowerPoint files, a variety of templates and animation effects, and supports tabbed document editing. This makes it an ideal choice for users looking for a familiar workspace and those who frequently need to switch between Microsoft and Linux-based presentation tools.

wps office presentation

WPS Office Presentation

Why I’m Partial to It : WPS Office offers a presentation tool that’s incredibly similar to Microsoft PowerPoint. Its familiar layout reduces the learning curve significantly.

  • High compatibility with MS PowerPoint.
  • Plenty of templates and animation effects.
  • Supports tabbed document editing.
  • Ubuntu/Debian : Download the .deb package from the WPS Office website and install it with: sudo dpkg -i <package_name>.deb
  • Fedora/Red Hat : Use the .rpm package and install it using: sudo rpm -i <package_name>.rpm
  • Arch Linux : Available in the AUR: yay -S wps-office

5. Calligra Stage

Calligra Stage, part of the Calligra Suite, offers a unique approach to presentation design. It is integrated with other Calligra tools and supports a wide range of templates and effects. A notable feature is its support for vector graphics, which is beneficial for creating high-quality, scalable images within presentations. It’s a solid choice for users who enjoy experimenting with different layouts and design approaches.

calligra stage on linux mint

Calligra Stage on Linux Mint

Why It’s Different : Calligra Stage, part of the Calligra Suite, offers a unique interface that might not be everyone’s cup of tea. However, it’s packed with features and offers a fresh perspective on presentation design.

  • Integrated with other Calligra tools.
  • Wide range of templates and effects.
  • Supports vector graphics.
  • Ubuntu/Debian : sudo apt-get install calligra
  • Fedora : sudo dnf install calligra
  • Arch Linux : sudo pacman -S calligra

6. Google Slides (Web-Based)

Google Slides is a cloud-based solution that stands out for its accessibility and collaboration features. Being a web-based tool, it can be accessed from any device with an internet connection. Its real-time collaboration capabilities make it extremely useful for teams, allowing multiple users to work on the same presentation simultaneously. Its simplicity and ease of use make it a go-to choice for quick, collaborative presentation tasks.

google slides

Google Slides

My Take on It : For those who prefer cloud-based solutions, Google Slides is a fantastic option. Its real-time collaboration feature and accessibility from any device make it a great choice for teams.

  • Accessible from any web browser.
  • Real-time collaboration.
  • Easy to use with a minimalistic design.

Installation : No installation needed. Access it through your web browser.

Final thoughts

Each of these tools has its unique strengths and might cater to different user needs. I personally lean towards LibreOffice Impress for more extensive projects due to its feature richness. However, for quick edits and compatibility with PowerPoint, WPS Office is my go-to.

Linux offers a plethora of options for almost every need, and presentation software is no exception. Whether you’re a professional looking for advanced features or a student needing to whip up a quick presentation, there’s likely a Linux-compatible tool that fits the bill. Experiment with a few of these, and you might find yourself pleasantly surprised at the capabilities available outside the Microsoft ecosystem.

You may also like

How to quickly convert jpg to pdf on..., the 6 best open source music editing software..., the 6 best alternatives to sketchup for ubuntu, top 10 open source proxy browsers for online..., how to install and use postman on fedora, how to install spotify on fedora, leave a comment cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

fl_logo_v3_footer

ENHANCE YOUR LINUX EXPERIENCE.

FOSS Linux is a leading resource for Linux enthusiasts and professionals alike. With a focus on providing the best Linux tutorials, open-source apps, news, and reviews written by team of expert authors. FOSS Linux is the go-to source for all things Linux.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user, FOSS Linux has something for everyone.

MORE FROM US

  • Ubuntu (311)
  • Downloads (257)
  • Learn Linux (256)
  • Beginner's Guide (178)
  • Terminal Tuts (168)
  • Featured (124)
  • Server (99)
  • Linux Mint (98)
  • Fedora (93)
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

A PART OF VIBRANT LEAF MEDIA COMPANY.

“Linux” is the registered trademark by Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.

  • Beginner’s Guide
  • Terminal Tuts
  • Learn Linux

Tecmint: Linux Howtos, Tutorials & Guides

8 Best PowerPoint Alternatives for Linux

If you are a Linux user and looking for the best PowerPoint alternative (either desktop or web-based), you have come to the right place.

In this article, you will find a brief overview of some interesting presentation applications that can be natively installed on a Linux distribution or used online via the browser.

They may vary in terms of functionality and usability but they have one important thing in common – they all are available free of charge, so everyone can make use of them to create presentations.

Open-Source Desktop Software for Linux

Here we will discuss all open-source desktop software for Linux.

1. LibreOffice Impress

Almost every article about PowerPoint alternatives for Linux that you can find on the Internet starts with LibreOffice Impress , and ours is not an exception. This presentation tool forms part of the famous LibreOffice suite distributed under LGPLv3 (GNU Lesser General Public License).

The given software is remarkably similar to its Microsoft rival, so the vast majority of Linux users choose it daily for creating, editing, and sharing presentations.

LibreOffice Impress

Apart from the different approaches to the UI, the daylight between the two programs is not so noticeable and includes the ability to export presentations in video formats or the use of animated diagrams.

In terms of the main features, LibreOffice Impress is a worthy alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint . It allows you to use a large number of transition effects between slides, leave notes, insert images and chats of different types, and export presentations as SWF ( Shower Adobe Flash ).

LibreOffice Impress saves presentations in OpenDocument format and is compatible with PowerPoint files, making it easy to edit, open, or save any presentation that has been created with the Microsoft app.

Its wide range of viewing modes as well as built-in templates let you create presentations with ease. You can make use of various drawing tools and even export your work in different formats, including PDF.

2. Calligra Stage

Another decent PowerPoint alternative for Linux users is Calligra Stage , which is a presentation application that forms part of the Calligra Office suite, an open-source project that is developed by KDE and based on the KDE Platform.

Apart from Stage, the office suite also contains a word processor, a spreadsheet tool, a database manager, and an editor for vector graphics, which makes it a versatile solution designed for various purposes, not only for editing presentations.

Calligra Stage

With Stage , you can create and edit presentations and slides in the same way as Impress or PowerPoint . A huge amount of ready-to-use templates lets you create something impressive quickly and without too much effort.

The graphical interface is not very different from what you are used to. The slide list is on the left and some editing options are located on the right. You can choose between different default layouts such as title and text, two columns, graphics, or images.

Stage allows you to use all kinds of transitions that can be previewed while editing the presentation. Moreover, each transition has different alternatives. Calligra Stage uses the OpenDocument file format, which makes it compatible with other ODF-supporting applications, like LibreOffice Impress or OpenOffice Impress. The application also works with Microsoft PowerPoint files.

3. ONLYOFFICE Presentation Editor

Less famous than LibreOffice Impress or OpenOffice Impress , ONLYOFFICE Presentation Editor is one more good option for Linux users who need a presentation application. It forms part of the ONLYOFFICE suite that is freely distributed under AGPL v.3 (GNU Affero General Public License).

The solution is natively compatible with OOXML formats, which makes it a decent PowerPoint alternative. ODF formats are also supported, so you can open and edit presentations created with other programs.

ONLYOFFICE Presentation Editor

ONLYOFFICE Presentation Editor has an intuitive tabbed interface. All editing and formatting features are grouped into tabs on the top toolbar, and you can easily switch between them depending on what you need at the moment. If you have some experience in working with PowerPoint, you will find it easy to get used to ONLYOFFICE.

When editing a presentation, you can add ready-to-use transitions between slides and various objects, like images, Text Art, shapes, and chats. The Presenter View mode lets you add notes and switch to any slide with a click. You also have access to third-party plugins that enhance the basic functionality.

For example, the Photo Editor allows you to edit images without leaving the application, and the YouTube plugin makes it possible to add videos from the corresponding website.

If you need to collaborate on presentations with other users in real-time, you can connect ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors to a cloud platform (the available options are ONLYOFFICE, Seafile, ownCloud, or Nextcloud).

Once connected, the desktop app brings in some collaborative features — you can track edits made by your co-authors, leave comments for them right in the text, and communicate in the built-in chat.

Proprietary Desktop Software for Linux

Here we will discuss all proprietary desktop software for Linux.

4. SoftMaker FreeOffice Presentations

FreeOffice Presentations is an application for creating and editing slides that comes as a part of the FreeOffice suite developed by SoftMaker.

Basically, it’s the freeware version of the commercial office suite for personal and business use, so it’s delivered with limited functionality. Despite this fact, the software has a decent range of features that help you make your presentations eye-catching.

SoftMaker FreeOffice

When it comes to the user interface, you are offered to choose between two options. If you prefer the traditional PowerPoint interface, you can opt for the same look with classical menus and toolbars.

However, if you like the Ribbon style, which is typical of the latest versions of the Microsoft app, you can select the corresponding option in the settings.

The application is compatible with PowerPoint because it opens and saves PPT and PPTX presentations, including password-protected files. However, compatibility is not 100% complete – some PowerPoint animations and transitions don’t work as properly as they are intended.

When using FreeOffice Presentations , you can choose from a vast array of default design templates to get your work done quickly. Just like PowerPoint, the app allows you to add multimedia objects, drawings, pictures, shapes, and Text Art into your slides.

5. WPS Office Presentation

The developers of WPS Office claim that their software is the best Microsoft Office alternative . Believe it or not, the free version of this office suite includes three programs that can be used instead of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel — Writer, Presentation, and Spreadsheets respectively. It also offers a free PDF editor, which is not typical of other office packages.

WPS Office Presentation

The main advantage of WPS Presentation is its excellent compatibility with PowerPoint files. Although the default file format is DPS, the application opens and saves both PPT and PPTX.

This makes it possible to work with presentations received from other people and then save them directly to the WPS Office with full confidence that other users will be able to open them without any problems.

WPS Presentation is very similar to PowerPoint. Its tabbed interface allows you to view your presentations slide by slide without having to open several windows, which is very convenient. Such an approach lets you view all the available templates in the My WPS tab.

When working with presentations in different formats, you will find out that some features are missing. For example, the app doesn’t export to HTML, SWF, and SVG. Of course, you can export your presentations to PDF but the output files will contain watermarks.

This is one of the limitations of the free version. The others include sponsored ads that can be removed by switching to the premium version.

Online Presentation Tools for Linux

Here we will discuss all online presentation tools for Linux.

6. Canva – Graphic Design Platform

Canva is a web-based tool that is gaining more and more attention from users today. It is an easy-to-use online program for creating images and content for social networks, advertisements, and designs for print materials.

Canva - Graphic Design Platform

Canva can also be used to make presentations based on a wide gallery of templates. The most outstanding feature of this software is its ability to create branded photo filters.

The tool allows you to create a customized template for your presentation with a corporate logo if necessary. In addition, you can share it with your team so they can use it as a default design for their own presentations. You can edit your content from anywhere: on your mobile device, tablet, or computer.

One drawback is that the free options are limited so if you need to create a more complex and elaborate presentation, you may need to purchase the paid option. However, even the free version offers plenty of templates, images, and fonts that you can use to create impressive content right in your browser.

Visme is a web-based application designed for creating different kinds of content. Apart from traditional presentations, you can use this tool to make infographics, social media graphics, videos, and animations regardless of the operating system that is running on your PC.

Its interface is quite similar to PowerPoint although the developers have managed to simplify the user experience thanks to more intuitive navigation.

Visme - Graphic Design Tool

Even so, you should take your time to discover all the customization options it offers. The platform has a wide mage gallery and useful infographic elements that you can add to make your presentations more dynamic.

The app allows you to share or download your presentation with a single click, publish it online, or use it offline; you can even make it private for internal use. There is no desktop client for Linux but all the features are available via the browser.

8. Genial.ly

Genial.ly is probably one of the best alternatives to the classic PowerPoint that is available online. With this tool, you can create interactive content using all kinds of resources that can be accessed from a free account.

Used by design professionals mainly, it also finds wide application in the field of education. Genial.ly is ideal for university or school presentations and you can use it free of charge, although there are payment plans, too.

Genial - Create Stunning Presentations

Once registered, you will have access to all the available options – infographics, reports, guides, gamification, and presentations. You can choose from all kinds of presentations with animated and interactive elements and you can also use a template if you don’t want to start from scratch.

When you choose a template, you can select the pages you want to use. These pages can be personalized with your own texts, images, and design elements. To make your presentation more visually appealing, you can add icons, shapes, illustrations, charts, and even maps.

This article briefly reviews some of the best alternatives for Microsoft PowerPoint, both desktop and web-based. What is your favorite solution? Let us know in the comments section below!

Hey TecMint readers ,

Exciting news! Every month, our top blog commenters will have the chance to win fantastic rewards, like free Linux eBooks such as RHCE , RHCSA , LFCS , Learn Linux , and Awk , each worth $20 !

Learn more about the contest and stand a chance to win by sharing your thoughts below !

linux tools for presentation

Previous article:

Next article:

Photo of author

Each tutorial at TecMint is created by a team of experienced Linux system administrators so that it meets our high-quality standards.

Related Posts

Vivaldi Browser for Linux

Vivaldi 6.8 Released – A Modern Classic Web Browser for Power-Users

Install Firefox in Linux

Firefox 127 on Linux: New Features, Install Guide & More

NoMachine - Linux Remote Desktop Tool

NoMachine – An Advanced Remote Desktop Access Tool

Linux Disadvantages

5 Reasons Why I Hate GNU/Linux – Do You Hate (Love) Linux?

Neofetch Alternatives

Neofetch Alternatives: 3 Best Linux System Information Tools

Wine Run Windows Apps on Linux

Wine 9.0 – Run Windows Apps and Games on Linux

While I love Libre Office and use it extensively, Impress does NOT handle transitions satisfactorily, even on a high-end, graphics-intensive computer.

Transitions are choppy, jumpy, and generally unusable. This is a call to developers to jump in and help make Impress usable as a PowerPoint alternative.

If you only want cold slide to cold slide abrupt changes, Impress works.

I love Genially!

For online presentation editor, there is also Powerpoint online.

Compatibility with Android, Apple? Reading this article on a Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Pro. Using Android smartphones. Also using Windows & Linux.

Since I use LibreOffice (I try to have the newest stable edition) so I use Impress for presentations. In fact, I teach in a short course at Virginia Tech each August, and I am sent the presentations in PP on a USB Flash Drive.

When I receive it I copy the files to my computer, then I convert them all to LO Impress. I find that the latest version of LO Impress will render PP very good. Last August I did my presentations via Zoom and no one could tell the difference between my Impress and PowerPoint. From my perspective, Impress is great.

Got Something to Say? Join the Discussion... Cancel reply

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. We appreciate your decision to leave a comment and value your contribution to the discussion. It's important to note that we moderate all comments in accordance with our comment policy to ensure a respectful and constructive conversation.

Rest assured that your email address will remain private and will not be published or shared with anyone. We prioritize the privacy and security of our users.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

  • A-Z Commands
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Google News

Top 10 Best Presentation Software For Linux Desktop

Mehedi Hasan

Presentation always plays a vital role in decision making and in closing any kind of deal. It provides graphical descriptions and clears the situation. In ancient times, we used papers for presentation. With the revolution of our modern technology, we shifted to screens from the papers and developed a lot of tools for making our work easy. If any company’s core system in Linux, then they should go through the whole post and find out the best presentation software for Linux.

Our world has many types of operating systems for our personal computers and laptops. Among them, Linux is one of the most popular ones because it’s free and has a lot of open-source tools. With that, a user can customize his/her’s operating system at his/ her will. But getting the right presentation software for Linux distributions can be quite tough. Don’t fear, and we will discuss the presentation software in our content today. I hope you will get the right match for your work.

Best Linux Presentation Software

If you are an MD or CEO or Human resource manager of a company, you probably interviewed the recruits who will handle your company’s presentation-related stuff. The first question from the technical side might be about asking them about the software they know or can work with.

It can provide an understanding between you and them about the capabilities of yours and your uses. Knowing about the features of this software might help you choose a suitable candidate and the best presentation software of Linux for the work.

1. LibreOffice Impress

Regular Linux users often heard the name of this software. Most of the developer calls it the Microsoft office of Linux. Although it’s as powerful as Microsoft Office Suite, it costs us nothing. It’s fully free software, and who switched his/ her operating system from Windows to Linux , they will find it the interface of this software mostly known. It should be in your no.1 priority list if you are searching for presentation software for Linux.

1. Libra Office Impress

Features of LibreOffice Impress

  • Dragging and dropping is a handy feature while using software where a lot of media files are needed to upload simultaneously.
  • Vector graphics give the user an edge if he wants to give a presentation on printed paper or if he needs to zoom file in between the works.
  • Its dynamic effects, including transaction and animation effects, can make your presentation way better. 
  • Presentations might be needed to be published on different platforms for better understanding. It can publish documents on-screen or as an HTML document, making your experience of spreading your creation in different platforms easy and less critical. 
  • Handout copies are not so important in the corporate world, but if the marketers want to seek the attention of the general public, then it’s a must. It can make handout copies, which is so useful in these situations.

Get LibreOffice Impress

2. Linux WPS Office

Tensed about the condition of your computer? It has gotten old, and heavy software isn’t meeting its requirements, but you have to give a presentation the next day. Then don’t worry. Linux WPS Office can help you in this situation. It’s quite popular in android platforms, but the Linux version of it’s quite light and has a ton of features that can make your working experience on old computers too smooth.

2. Linux WPS Office

Features of WPS office

  • The size of the whole software is too light. So, it will be easy to install in low-powered systems. 
  • Templates make the work easy and can provide an idea about your work. It has tons of free and paid templates that can help you in creating awesome presentations. 
  • If the user shifts from Linux to any other operating system or might need to edit a few things on the go, then cross-platform features might help the user a lot.
  • The world is full of languages, and presentation is a way to communicate. If you are working for a multinational company, then you might need to work with different languages, but most of the software doesn’t support multiple languages. But this software supports 8 languages.
  • Few effects are essential in every step, and a creative director will use them on a daily basis. It has every kind of necessary effect. 

Get WPS Office

3. Latex Beamer  

Latex Beamer as known as beamer is Latex-based presentation software. For those who want to make presentations in any latex format, it can be an excellent option. Its latex structures make the PowerPoint-style presentation. It will be the best presentation software for Linux if you often deal with Latex.

3. Latex Beamer - Linux

Features of Linux Beamer

  • Predefined looks can assist a creative director in making a healthy habit of remembering stuff clearly, and use them punctually.  It has predefined styles and looks that can help you in the same way. 
  • For working on this, no external program is needed and supports the AMS math package. 
  • Hypertext support is an essential thing if you want to work or are working with it. You will get this feature in this Beamer. 
  • Capabilities of creating overlays, handouts are always an added advantage, and this software has this advantage.
  • Alerts, Itemizations are handled in a structured way.

Get Latex Beamer

4. Calligra Stage  

It’s a part of KDE’s suite as known as Kpresenter. It’s not featureful software, but if you want to do your work in a simple interface, then it can be a good option. Although, lack of features might make you unhappy. So, before using it, know your needs.

4. stage

Features of Calligra Stage

  • Generating files with ODP/ ODF extension is a different but useful feature. For the creators who need this feature, this software is a must. 
  •  Navigation and organization bars can make the working experience smooth and faster. This feature can give you an advantage if you are writing a whole book.  
  • The presentation view option that helps its user to control its flow is a must-needed feature if you give presentations frequently.  
  • This software is highly configurable. So, if the user wants, she/ he can configure it base on their needs.

Get Calligra Stage

5. Impressive

It’s a post-processing presentation tool. If you already have a presentation made and want a few additional touches up during the presentation, then you should go for it. You will have to convert your file into pdf to make changes.

5. impressive -highlight

Features of Impressive

  • Lightweight and portable software are so popular because a user can work on low or high power systems, and this software is super light and portable.  
  • Hassel of installing software can stop a potential future user from using it. It doesn’t require installation. So, this is a great advantage for those who want to use the software without installing it. 
  • Carrying software and using it in any system whenever we need it is a handy feature and can provide its users a great advantage in utilizing their works, and this software can be carried on a USB stick. 
  • Spotlight distinguishes a keyword from the whole paragraph or the presentation, and it is the spotlight-making master. So, if you are the user who wants to do this kind of work, then you must try it. 
  • Terminal-based software is easy to handle, and this one is one of them.  

Get Impressive  

6. Google Slide

Google Slide is a part of Google’s online office suite . I can run as an extension in any version of Chrome. It’s an online office suite’s part, so it won’t make your desktop heavy. You can also run it on old computers because it needs a little power to run itself. And it’s not only one of the best presentation software of Linux, but it is also considered one of the best presentation software on every platform.

6. Google Slides - Linux

Features of Google Slide

  • User can edit their files from anywhere and any computer. This feature is an opportunity cost saving. 
  • Google’s regular updates its templates and other support modules make it enrich in effect and other libraries. 
  • Business templates can close a deal on the go. This has many business templates that can allow you to make a presentation in 1-2 minutes.
  •  Multiple people can work on the same project at the same time in this. 
  • A ton of effects and animations helps its documents to transform into an attractive presentation. 

Get Google Slide

Sozi is a storytelling software and especially build on python . But don’t contain your presentations as a presentation slide but as a poster.  You have to zoom at certain points to make it visible and take it into focus. If you want to post your presentations on any online platform, then you should consider it as a good option as presentation software of Linux distribution.

7. Sozi

Features of Sozi

  • The poster-based presentation capabilities give it an upper hand. 
  • A lot of information in one poster can be taken in one page, helping users in zoom-based presentations.
  • Sozi’s official supports makes it user-friendly and easy.
  • Enriched online assets help its users in making better presentations.  

8. FFDiaporama

It’s a video editing software , but creative users use it to make awesome presentations. It has its animations and transactional effects that give it an edge on doing any presentation-based work. It might confuse you at first glance and make your experience easy by the time you master it.

8. ffdiaporama

Features of FFDiaporama

  • Capabilities of screen-cast and multimedia presentations help its users in securing their main purpose.
  • Cliparts are a great help in making an interactive presentation, and it has a lot of cliparts for editing. 
  • Dealing with videos in this software has no kind of issue. 
  • Making Titles in this software is so easy and can be turned into an attractive one with a perfect tweak.
  • This software supports 1080p videos on an editing platform.

Get FFDiaporama

9. Slide Crunch

The users who love to make a presentation through the command line, it’s the perfect presentation software of Linux. It can merge files into slide shows and can separate presentations into individual parts.

9. linux presentation tools slidecrunch handout

Features of Slide Crunch

  • The command-based interface is kind of easy and fast for those who are proficient in terminal. So, if you are a terminal lover, then you should give it a try.
  • It doesn’t require installation and can save time and opportunity costs.
  • Cues, notes, and information about the author can be contained in it. 
  • Merge files ( PDF and SVG) can be so handy if you want to use this in your presentation. You should give it a try.

Get Slide Crunch

10. Imagination

If you are searching a lightweight presentation software, then you should consider imagination as a good option. It doesn’t have too many transactions or other advantages, but if you want to do your work faster with higher accuracy, it will help you a lot.

10. Imagination

  • Cutting, copying, pasting ability on slides can give you a good experience.  
  • The latest version of it has 69 transactions.   
  • Can create, and import multiple versions of the video what help in seeking other’s presentation.
  • Text on the slides with some text animations, ability to add an empty slide with a gradient editor

Get Imagination

Final Thoughts

Presentation software is useful and necessary. This can give your company an edge in closing deals. It can clear your growth pattern to the inverts in an easy way. It has multiple uses and importance. Better knowledge of the feature can provide you a clear idea and the power of taking future steps. If you use any of this 10 software, you will get your desired result, might find the best presentation software for Linux. Good luck, and keep growing.

Mehedi Hasan

Thanks for your article. 1) LibreOffice Impress – doesn’t have object inheritance. So when using cut and paste of an object, it’s properties are not copied. This can be a real pain where there are many objects on one slide. Other tools do this. 2) Google Slides is not a Linux desktop app. Plus – it has far fewer important features compared to other tools, especially animation. Personally I use SoftMaker. It comes at a cost, but is feature-rich and highly MS-Office compatible.

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You May Like It!

How to color alternate rows in google sheets, 20 best online browser games to play l make fun, kill boredom, 20 best war games for android devices, 10 best video conference software for windows pc, trending now, top 15 best google drive clients for linux desktop, 5 best fps games for mac users, master pdf editor – a powerful multi-purpose pdf editor for linux, gimp photo editor – best image editing software for linux, 14 best data science books for every data scientist to read, 15 best python books for beginner and expert programmers, 10 best open-source speech recognition tools for linux, 9 best machine learning and artificial intelligence books, 14 best cloud computing books for newbies and professionals, 20 best javascript books for newbies and professional.

Copyright © 2024. All Rights Reserved. Ubuntu is a registered trademark of Canonical Ltd .

The Linux Portal Site

Project Management

8 Best Free and Open Source Linux Presentation Software

A presentation software is a tool used to show information in the form of a slide show, a presentation of a series of still images.

Presentation software helps a speaker keep structure to a presentation when standing in front of an audience. Like any good composition tool, this type of application should help the presenter focus on the substance of the presentation. Effective presentation software will also help the audience follow the matters being discussed, whether it is being conducted in a business or personal setting.

This type of software is a presenter’s best friend helping information to be communicated effectively at events, meetings, conferences, lectures, sales presentations, and more. Embellishing the presentation with smooth transitions, text, photo and video will help retain the attention of the audience, bring out the key ideas that are being shared, and make the presentation more professional.

To provide an insight into the quality of software that is available, we have compiled a list of 8 high quality open source Linux presentation software. The software listed below will help make your slides look stunning. Whether you are teaching a lesson, pitching a product, delivering a keynote, or trying to promote a worthy cause, these tools will help bring simplicity and engagement to your presentations. Hopefully there will be something of interest for anyone who needs to produce professional quality presentations.

Presentation Software

Let’s explore the 8 presentation applications at hand. For each title we have compiled its own portal page, providing a screenshot of the tool in action, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, together with links to relevant resources.

Framework for easily creating beautiful presentations using HTML
Tool for creating effective multimedia presentations
Presentation program for the Calligra Suite
Terminal based software for writing Markdown to create presentations
PDF presentation tool with eye candy
LaTeX class for creating presentations
Zooming presentation editor and player
Lightweight and easy to use slide show maker
Read our complete collection of . Our curated compilation covers all categories of software.

The software collection forms part of our for Linux enthusiasts. There are hundreds of in-depth reviews, open source alternatives to proprietary software from large corporations like Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk.

There are also fun things to try, hardware, free programming books and tutorials, and much more.

guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

VEGA SLIDE

Beyond PowerPoint: 4 Linux Presentation Tools

linux tools for presentation

Microsoft PowerPoint has long been the standard for creating presentations on Windows. But what if you use Linux? Thankfully, there are several open-source alternatives that work great on Linux. In this article, we’ll look at 4 of the best open-source presentation tools available for Linux.

LibreOffice Impress

Some key features of LibreOffice Impress include:

Impress makes it easy to create professional presentations with plenty of customization options. It can open and edit PowerPoint files, so you can collaborate with Windows users. The interface is similar to PowerPoint, with a familiar slide canvas and sidebar.

Calligra Stage

Key features of Calligra Stage include:

Calligra Stage provides a flexible canvas for building visually impressive presentations. It allows dynamic slide layouts not bound to grids. The multi-monitor support is handy for presenting from a laptop while viewing notes on the second screen.

Here are some notable features of Beamer:

The learning curve is steeper with Beamer since you need knowledge of LaTeX. However, LaTeX skills are valuable for any academic or technical writing. For scientific presentations with lots of mathematical formulas, Beamer makes typesetting beautiful slides easy.

Reveal.js provides an interesting web-based approach to presentations. Rather than an application, it is a JavaScript framework that generates HTML/CSS-based slides. You create presentations using HTML or Markdown.

Here are some key features:

With Reveal.js, your presentations become web pages that play nicely across devices. You can post presentations online or use the framework for a custom presentation app. The Markdown authoring lowers the barrier for creating and updating slides.

For those that know web technologies, Reveal provides flexibility. The text-based source means presentations play well with version control systems. Overall, Reveal.js brings some nice innovations to the presentation space.

While Microsoft PowerPoint rules the presentation landscape, quality open-source alternatives exist for Linux users. Tools like LibreOffice Impress, Calligra Stage, Beamer, and Reveal.js each offer unique advantages.

Impress provides the best all-around PowerPoint replacement. Calligra Stage focuses more on flexible designs. Beamer makes LaTeX-based scientific slides simple. And Reveal.js lets you create browser-based presentations using web standards.

About The Author

Vegaslide staff, related posts, how to share powerpoint presentation online, 5 ways to highlight text in a microsoft powerpoint animation, how to make a powerpoint editable by multiple users, how to create a custom template in powerpoint.

  • Microsoft powerpoint alternatives for linux users

5 Microsoft Powerpoint alternatives for Linux users

  • User by AddictiveTips Team
  • Calendar May 31, 2019
  • Comment 2 Comments

Microsoft PowerPoint is essential in an office or school setting if you’re required to make presentations. But what if you use Linux and don’t have access to PowerPoint? What do you use? Well, let’s find out with the 5 best Microsoft PowerPoint alternatives for Linux users!

1. Libre Office Impress

Libre Office Impress is a complete MS Powerpoint replacement that makes it easy to create presentations and slideshows on Linux, thanks to its similar user interface, and support for various file formats, including Microsoft’s own Ppt format.

With Impress, you’ll get access to lots of useful features that many come to expect in a presentation tool, such as clip art (both 2D and 3D,) special effect tools and slide transitions.

Notable Features

  • Impress gives users access to a wide variety of 2D and 3D clipart for use in presentations.
  • Impress has a similar user interface to PowerPoint, so it’s not too hard to learn.
  • Impress supports importing and saving in the PowerPoint file format, which is handy.

Download – Libre Office Impress

Libre Office Impress comes as a default program on a majority of Linux operating systems. That said if your Linux PC doesn’t have a copy of Libre Office Impress already set up, head over to libreoffice.org .

On the Libre Office official website, find the “Download” button and click it to reveal the many download options available for Libre Office , including Flatpak, Snap, AppImage, and others.

2. SoftMaker Presentations

SoftMaker Presentations is a freemium cross-platform PowerPoint alternative that comes as part of the SoftMaker FreeOffice office suite. With the app, users can easily make PowerPoint-like slideshows quickly, thanks to the wide variety of default design templates.

Software Presentations isn’t open source, so the software’s free version comes with limited features. Despite this, it manages to offer up some seriously useful things, such as being able to create PDFs from slides, support for PowerPoint file formats, and much more!

  • Users can create PDF files from individual presentation slides.
  • Various pre-made presentation templates available.
  • “Master-page” feature lets users change all slides at once, rather than one at a time.

Download – SoftMaker Presentations

To use Presentations, you’ll need to install the entire SoftMaker office suite, by heading over to softmaker.com. When you’ve made it to the website, click the menu at the top left and choose the “Download” button to move to the downloads page.

On the downloads page, scroll down, look for “Linux” and select it to start the download process. Or, if you need help learning how to get the app downloaded and working, check out our guide on the subject .

3. Calligra Stage

Calligra Stage is the presentation component to the Calligra Office suite. It’s an open source Linux presentation application and comes packed with dozens of plugins and features that are sure to make creating slideshows for projects or the workplace a simple process.

Stage supports a straightforward user interface that allows the creation of slideshows on Linux to be easy, and not tedious. Additionally, it has some great features such as an overview mode for presenters during presentations, support for PowerPoint presentation files, neat transition effects, and a “notes” mode which make it one of the best alternatives to PowerPoint out there for Linux users.

  • Works with the OpenDocument file format, and can even work with other open source office applications such as Open Office, Libre Office, and others.
  • “Overview” feature lets presenter get an overview of the entire slideshow.
  • “Notes” feature allows the presenter to take notes on individual slides.

Download – Calligra Stage

Calligra Stage comes with the Calligra Office suite. If you’re interested in downloading the app on Linux, head over to calligra.org and select the “Get Calligra” button to learn how to get a copy of the app.

Need help getting the Calligra application working on Linux? Check out our guide on how to install Calligra . In the guide, we go over the many different ways to install the Calligra Office suite, which includes Stage.

4. Google Slides

Google Slides is the presentation component for their online office suite available with Google Drive. With Sides, users can create slideshows, use effects, and import existing Microsoft PowerPoint slideshows, as well as the ability to export slideshows in various file formats.

Slides aren’t a Linux application like the other programs on the list. Still, it’s a great option, especially if you don’t plan to make presentations often on Linux. So, if you need a good MS PowerPoint alternative but don’t feel like installing anything on your Linux PC, Google Slides is an option to consider for sure.

  • Instant cloud saving and backups via Google Drive.
  • Companion Android/iOS app means users can modify and perform slideshows made on PC on the go as well.
  • Slides can be downloaded/uploaded in PowerPoint format.

Download – Google Slides

Google Slides isn’t a downloadable app (unless you’re on mobile or Chrome OS). The primary way of using the app on the PC is on the web. So, if you want to access it to create slideshows, head over to Google Drive , or by navigating to slides.google.com .

Marp is an interesting presentation application for the web that lets users create slideshows with the Markdown markup language, rather than a traditional UI like in MS PowerPoint, as well as others on this list.

It’s clear that most users looking for an alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint probably aren’t looking for a text-based slideshow tool. Still, despite being text-based, it manages to offer up some useful slideshow tools, such as exporting presentations, a live preview mode you can check as you go, and more.

  • Supports exporting slides as a PDF.
  • Live preview lets users check work as they go.
  • Also has a Linux app under development that users can use.

Download – Marp

The Marp application isn’t available on Linux per se. Instead, it’s possible to instantly gain access to the tool to create slideshows by heading over to web.marp.app .

Aside from the Marp web app, the developers are working on a desktop version for Linux and other platforms. To get early access to the program (via the source code) click here .

In this list, we went over some of the best Microsoft PowerPoint alternatives for Linux users. What is your favorite MS PowerPoint alternative to use on your Linux PC? Let us know in the comment section below!

default avatar image

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Searching for something else?

Chances are, we can find what you're looking for:

MEDevel.com: Open-source for Healthcare, and Education

Spice-up: Open source Standalone Presentation App

Hazem Abbas

Hazem Abbas

Spice-up: Open source Standalone Presentation App

Unlike many presentation software programs that resemble Microsoft PowerPoint, and LibreOffice embedded presentation, Spice-up is a standalone presentation software for Linux systems.

It allows you to create presentations that stand out! Spice-Up has everything you need to create simple and beautiful presentations. Get your ideas across with beautiful designed templates, or start from scratch with a blank canvas.  

linux tools for presentation

Spice-up features highlight:

  • Exporting to PDF: Share your presentation with anyone, no matter the platform they're at.
  • Presentation Browser: Scroll through the presentations you have made and jump right into them with one click!.
  • Controller Support: If you have a USB or Bluetooth controller, plug it in and control your slides!
  • Web Viewer: Presentations can now be viewed from a web browser if Spice-Up is not installed, even if you're not using Linux. No extra software needed!
  • Edit images in your favorite editor, and it will automatically update when saved
  • Templates: a touch of creativity is all you need to make presentations in a blink of an eye.
  • Presenter Notes: Present like a pro with slide-by-slide notes only viewable by you!
  • And much more!

Spice-up is written primarily for Linux systems, and it can be installed on Debian/ Ubuntu based distros simply, using PPA:

You can download and install it directly from Flathub as a Flatpak package from here .

Spice-up is released under the GPL3.0 License.

  • Source code

Read More Articles in office

Swifdoo pdf: possibly the best commercial ai-powered pdf editor to date.

If you're a business developer, a student, a teacher, or a researcher, handling PDF documents forms a crucial part of your daily tasks. SwifDoo PDF Editor, a highly cost-effective PDF document manager, is designed to simplify these tasks. SwifDoo PDF is your complete PDF studio solution directly from

24 Free Self-hosted Spreadsheet solutions and libraries as Google Sheets and Airtable Alternatives

In our fast-paced, data-driven business landscape, spreadsheets have become an essential tool. They're not just a place to crunch numbers anymore, they're now a powerful resource for managing and analysing a wealth of data, making them indispensable for businesses big and small. Two big players, Google

Teable.io: The Revolutionary Self-hosted Free Airtable Replacement

What is Airtable and its killer features Airtable is a cloud-based project management tool that functions like a spreadsheet but with the power of a database. It offers various views like grid, form, gallery, kanban, and calendar for different needs. It's highly customizable, promotes collaboration with multi-user access,

Take a Screen Record to GIT in Windows with ScreenToGif

ScreenToGif is a free, open-source application that enables users to record a selected area of their screen, live webcam feed, or live sketchboard drawings. Users can then edit and save the recording as a gif, apng, video, psd, or png image. Screenshots Downloads * Chocolatey * FossHub * Microsoft Windows Style License * MS-PL

DocLense is an Open-source Document Scanner for Android and iOS

DocLense is a completely free and open-source document scanner application that has been developed using the highly efficient and versatile Dart programming language and the powerful and flexible Flutter framework. This innovative and user-friendly application allows users to effortlessly scan their documents and convert them into digital format. With its

PDF4QT: Your Extraordinary and Free Open-Source PDF Editor

PDF4QT is a free PDF editor that is based on the Qt framework. It includes a C++ library, applications for viewing and editing PDF documents, and a command line tool. PDF4QT is available for Windows and Linux operating systems. It offers a modern solution for viewing, editing, and rendering PDF

Development

Science - healthcare, open-source apps, medical apps, dev. resources.

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

Is there any PowerPoint alternative? [duplicate]

Is there any PowerPoint alternative? I'm not looking for just a viewer but also a presentation maker.

  • software-recommendation
  • presentation

Aditya's user avatar

  • 1 LibreOffice Impress –  2707974 Commented Mar 19, 2014 at 11:36

5 Answers 5

Well, There are many programs to make Presentation:

  • OpenOffice/LibreOffice ,
  • GnomeOffice
  • Microsoft Office(using Wine) !

you can also use

Google Docs (Web: Free)

Google Docs Updates Presentations With Real-Time Collaboration, New Themes, Transitions and More Google Docs has rolled out a new version of its presentations tool with over 50 new features, including, simultaneous editing, a series of new slide… Read… Google Docs' presentations module used to be fairly lackluster, but they've updated it recently to make it more compatible with people coming over from Microsoft Office, or people who want a more robust presentations tool.

Beamer (LaTeX) (Windows/Mac/Linux: Free)

If you're a fan of LaTeX, or just remember having to apply it for your graduate thesis, you'll love Beamer. Where other presentation tools give you a GUI where you drag in elements you want to use like images and video and then tweak text boxes to include the information you want on screen, Beamer requires you to build your presentation in a custom markup language that works for just about any LaTeX document.

http://lifehacker.com/5888189/five-best-powerpoint-alternatives

Community's user avatar

Impress is a truly outstanding tool for creating effective multimedia presentations. Presentation edition and creation is flexible, thanks to different editing and view modes http://www.libreoffice.org/discover/impress/

OpenLaszlo is an open source development platform for web applications. It's main target today is generating macromedia flash files (swf)and AJAX/DHTML for use on web pages and sites. http://www.openlaszlo.org

KPresenter is the open source presentations part of the KOffice suite. Excellent for combining text and graphics into slides either for on-screen presentation and handouts. http://www.kde.org/applications/office/kpresenter/

byaruhaf's user avatar

LibreOffice Impress

Use LibreOffice Impress for create a presentation, it's an default presentation program for Ubuntu.

Google Presentation

Google's web application is used to create presentations.

NEW !! Microsoft PowerPoint online

Now microsoft office opened on the web !!! Visit this site for PowerPoint online

First hit would be LibreOffice Impress.

Web based (but quite good for some purposes) - Prezi

Frost's user avatar

OpenOffice.org is also a good alternative.

4M01's user avatar

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged software-recommendation presentation .

  • Featured on Meta
  • Upcoming sign-up experiments related to tags

Hot Network Questions

  • Maximising det(AB) with respect to B
  • Short story about a group of astronauts/scientist that find a sentient planet that seems friendly but is not
  • What is the meaning of "Attempt any air"?
  • How to repair a "pull" shut-off valve for the toilet?
  • What rights does an employee retain, if any, who does not consent to being monitored on a work IT system?
  • What was the submarine in the film "Ice Station Zebra"?
  • Problem with internal forces in spring following Hooke´s law
  • HTTP: how likely are you to be compromised by using it just once?
  • Why is the abbreviated retronotation not used?
  • What is the explicit list of the situations that require RAII?
  • Advice for job application to a university position as a non-student
  • A question regarding the relationship between Lebesgue measure and topology
  • if people are bred like dogs, what can be achieved?
  • Does USCIS require spouses being sponsored for Permanent Residency to leave the United States?
  • What is the purpose of the M1 pin on a Z80
  • Where did the pronunciation of the word "kilometer/kilometre" as "kl OM iter" rather than "KILL o meeter" originate?
  • What should the next step be in this Kakuro puzzle?
  • Reaching max stay on multi entry Schengen visa
  • How does a vehicle's brake affect the friction between the vehicle and ground?
  • Creating a command to display blackboard font
  • A Colorful explosion
  • Do wererats take falling damage?
  • Transpose these notes!
  • Is there a category even more general than "thing"?

linux tools for presentation

3 open source alternatives to PowerPoint

Business presentation

Vector Open Stock. CC BY-SA 3.0.

PowerPoint is one of those programs whose use has become so ingrained in the corporate world that it is probably running the risk of becoming completely genericized, in the same way that some people use Kleenex to refer to all tissues, or BAND-AIDs to refer to all bandages.

But presenting a slideshow doesn't have to mean using PowerPoint. There are a number of totally capable open source alternatives to PowerPoint for giving visual presentations. In many cases, the features of these “alternatives” are so compelling that, unless you're absolutely forced to use PowerPoint, I don't know why you still would.

I've got a few new presentations to give coming up in the next couple of months that are essentially being developed from scratch, I thought it would be a great time to take a look at all of the open source presentation tools out there, and decide if it would be a good time to try out a new tool for any of these upcoming talks.

It's also worth taking a little time to ask yourself what assumptions you are making about your presentation needs, and what kind of tool makes the most sense to use. For example, do you need to be able to present off of any computer, or share your presentation with others and be assured that they will be able to open it? Will Internet access be assured when you're presenting, or do you need a solution that will work offline as well?

After trying out a few different tools, I think I'd lump the ones I found into three major buckets: traditional desktop tools, web-based presentation tools, and then "other", which in my case, consisted of some terminal-based tools, but depending on your needs, your "other" category may consist of something else. For example, I've seen a presentation given entirely from an Android device with a screen-casting ability. But in any case, let's look as some of the great open source contenders in each of these three main categories.

Desktop presentation tools

Desktop presentation tools provide the closest experience to the traditional PowerPoint experience, both on the design side and the presentation side. If you're just looking to be able to put together some formatted text with a few images, perhaps a transition or two, add a few speaker notes, and be able to email out your presentation to colleagues, this is more than likely the route you should take.

I've found LibreOffice Impress to be, well, impressive enough that I haven't needed an alternative on the desktop. It works reasonably well at importing PowerPoint presentations, assuming that the file you're opening doesn't have any sort of crazy formatting or weird fonts, so it's a good choice if you're working with slides from other people.

It's also incredibly intuitive if you're already used to working with other LibreOffice tools, or really any standard office suite. You'll find all of the basic text formatting, shape drawing, image importing, chart making, and other tools you'll need to put together a basic business presentation. And LibreOffice is, of course, a cross-platform tool, so you should be able to easily share documents across Windows, Mac, and Linux, while being able to export back to PowerPoint format if required.

I've heard similarly positive feedback for Calligra Stage , which grew out of the KOffice project, as being both approachable to people of any skill level while still having enough features to make a reasonably advanced presentation. You'll find it with many KDE-based Linux distributions, or it can be installed independently.

Web presentation tools

Web presentation tools have been my preferred format for a while, if for no other reason except that HTML-based presentations are very easy to use with version control, and very intuitive to edit as someone who spends a good portion of my day doing markup already. If you can make something work on a web page, you can make it work in a web-based presentation: interactive charts, maps, videos, and more. Plus, web-based presentations are incredibly easy to share: just give out the URL, or bundle up all of the code onto a flash drive and present from nearly any computer system of your choosing.

I highly recommend you check out Joshua Allen Holm's roundup of three open source web frameworks for presentations, in which he looks at Impress.js, Hovercraft, and Strut in some detail. My favorite tool in this space remains Reveal.js .

Why Reveal.js? The framework is simple to use and allows for rather elegant code. It supports a number of features out of the box that, frankly, allow for some really cool presentation features, including zooming, parallax backgrounds, beautiful transitions, and great code markup. It supports Markdown inline, or you can even write your whole presentation in Markdown and then import it.

If you're not an HTML junkie, the commercial service Slides.com is based on the open source Reveal.js, and you can easily import or export to a revision control system of your choosing.

A presentation from the terminal?

Bear with me for a moment, I have one more idea to present (ha!). Have you ever considered presenting from your terminal? No, I'm not kidding. While it's not going to win an award for style, presenting a text-based presentation straight from the terminal could earn you some serious geek cred, but more importantly, introducing an artificial limitation of a text-only environment is going to force you to focus on your words instead of fancy gimmicks.

As a friend of Vim, my new favorite tool for terminal-based presentations is Vimdeck . Vimdeck is an MIT-licensed tool that turns Markdown into a set of files, one per slide, which are then opened in Vim, and then sets up some keybindings for easy movement through your deck. You can give your slides a surprising amount of customization, including syntax-highlighted, a headline text font, and more. The Vroom project is another Vim-related presentation tool worth checking out.

Why do this at all? Well, you can host your presentation almost anywhere; all you need on the presenting computer is a terminal with SSH. You can easily version the files. You can even use a tool like gotty to easily share your terminal-based presentation as a web page for others to view. It's an unconventional idea, but for technical presentations, one you might consider.

Obviously, these aren't the only open source presentation tools out there. It may even be worth asking yourself, for a given presentation, if a slides-based tool is the right choice at all. If you're presenting the same data on a recurring basis, would creating a dashboard make more sense? Are slides the right level of formality for your presentation, or is throwing a collaborative document on the screen and editing in real-time a better fit? Don't immediately think that a presentation has to equal sequentially advancing slides.

Regardless of what tool you use, remember, it's just a tool. Your audience isn't going to be nearly as impressed by the tool you use as by quality of the content you're presenting, and ultimately, by your ability to present it. Don't dwell for too long on picking the perfect tool; instead, find one that works for you, and move on to practice, practice, and more practice! That said, do let us know what presentation tool you use, and why, in the comments below.

Jason Baker

21 Comments

Related content.

open data center Facebook

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

What should I use for presentations on Linux?

I was looking for a descent powerpoint presentation software for Linux. I am seriously not bugged up with openoffice presentation tool. I am not looking for Microsoft Office or Apples's iWork.

Is there a better option for Linux?

  • presentations

Tamara Wijsman's user avatar

  • 6 What's your programming question? –  nb2580 Commented Aug 7, 2010 at 15:24

3 Answers 3

Did you try Beamer? It provides very clean slides using LateX, very professional!

  • 1 The URL is bitbucket.org/rivanvx/beamer/wiki/Home and here a guide: secure.wikimedia.org/wikibooks/en/wiki/LaTeX/Presentations –  theomega Commented Aug 7, 2010 at 15:37

You can try a cloud-based one, like Google Docs, I think it outputs files in several different formats.

JKirchartz's user avatar

The best compatibility from Linux probably stems from Softmaker. Their software isn't very cheap under Linuxer standards, but the sofware is sound.

Another option, if you have a copy of Office that is wine-compatible (i.e. Office 2000 or 2007) and don't mind losing clipart, is to install Office on Wine. The Office EULA permits 2 installation given that they are on the owner's computer, for use by the owner, and that they aren't both used at the same time (i.e. you can't have the other copy open while using one copy). Instructions to make the programs work better can be found on appdb.winehq.org.

Lastly, you can use an Office installation (or a Windows computer) to export your file into a .pdf file, which you can use with evince in slideshow move (open the file and hit F5).

You must log in to answer this question.

  • Featured on Meta
  • Upcoming sign-up experiments related to tags

Hot Network Questions

  • Personal Loan to a Friend
  • What are some plausible means for increasing the atmospheric pressure on a post-apocalyptic earth?
  • Mōnstrō and mōnstrum - how exactly are they related?
  • Visiting every digit
  • How to duplicate a lot of windows all in different sizes when the frames are the same?
  • Are the complex numbers a graded algebra?
  • Is the atomic sentence “There is something” the starting point for all possible human inquiry about anything at all?
  • Rewarding the finding of zeroes of a hash function
  • if people are bred like dogs, what can be achieved?
  • A member of NATO falls into civil war, who do the rest of the members back?
  • find -printf for file creation time is not working as expected, is it a bug?
  • Do wererats take falling damage?
  • How fast would unrest spread in the Middle Ages?
  • Should I attach my deck to the house?
  • Are there really half-a billion visible supernovae exploding all the time?
  • Is zip tie a durable way to carry a spare tube on a frame?
  • RAW, do transparent obstacles generally grant Total Cover?
  • Securing HTTP File Transfer over local network
  • What is a curate in English scone culture?
  • Can a contract require you to accept new T&C?
  • How does a vehicle's brake affect the friction between the vehicle and ground?
  • Maximising det(AB) with respect to B
  • What should the next step be in this Kakuro puzzle?
  • Comparing hazard ratios within the same model

linux tools for presentation

Best office suites for Linux: 5 reviewed and rated

We test the best Linux office suites around to see which is the best

  • Linux office suites compared
  • Presentation and collaboration tools

Presentation app

Create and show dazzling slideshows

A collection of apps can't be called an office suite if it doesn't have an app that lets you create presentations. There's very little to choose from between the suites. All have usable templates and do a wonderful job of creating a visually stunning presentation. That said, there are subtle differences.

LibreOffice Impress offers the most views, including Normal, Outline, Notes, Handout and a Slide Sorter.

SoftMaker Presentations and Google Slides are equally capable, with a wide variety of AutoShapes. They also have comprehensive drawing functions, and let you draw all sorts of objects, including organisational charts, flowcharts and design diagrams. What sets them apart is unique animated transition effects. And with SoftMaker Presentations, you can edit images and change their brightness, contrast and other settings from within the app.

Calligra Stage has most of the basic features you'd expect, including a selection of templates and layouts, as well as a choice of animated slide transitions. However, it only offers the Normal, Notes and Slide Sorter views.

The presentation app is the Achilles' heel of the Gnome Office suite. There have been several candidates, such as Agnubis and Ease, but none have been developed long enough to compete with other apps. Although Ease is still available in the official repos of some Gnome distros, in its current state it is barely usable.

LibreOffice: 5/5 Calligra Suite: 3/5 Gnome Office: 1/5 SoftMaker Office: 5/5 Google Docs: 5/5

Other tools

What else have they got?

We've covered the three most popular apps in an office suite: word processor, spreadsheet and presentation. With the exception of SoftMaker Office, all other office suites in this roundup bundle a variety of other apps.

One of the most common ones is a database management app, similar to Microsoft Access. LibreOffice has Base, Calligra has Kexi, and Gnome Office has Glom. All programs are capable of hand-holding a user to design a database.

The next most popular app is a vector graphics package similar to Microsoft Visio. LibreOffice has Draw, Calligra has Karbon and Gnome Office has Inkscape. Calligra bills itself as a graphics, art and office suite, and has an app for creating digital paintings and artwork called Krita.

If you need a drawings app, Google Drawings is a very capable alternative. Gnome doesn't have a drawings app, but it does have Dia for creating diagrams.

Calligra has the most productivity apps. It has Plan for project management, which can create Gantt charts, and Flow for drawing flowcharts. The latest version includes an app for writing e-books, called Author, that's similar to iBooks Author and can export EPUBs, besides a general-purpose note-taking app called Braindump. Gnome also has the very popular Tomboy app for taking notes.

If you work with scientific data, LibreOffice has Math, which can create and edit mathematical formulae.

LibreOffice: 4/5 Calligra Suite: 5/5 Gnome Office: 4/5 SoftMaker Office: 3/5 Google Docs: 3/5

Collaboration

Collaboration

Can multiple people work on the document at the same time?

A major factor for the popularity of online office suites is that they allow multiple users to collaborate and work on the same document simultaneously. While offline office suites are catching up, this is one domain that's ruled by online office suites, such as Google Docs.

Google Docs allows real-time character-by-character collaboration on Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides and Google Drawings apps. When multiple people are working on the same document at the same time, they'll all be able to see the changes made by each other. These collaboration options work in conjunction with the sharing options that let you set access levels for files, and control who can see and edit your files. As with other features, you can use another Google service, Google Groups, to share the document with many people with a single click.

The only other offline app that offers real-time collaboration between users is AbiWord. Collaboration support is tightly integrated into their online web service, AbiCollab.net, where you can store documents. When collaborating with multiple people, AbiWord displays text entered by different users in different colours.

Besides these two, both LibreOffice and Calligra are working on adding similar collaboration features to their apps as well. While LibreOffice has demonstrated a prototype of this feature, the developers say that it's still in the very early stages of development. There's as yet no word from SoftMaker Office about adding such collaborative features.

LibreOffice: 0/5 Calligra Suite: 0/5 Gnome Office: 4/5 SoftMaker Office: 0/5 Google Docs: 5/5

Help and support

Help and Support

Where do you look for answers?

For most purposes, office suites are perhaps one of the easiest apps to get started with. That said, some apps, such as the spreadsheet programs, are so extensive that you need thorough documentation to use them effectively.

LibreOffice has detailed user guides for all its components available within each app, and as downloadable PDF files. For support, besides the usual avenues like a mailing list, forums, IRC channel and a Wiki, the project also has a Q&A website called AskLibO. Being a commercial retailer, SoftMaker Office has impressive documentation, and offers free technical support to all its users.

A unique feature of its support website is the Tips & Tricks section, which offers useful hints for using the various components more effectively. While Google Docs doesn't have a voice support option, the support documentation is neatly organised, and will help you resolve any issue quickly.

In contrast, the Calligra Suite's documentation and support isn't very expansive. Most of the documentation is contributed by its community of users on the Wiki, while some apps, such as Krita and Kexi, have detailed user guides and tutorials.

Similarly, the quality of documentation for the apps that make up Gnome Office also varies. Some mature components, such as AbiWord and Gnumeric, have the usual support channels, while some newer components, such as Ease, which are still under active development, have negligible documentation.

LibreOffice: 5/5 Calligra Suite: 3/5 Gnome Office: 3/5 SoftMaker Office: 5/5 Google Docs: 5/5

The best Linux office suite is...

Verdict

Like with most apps, there's no one office suite that will work for all setups. If you look at an office suite in terms of the number of apps it bundles, then Calligra Office trumps all.

As an independent office suite, Calligra is the youngest in this roundup, but it is backed by an experienced team of developers who know what they are doing. The biggest issue with Calligra is its tight embrace of the open document format.

This might sound odd coming from a Linux magazine, but the real world is overrun by proprietary formats. Oddly, the saving grace for Calligra is that the newer versions of Microsoft Office now support Open Document formats. So if you are in a position to dictate terms and ensure everyone passes documents in open formats, then Calligra is a wonderful suite.

Besides the main desktop suite, there's also a mobile version of the suite, called Calligra Active. A version for Android is in the works. One feature that Calligra lacks is the ability to get multiple users to collaborate on one document.

If collaboration is paramount for your setup, then you should seriously consider switching to Google Docs. But be aware that the online office suite lacks many of the advanced features of offline office suites. On the flip side, it's accessible from any device that's connected to the internet.

The only other offline word processor that allows multiple users to collaborate is AbiWord. In fact, AbiWord is a very mature and able word processor and will work for most people as long as you don't pass around fancy documents loaded with clip art and other elements found in recent releases of Microsoft Word.

You can save yourself a lot of processing overhead by switching to AbiWord for your word processing needs, Gnumeric for spreadsheets, and Google Docs for presentations. If you come across a document that AbiWord can't handle, you can upload it to Google Docs and then download it in the ODF format.

This doesn't leave much room for SoftMaker, whose USP is compatibility with Microsoft Office. But as is traditional, we have to pick an overall winner of the roundup and it will have to be LibreOffice. With the exception of the collaboration feature, it excels at almost everything.

Also consider...

If none of our solutions work for you, you should check out the Apache OpenOffice suite that's making a comeback under the Apache Foundation. The current release is more or less equivalent to the LibreOffice 3.4 release.

Another alternative is ThinkFree Office. It's popular with Android users, but their last stable release for Linux was back in 2010.

If you want a GPLd suite, the only other option is the lightweight Siag Office. But the suite had its last release back in 2006.

If you want an online service, there are a couple of others - the proprietary Zoho Office Suite and the host-your-own, open source Tiki. If Microsoft Office compatibility is important for you, and you don't mind paying, check out the proprietary Microsoft Office look-alike Yozo Office 2012.

But if your tastes are simple, you can add plugins to Gnome's default text editor gedit to make it more useful. Similarly, you can extend KDE's Kate text editor.

Current page: Presentation and collaboration tools

Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox

Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.

Shashank Sharma is a trial lawyer in Delhi, India. Long before his foray into the world of litigation, he started his career by writing about Linux and open source software. Over the years, Shashank has also written various articles and reviews for TechRadar Pro, covering web hosting providers and website builder tools.

Adobe Photoshop Express (2024) review

Azuga review

Robots could become much better learners thanks to ground-breaking method devised by Dyson-backed research — removing traditional complexities in teaching robots how to perform tasks will make them even more human

Most Popular

  • 2 Can’t wait to stream Prime Video’s Bridgerton rival My Lady Jane? Here are 3 more period dramas to watch now – and one has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes
  • 3 Nintendo Switch Online is getting four new games today, including a Zelda game that was previously near-impossible to play
  • 4 'One of the wildest claims ever heard': Finnish startup says it can speed up any CPU by 100x using a tiny piece of hardware with no recoding — and it might just be true
  • 5 Your Honor season 3 was canceled – here are 3 better Netflix crime dramas with over 95% on Rotten Tomatoes to watch
  • 2 Your Honor season 3 was canceled – here are 3 better Netflix crime dramas with over 95% on Rotten Tomatoes to watch
  • 3 Apple WWDC 2024 keynote as it happened: Apple Intelligence, Siri AI, iOS 18 and much, much more
  • 4 Worried about the DJI drone ban? Fear not – here are the four best DJI alternatives
  • 5 ‘Stretching needs to be a crucial part of your life’ – flexibility expert recommends these three stretches to ‘hit the whole body’

linux tools for presentation

Logo

The Best PowerPoint Alternatives for Linux - DesignLinux

If you are a Linux user and looking for the best PowerPoint alternative (either desktop or web-based), you have come to the right place. In this article, you will find a brief overview of some interesting presentation applications that can be natively installed on a Linux distribution or used online via the browser.

[ You might also like: The Top 5 Open-Source Microsoft 365 Alternatives for Linux ]

They may vary in terms of functionality and usability but they have one important thing in common – they all are available free of charge, so everyone can make use of them to create presentations.

On this page

  • Open-Source Desktop Software for Linux
  • Proprietary Desktop Software for Linux
  • Online Presentation Tools for Linux

Part 1. Open-Source Desktop Software

Here we will discuss all open-source desktop software for Linux.

LibreOffice Impress

Almost every article about PowerPoint alternatives for Linux that you can find on the Internet starts with LibreOffice Impress , and ours is not an exception. This presentation tool forms part of the famous LibreOffice suite distributed under LGPLv3 (GNU Lesser General Public License). The given software is remarkably similar to its Microsoft rival, so the vast majority of Linux users choose it daily for creating, editing, and sharing presentations.

LibreOffice Impress

Apart from the different approaches to the UI, the daylight between the two programs is not so noticeable and includes the ability to export presentations in video formats or the use of animated diagrams. In terms of the main features, LibreOffice Impress is a worthy alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint. It allows you to use a large number of transition effects between slides, leave notes, insert images and chats of different types, export presentations as SWF (Shower Adobe Flash).

LibreOffice Impress saves presentations in OpenDocument format and is compatible with PowerPoint files, making it easy to edit, open, or save any presentation that has been created with the Microsoft app. Its wide range of viewing modes as well built-in templates let you create presentations with ease. You can make use of various drawing tools and even export your work in different formats, including PDF.

Install the latest version of the LibreOffice suite for your Linux distribution here .

Calligra Stage

Another decent PowerPoint alternative for Linux users is Calligra Stage . It’s a presentation application that forms part of the Calligra office suite, an open-source project that is developed by KDE and based on the KDE Platform. Apart from Stage, the office suite also contains a word processor, a spreadsheet tool, a database manager, and an editor for vector graphics, which makes it a versatile solution designed for various purposes, not only for editing presentations.

Calligra Stage

With Stage , you can create and edit presentations and slides in the same way as Impress or PowerPoint . A huge amount of ready-to-use templates lets you create something impressive quickly and without too much effort. The graphical interface is not very different from what you are used to. The slide list on the left and some editing options are located on the right. You can choose between different default layouts such as title and text, two columns, graphics, or images.

Stage allows you to use all kinds of transitions that can be previewed while editing the presentation. Moreover, each transition has different alternatives. Calligra Stage uses the OpenDocument file format, which makes it compatible with other ODF supporting applications, like LibreOffice Impress or OpenOffice Impress. The application also works with Microsoft PowerPoint files.

Download the latest version of the Calligra office suite for your Linux distribution here .

ONLYOFFICE Presentation Editor

Less famous than LibreOffice Impress or OpenOffice Impress , ONLYOFFICE Presentation Editor is one more good option for Linux users who need a presentation application. It forms part of the ONLYOFFICE suite that is freely distributed under AGPL v.3 (GNU Affero General Public License).

The solution is natively compatible with OOXML formats, which makes it a decent PowerPoint alternative. ODF formats are also supported, so you can open and edit presentations created with other programs.

ONLYOFFICE Presentation Editor

ONLYOFFICE Presentation Editor has an intuitive tabbed interface. All editing and formatting features are grouped into tabs on the top toolbar, and you can easily switch between them depending on what you need at the moment. If you have some experience in working with PowerPoint, you will find it easy to get used to ONLYOFFICE.

When editing a presentation, you can add ready-to-use transitions between slides and various objects, like images, Text Art, shapes, and chats. The Presenter View mode lets you add notes and switch to any slide with a click. You also have access to third-party plugins that enhance the basic functionality. For example, the Photo Editor allows you to edit images without leaving the application, and the YouTube plugin makes it possible to add videos from the corresponding website.

If you need to collaborate on presentations with other users in real-time, you can connect ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors to a cloud platform (the available options are ONLYOFFICE, Seafile, ownCloud, or Nextcloud). Once connected, the desktop app brings in some collaborative features — you can track edits made by your co-authors, leave comments for them right in the text, and communicate in the built-in chat.

Download the latest version of the ONLYOFFICE suite for your Linux distribution here .

Part 2. Proprietary Desktop Software

Here we will discuss all proprietary desktop software for Linux.

SoftMaker FreeOffice Presentations

FreeOffice Presentations is an application for creating and editing slides that comes as a part of the FreeOffice suite developed by SoftMaker. Basically, it’s the freeware version of the commercial office suite for personal and business use, so it’s delivered with limited functionality. Despite this fact, the software has a decent range of features that help you make your presentations eye-catching.

SoftMaker FreeOffice

When it comes to the user interface, you are offered to choose between two options. If you prefer the traditional PowerPoint interface, you can opt for the same look with classical menus and toolbars. However, if you like the Ribbon style, which is typical of the latest versions of the Microsoft app, you can select the corresponding option in the settings.

The application is compatible with PowerPoint because it opens and saves PPT and PPTX presentations, including password-protected files. However, compatibility is not 100% complete – some PowerPoint animations and transitions don’t work as properly as they are intended.

When using FreeOffice Presentations , you can choose from a vast array of default design templates to get your work done quickly. Just like PowerPoint, the app allows you to add multimedia objects, drawings, pictures, shapes, and Text Art into your slides.

Download the latest version of the FreeOffice suite by SoftMaker for your Linux distribution here .

WPS Office Presentation

The developers of WPS Office claim that their software is the best Microsoft Office alternative . Believe it or not, the free version of this office suite includes three programs that can be used instead of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel — Writer, Presentation, and Spreadsheets respectively. It also offers a free PDF editor, which is not typical of other office packages.

WPS Office Presentation

The main advantage of WPS Presentation is excellent compatibility with PowerPoint files. Although the default file format is DPS, the application opens and saves both PPT and PPTX. This makes it possible to work with presentations received from other people and then save them directly to WPS Office with full confidence that other users will be able to open them without any problems.

WPS Presentation is very similar to PowerPoint. Its tabbed interface allows you to view your presentations slide by slide without having to open several windows, which is very convenient. Such an approach lets you view all the available templates in the My WPS tab.

When working with presentations in different formats, you will find out that some features are missing. For example, the app doesn’t export to HTML, SWF, and SVG. Of course, you can export your presentations to PDF but the output files will contain watermarks. This is one of the limitations of the free version. The others include sponsored ads that can be removed by switching to the premium version.

Download the latest version of the WPS Office suite for your Linux distribution here .

Part 3. Online Presentation Tools

Here we will discuss all online presentation tools for Linux.

Canva – Graphic Design Platform

Canva is a web-based tool that is gaining more and more attention from users today. It is an easy-to-use online program for creating images and content for social networks, advertisements, and designs for print materials.

Canva - Graphic Design Platform

Canva can also be used to make presentations based on a wast gallery of templates. The most outstanding feature of this software is its ability to create branded photo filters.

The tool allows you to create a customized template for your presentation with a corporate logo if necessary. In addition, you can share it with your team so they can use it as a default design for their own presentations. You can edit your content from anywhere: on your mobile device, tablet, or computer.

One drawback is that the free options are limited so if you need to create a more complex and elaborate presentation, you may need to purchase the paid option. However, even the free version offers plenty of templates, images, and fonts that you can use to create impressive content right in your browser.

Visme is a web-based application designed for creating different kinds of content. Apart from traditional presentations, you can use this tool to make infographics, social media graphics, videos, and animations regardless of the operating system that is running on your PC. Its interface is quite similar to PowerPoint although the developers have managed to simplify the user experience thanks to more intuitive navigation.

Visme - Graphic Design Tool

Even so, you should take your time to discover all the customization options it offers. The platform has a wide mage gallery and useful infographic elements with which you can add to make your presentations more dynamic.

The app allows you to share or download your presentation with a single click, publish it online or use it offline; you can even make it private for internal use. There is no desktop client for Linux but all the features are available via the browser.

Genial.ly is probably one of the best alternatives to the classic PowerPoint that are available online. With this tool, you can create interactive content using all kinds of resources that can be accessed from a free account. Used by design professionals mainly, it also finds wide application in the field of education. Genial.ly is ideal for university or school presentations and you can use it free of charge, although there are payment plans, too.

Genial - Create Stunning Presentations

Once registered, you will have access to all the available options – infographics, reports, guides, gamification, presentations. You can choose from all kinds of presentations with animated and interactive elements and you can also use a template if you don’t want to start from scratch.

When you choose a template, you can select the pages you want to use. These pages can be personalized with your own texts, images, and design elements. To make your presentation more visually appealing, you can add icons, shapes, illustrations, charts, and even maps.

This article briefly reviews some of the best alternatives for Microsoft PowerPoint, both desktop and web-based. What is your favorite solution? Let us know in the comments section below!

12 Open Source Linux Desktop Environments of 2021

How to install latest xfce desktop in ubuntu and fedora.

linux tools for presentation

A command-line presentation app with purpose

Command line – impressive.

© Lead Image © Feng Yu, Fotolia.com

© Lead Image © Feng Yu, Fotolia.com

Contrary to conventional wisdom, a command-line presentation app can be easy to use. Impressive does just that and gives you more flexibility to boot.

Called on to do a presentation, most Linux users will reach for LibreOffice's Impress. Impress is a thoroughly modern slide show app, comparable to Microsoft PowerPoint, and more than enough for most purposes. So why would anyone use a command-line presentation app like Impressive [1] ?

The answer is simple: Impress and PowerPoint slide shows have limited options for design or presentation. By contrast, Impressive offers users more formatting options. Impressive also has a small, but effective set of practical tools to make a presentation more effective.

A large part of Impressive's advantage is that slides can be any shape or size, with any design elements a user chooses. Impressive slides can be made in any app, from LibreOffice to Krita, and then saved in a graphics format to a common directory and named numerically or alphabetically. Alternatively, the slides can be placed one per page in a single PDF file. Since Impressive was originally designed for use with PDFs, they work most efficiently if you choose to customize, but any common graphics format will do. The slide show can be run by pointing the command to the directory that contains the files:

If you are using separate files, point to their directory rather than a file name.

Options can be added from the command line, or, more efficiently, each slide can be formatted differently by adding a configuration file to the slides' directory. The page properties file can be copied, of course, for use with another slide show.

Command-Line Options

If you design your slides carefully, you might be completely satisfied running Impressive without any options. However, if you like to tinker and improve your presentations, Impressive offers dozens of options.

To start, Impressive offers several options for administrative purposes. If you are running it on a machine with limited memory, you might want to set the --cache MODE ( -c ) option. By default, Impressive loads all slides and zoom views into memory for faster use, but you can turn the cache off by completing the option with none , use a disk file as a cache with disk , or store slides in a smaller format in the cache with compressed . Another way to reduce the memory demand is to add --noback ( -b ) to prevent Impressive from rendering slides in the background.

Other administrative options perform a variety of tasks. For example, instead of running the slide show, --output DIRECTORY ( -o ) copies each slide in .png format, which is useful when posting the presentation online.

When Impressive runs, the default is a full-screen display, but that is not the only option. Using --aspect X:Y ( -A ), you can set the window dimensions in pixels. Another option is to use --half-screen ( -H ) to display only on the right side of the screen, allowing access to other programs. However, slides generally have to be designed specifically for half-screen display.

Other options set how the presentation runs. For instance, --initial-page PAGE ( -i ) sets the starting page, whereas --pages START-END ( -p ) sets a range of pages to display. With some planning, both these options can allow you to create multiple versions of a slide show that are stored in the same directory or file. With --auto SECONDS ( -a ), you can set a presentation to run automatically and, if you choose, to close after the last slide with --autoquit ( -Q ).

As for transitions, Impressive chooses randomly from the enabled effects in default mode. The command impressive --listtrans ( -l ) shows a full list of transition effects, which can be enabled or disabled by a setting in the configuration file (see below). You can also specify which transitions to use with --transition TRANS1, TRANS2... ( -t ). Additionally, you may alter the default of 1,000 milliseconds for the transition duration with --transtime MILLISECONDS ( -T ) ( Figure 1 ).

linux tools for presentation

Finally, Impressive includes options to change what displays on the screen around the slides. Although the Impressive logo only displays while slides are being cached, you can disable it with --nologo . You can also add an indicator of your current location in a presentation with --page-progress . Similarly, with --minute ( -M ), Impressive shows an onscreen clock while a slide show is running.

These are only some of the most useful options for the command, with at least half as many more, so browsing the man page pays off. However, be aware that some Ubuntu versions of Impressive appear to be compiled with some of the options listed in the man page omitted.

Creating and Storing Customizations

As you might guess, an Impressive command can become rather long and cumbersome to type if you customize heavily. Although you can always retrieve a command from the history, a more efficient way to keep commands simple is to create a configuration file. This configuration file has the same name as the slide or the PDF file containing the slide show, except for its .info extension. The file is a Python script, which is read automatically when Impressive is run with the slides in the same directory. It can contain three different forms of customization: global options that apply to all slides, custom keybindings, and page properties. Many of the possible settings in all three categories correspond to the command options, although not all.

Global options change Impressive's default settings. Instead of editing the defaults in /usr/bin/impressive ( Figure 2 ) – which requires root privileges – you can override them for a particular presentation only. For example, entering Verbose=True means that Impressive outputs more information about what it is doing, and you could change the pixel dimension of the screen size by setting ScreenHeight= and Screenwidth= .

linux tools for presentation

Another use for global options is to set the transitions that are assigned randomly. For example, if you wanted to avoid using the transition WipeBlobs , you would include the setting AvailableTransitions.remove(WipeBlobs) . By contrast, to add SlideUp and SlideDown to the enabled transitions (those marked by an asterisk when you use the -l option), you would include:

Should you decide to use only Crossfade as a transition, you can simply enter:

Impressive includes a set of default keybindings for use when running a presentation. However, you can also add your own in the configuration file, creating a permanent version of the --bind ( -e ) option. Custom bindings consist of an event (i.e., a key or a mouse button to use) and an action (the effect of the event). For example, a=fullscreen toggles the full-screen display. A few keybinding actions can be used to set the entire presentation's behavior; for example, if you were having trouble with some keys behaving properly, you could use clearall to remove all keybindings, which would allow you to continue running the slide show with the mouse. A complete set of events is listed in the manual [2] .

Perhaps Impressive's strongest feature is the ability to set each slide's behavior individually. Individual slide properties are defined one per line in a section of the configuration file called PageProps . Definitions for each page are grouped in curly brackets, as are the entire set of page properties. As with other customizations, the available features correspond closely to the command options, and a complete listing is given in the manual. Listing 1 shows the formatting and illustrates some of the possible uses for customization.

PageProps Customization

Running a Presentation

When giving a presentation with Impressive, you might want to experiment until you get the your desired settings in the command so that it is stored in your history. Remember that options specified in the command will override those given as global or page properties.

Impressive has a full set of keyboard shortcuts. To advance the presentation one slide, click the left mouse button; to go back one slide, click the right mouse button. Press the L key to return to the previously displayed page, or Tab to change the overview page that displays all the slides as thumbnails, which lets you navigate to any slide by clicking it with the mouse ( Figure 3 ).

linux tools for presentation

You can draw the audience's attention to a part of a slide in several ways. To start, the Z key toggles a single zoom in. More specifically, you can hold the left mouse button and drag the cursor to create a highlight box. A slide can have more than one highlight box, which can be closed by right-clicking inside the box. Similarly, when holding the Ctrl key and the left mouse button simultaneously, you can create a box to zoom into, allowing your audience to see complex diagrams more clearly, and then return to the original view by pressing the Esc key. Still another tool is a spotlight, which is activated by pressing Enter while moving the cursor. A spotlight's size can be adjusted with the + and - keys. When the presentation is finished, press Q to quit. When you quit the presentation, you can read the statistics about what resources Impressive has run ( Figure 4 ).

linux tools for presentation

1 2 Next »

Buy this article as PDF

Buy linux magazine.

linux tools for presentation

US / Canada

UK / Australia

Related content

The open source Strut tool lets you create slideshows and other presentations quickly and easily – with no compatibility issues.

KeyJnote is a PDF viewer with a difference, adding stylish 3D effects and powerful scripting to support impressive presentations

The Golang package present may be the key to making attractive slide presentations with less work and hassle.

You can whip up great-looking HTML-based presentations that run in a regular browser using just a text editor.

Using Inkscape with the JessyInk add-on helps you to create graphically appealing presentations that can be run in a web browser and are indexable by search engines.

Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters Find Linux and Open Source Jobs Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters

Support our work.

Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

Learn More

SUSE Offers CentOS 7 Spport with Liberty Linux Lite

SUSE's Liberty Linux support offering now includes CentOS 7, which means businesses won't be forced to migrate those servers for some time.

Ubuntu's App Center Finally Supports Local Installs Again

If you regularly download .deb files and would prefer a GUI method of installing, Ubuntu has your back.

AlmaLinux Now Supports Raspberry Pi 5

If you're looking to create with the Raspberry Pi 5 and want to use AlmaLinux as your OS, you're in luck because it's now possible.

Kubuntu Focus Releases New Iterations of Ir14 and Ir16 Laptops

If you're a fan of the Kubuntu Focus laptops or have been waiting for the right time to purchase one, that time might be now.

NixOS 24.05 Is Ready for Prime Time

The latest release of NixOS (Uakari) has arrived and offers its usual reproducible, declarative, and reliable goodness.

Linux Lite 7.0 Officially Released

Based on Ubuntu 24.04 and kernel 6.8, Linux Lite version 7 now offers more options than ever.

KaOS Linux 2024.05 Adds Bcachfs Support and More

With updates all around, KaOS Linux now includes support for the bcachefs file system.

TUXEDO Computers Unveils New Iteration of the Stellaris Laptop Line

The Stellaris Slim 15 is the 6th generation and includes either an AMD or Intel CPU

KDE Releases Plasma 6.0.5

The latest release of the Plasma desktop has arrived with several improvements and the usual bug fixes.

Gnome OS Adopting systemd-sysupdate

Gnome OS is about to undergo a major under-the-hood change that promises enhanced security.

How to Create Lightweight Slideshow Presentations in Your Linux Terminal

4

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

I Tried Android 15 on My Pixel 8: Here Are My Favorite Features

How to hide your steam activity, 6 ai tools to easily get rid of background noise in your audio or video recording.

Slideshow presentations are an essential and unavoidable part of corporate and academic life thanks to their ability to help you plan and structure the dissemination of information to your audience.

But snazzy graphics and transition effects can be a distraction from the core information, with the effort you put into making a visually appealing PowerPoint better spent elsewhere.

Slides is a terminal-based presentation tool for Linux that processes Markdown files—helping you to create and present slideshows without ever leaving your terminal!

Slideshows Are an Essential Business Tool

A rather dull looking slideshow presentation

When you need to impart vital data or instructions to a group of disengaged and disinterested employees or students at 9 am on a Monday, nothing works better than presenting a slideshow .

It requires minimal participation from the audience, and you can organize your presentation in a structured, logical way. Unlike a video presentation, it's easy to build breakpoints into a slideshow, so you can test your audience's engagement as they yawn, stretch, and doodle on notepads.

You can enhance the value of a slideshow with handouts—allowing slides to be inwardly digested after the show is over.

Why Use a Terminal-Based Slideshow

cowsay Terminals are cool

A big drawback of traditional slideshows built using programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides is that they can be distracting for both audience and the author.

When putting a slideshow together, there's a temptation to use background images to enliven the otherwise dull text. You can spend hours deciding on the correct font family, weight, and placement.

Is it better to have the first slide gently fade into the second, or to have the entire presentation progress by way of zooms, wipes, flips, and dissolve effects?

The result is often a mess of clutter that takes too long to create and nauseates viewers.

Slides helps you avoid all of these problems. The font is your terminal font, there are no distracting transitions, and while it is possible to display images if your terminal supports them, it's not a primary feature.

Best of all, you create your slideshow using Markdown, a straightforward, easy-to-understand markup language, which can be rapidly mastered to produce beautiful and simple formatted text on Linux.

How to Install Slides on Linux

Slides is written in Google's Go language, and you'll need to have Go installed on your system before you start.

If your system supports snap packages, you can easily install Go with:

Then, you can use Go to install Slides:

Slides is also present in the Arch User Repository (AUR) . To add it this way, enter:

While Slides is present in the Snap Store, if you install it using snap, you'll run into problems when executing code. If you don't plan on using this feature, you can install Slides as a snap with the following:

You're now ready to create a slideshow.

Use Slides to Create an Awesome Terminal Slideshow

slide from terminal slideshow

Creating a terminal-based slideshow is simple with Slides, and every directive to run the show can be contained within a single Markdown file. Here's why you should learn Markdown even if you're not using Slides.

To begin, use the nano text editor to create a new Markdown file:

In the file start writing the contents of your first slide, remembering to use standard Markdown conventions. Take advantage of standard Markdown features such as headings, bold and italic text, bullet points, numbered lists, tables, code blocks, quotes, and more!

When you're ready to move to the next slide, insert a triple dash on a new line.

As with all good presentations, it's best to follow some basic guidelines, and to follow the KISS principle: Keep It Simple, Stupid.

In practice, this means not trying to ram a complete essay into the eyeballs of your audience.

  • Points should be brief
  • Talk about your slide contents—don't just read them aloud
  • Summarize with a take-home message

You can start the slideshow by entering:

Slides also allows you to get up to some programmatic hi-jinks, and insert code blocks into your Markdown. Slides supports a wide variety of languages including JavaScript, Bash, Python, Elixir, and Go.

A code block is bracketed by two sets of three backticks, with the name of the language immediately following the first set.

To execute the code and show the result, just press Ctrl + E . If you want Slides to pre-process the code, wrap it in three tildes inside the code block, and change the location of the language. For instance:

...will display the current weather conditions in Chicago as part of the presentation.

For pre-processing to work, you'll need to make the file executable before passing it to Slides:

Additional Slides Options

As slides are written in Markdown, you can use the front matter at the very beginning of the file to set additional configuration options.

This front matter is again surrounded by three hyphens. For example:

The "theme" option allows you to specify a Glamour theme to prettify and style your terminal.

Using "author" allows you to set an author for the slideshow. By default, the author is set to the current user.

With "date", you can set the date. By default, this will be set to today's date.

You can set up Slides to serve slideshows over SSH with:

You will be given a port to connect to. This is usually 53531. Connect to the show with:

Brush Up on Your Public Speaking

Creating a beautiful, concise, and engaging slideshow presentation can go a long way toward getting your message across. Still, your preparation will count for naught if your delivery skills aren't up to scratch.

Learn to articulate your thoughts properly, and brush up on the best ways to address an audience with confidence, so your message goes across perfectly.

Navigation Menu

Search code, repositories, users, issues, pull requests..., provide feedback.

We read every piece of feedback, and take your input very seriously.

Saved searches

Use saved searches to filter your results more quickly.

To see all available qualifiers, see our documentation .

  • Notifications You must be signed in to change notification settings

Terminal based presentation tool

maaslalani/slides

Folders and files.

NameName
254 Commits
development development

Repository files navigation

Slides in your terminal.

Installation

Homebrew

Nixpkgs (unstable)

Any linux distro running snapd.

From source:

You can also download a binary from the releases page.

Create a simple markdown file that contains your slides:

Checkout the example slides .

Then, to present, run:

If given a file name, slides will automatically look for changes in the file and update the presentation live.

slides also accepts input through stdin :

Go to the first slide with the following key sequence:

Go to the next slide with any of the following key sequences:

  • number + any of the above (go forward n slides)

Go to the previous slide with any of the following key sequences:

  • number + any of the above (go back n slides)

Go to a specific slide with the following key sequence:

Go to the last slide with the following key:

To quickly jump to the right slide, you can use the search function.

Press / , enter your search term and press Enter ( The search term is interpreted as a regular expression. The /i flag causes case-insensitivity. ).

Press ctrl+n after a search to go to the next search result.

Code Execution

If slides finds a code block on the current slides it can execute the code block and display the result as virtual text on the screen.

Press ctrl+e on a slide with a code block to execute it and display the result.

Pre-processing

You can add a code block with three tildes ( ~ ) and write a command to run before displaying the slides, the text inside the code block will be passed as stdin to the command and the code block will be replaced with the stdout of the command. Wrap the pre-processed block in three backticks to keep proper formatting and new lines.

The above will be pre-processed to look like:

For security reasons, you must pass a file that has execution permissions for the slides to be pre-processed. You can use chmod to add these permissions.

Configuration

slides allows you to customize your presentation's look and feel with metadata at the top of your slides.md .

This section is entirely optional, slides will use sensible defaults if this section or any field in the section is omitted.
  • theme : Path to json file containing a glamour theme , can also be a link to a remote json file which slides will fetch before presenting.
  • author : A string to display on the bottom-left corner of the presentation view. Defaults to the OS current user's full name. Can be empty to hide the author.
  • date : A string that is used to format today's date in the YYYY-MM-DD format. If the date is not a valid format, the string will be displayed. Defaults to YYYY-MM-DD .
  • paging : A string that contains 0 or more %d directives. The first %d will be replaced with the current slide number and the second %d will be replaced with the total slides count. Defaults to Slide %d / %d . You will need to surround the paging value with quotes if it starts with % .

Date format

Given the date January 02, 2006 :

Value Translates to
2006
06
January
Jan
01
1
02
2

Slides is accessible over ssh if hosted on a machine through the slides serve [file] command.

On a machine, run:

Then, on another machine (or same machine), ssh into the port specified by the slides serve [file] command:

You will be able to access the presentation hosted over SSH! You can use this to present with slides from a computer that doesn't have slides installed, but does have ssh . Or, let your viewers have access to the slides on their own computer without needing to download slides and the presentation file.

Alternatives

Credits : This project was heavily inspired by lookatme .

Development

See the development documentation

Code of conduct

Security policy, releases 17, sponsor this project, contributors 38.

  • Makefile 0.2%

Using Linux for Presentations Mini-HOWTO

Introduction and motivation.

  • Contributors

Software for Creating and Presenting Slides

  • Dedicated presentation programs
  • HTML browser-based solutions
  • Tips and Tools for HTML presentations
  • SVG browser-based solutions
  • PDF presentations
  • Tips and Tools for PDF presentations

The Moment of Truth: Connecting to the Projector

  • Remote Presentation Devices
  • Sharing Your Slides
  • Some Conclusions (opinions)
  • Other Resources

Contributors:

Presentation tool roundup:, dedicated presentation programs.

App
Strengths
Weaknesses


).


(formerly KeyJNote)
ApplixWare Presents

Browser/HTML based solutions

App
Strengths
Weaknesses
 
 
 

Tips and Tools for HTML Presentations:

  • Firefox has a fullscreen mode : press F11 to toggle in and out.  You still need to maximize the window; and you'll still see a titlebar and your windowmanager's panel, if any. You can turn them off with View->Toolbars->Navigation Controls
  • Make a separate mozilla profile to use for giving presentations, so you can hide the urlbar and so forth without affecting your normal mozilla environment. Then you can add an entry to your panel or menu system to call: mozilla -P presenter (substitute your profile name).
  • Some ways to advance to the next slide with a one-key command:
  • Easy way (requires no fancy html or javascript): go through all the pages in order before the presentation, then go back to the first one and use alt-rightarrow to advance.
  • CSS to make your presentation all one document, one slide per page (then use spacebar and page up/down keys to move around).  Disadvantage: shows a scrollbar.
  • Use page accesskeys and light javascript, then you can move around with keys like alt-N and alt-P, as in this Bugzilla Fosdem talk by Gervase Markham .  Note, this may not work well if you rebind your mozilla accel key .
  • Use heavier javascript, so you can trap keys like spacebar, forward and back arrows, and page up/down. You can do this with your slides all in separate HTML files, like in this example by the author ; or you can put them all in one big file, as with this Bitflux Fosdem Talk or with Meyer Web's S5 .
  • If you're dying for effects like bullets scrolling in from the side, that's easily done with Javascript.  More complicated animations are probably best done in mng or animated gif (create with gimp , image magick or gifsicle ).  There are supposedly free flash creation tools , but I've never figured them out myself.
  • A useful collection of slides from presentations using mozilla can be found at the eu.mozdev.org fosdem site .

Browser/SVG based solutions

App
Strengths
Weaknesses
 
 

PDF-based and other solutions

App
Strengths
Weaknesses
PDF viewers such as xpdf, evince, the non-free acroread, etc.
any image viewer (I'm partial to since I wrote it, but there are lots of choices, such as ee and xv).

Tips and Tools for PDF presentations:

  • LaTeX has tools for producing slides, such as LaTeX Beamer . LaTeX can be converted to PS,  PDF or HTML. See this latex2pdf page for some suggestions, and here's a tutorial for making slides in latex .
  • You can produce PDF slides with packages such as Seminar , Prosper , foiltex , or SliTeX , or using XML combined with a system like AxPoint or ReportLab's PythonPoint ).
  • pspresent is a tool for presenting postscript slides.
  • Here's a good tutorial for Prosper , with some simple example slides.  Reading the examples that come with Prosper are also helpful.

Remote Presenter Devices

A note on sharing slides, some conclusions (warning, personal opinion).

  • For my own presentations, I prefer using HTML and Firefox. I already have the tools, I already know html, and I like being able to put the presentation on the web without doing any extra work.
  • People used to powerpoint and gui tools might be happiest with KPresenter -- the UI is a bit rough but it is flexible and wysiwyg
  • People who already work with latex and pdf will probably prefer that format for presentations.
  • People who need to be compatible with powerpoint (perhaps because it's required at the company or conference where the presentation will be made, because they can use the standard company templates, or when writing a presentation for a windows user) will probably prefer Open Office, but stay away from fancy effects.

Other resources

  • Conference Presentation Judo , a wonderfully helpful (and funny) slide set on how to give better presentations
  • From PowerPoint to MagicPoint , a tutorial on MagicPoint.
  • The Presentation HOWTO is a useful guide to organizing content for a presentation to LUGs and conferences.
  • ThinkQuest: Reading Great Speeches, Making Great Speeches
  • It's the Story, Stupid: Don't let Presentation Software Keep You From GettingYour Story Across
  • Presentation Boot Camp (or "Keeping the hecklers at bay")
  • Open Source Software
  • Business Software
  • For Vendors
  • SourceForge Podcast
  • Site Documentation
  • Subscribe to our Newsletter
  • Support Request

Open Source Linux Presentation Software

  • Most Popular
  • Last Updated

Presentation Software for Linux

Browse free open source Presentation software and projects for Linux below. Use the toggles on the left to filter open source Presentation software by OS, license, language, programming language, and project status.

Chart.js

Simple yet flexible JavaScript charting for designers & developers

JFreeChart

Lyric projection and chord charts for church musicians

Diagram and flowchart generation from text similar to markdown

impress.js

Presentation framework based on CSS3 transforms & transitions

Psychology Experiment Building Language

Psychology Experiment Building Language

PhotoFilmStrip

PhotoFilmStrip

Linpha php photo gallery, the latex beamer class.

Cleaver

30-second slideshows for hackers

Impressive

softProjector

Leader badge

CasparCG: Pro Video & Graphics Play-Out

Pro Video & Graphics Play-Out SW, proven in 24/7 broadcasts since 2006

LibVNCServer

backslide

CLI tool for making HTML presentations with Remark.js using Markdown

Album Shaper

PDF Clown

General-Purpose PDF Library for Java and .NET

PDF Presenter

PDF Presenter

Ploticus data display utility, tgif - a vector-based 2d drawing tool.

Leader badge

PHP Pdf creation - R&OS

  • You're on page 1

Related Searches

linux tools for presentation

How-To Geek

These linux tools increased my command-line productivity: here’s how.

4

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Quick Links

Have you ever felt like you’re not getting the most out of your Linux terminal? Well, you’re not alone. Over the years, I've found several Linux tools that have transformed my workflow and improved my command-line productivity. Let's take a look at my list of Linux power-ups.

tmux multiplexer window with horizontal and vertical pane

tmux is a terminal multiplexer, similar to GNU Screen, which lets you start a session and open several windows within it. Each window takes up the full screen and can be divided into rectangular sections. For example, you can have one session for fixing bugs, another for writing code, and a third for monitoring system logs.

With tmux, you can detach and reattach sessions, which is very useful when you need to step away from your computer or switch between different devices. Additionally, tmux sessions are persistent, meaning that programs will continue running even if you remove yourself from the session.

It also offers a wide range of key bindings for a seamless experience, along with customizable options and appearances for individual terminals. You can enhance tmux by using Oh my tmux! and various themes .

To install tmux on Ubuntu and Debian-based distros, run the following command:

sudo apt install tmux

To get it on CentOS/Fedora, run this:

sudo yum install tmux

For Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S tmux

To start a tmux session, type tmux in your console. This opens a new session, creates a window, and starts a shell in that window.

Terminal window showing simplified discriptions of tee command using tldr

Want to access simplified manual pages for your favorite commands with concise and easy-to-understand explanations? Try tldr (Too Long; Didn't Read).

While the traditional Linux man pages can be a valuable resource, they can also be overwhelming and difficult to navigate, especially for less experienced users. tldr solves this problem by providing simplified, community-driven man-pages for various Linux commands and utilities.

For example, let's consider that you're trying to remember the exact syntax for a command you haven't used in a while. Instead of going through a lengthy man page, you can simply type tldr <command name> and get a concise explanation of the command's purpose, options, and basic usage. This saves you valuable time and allows you to focus on getting things done.

You can install tldr on Ubuntu or other Debian-based distros easily.

sudo apt install tldr

To get it on CentOS or Fedora Linux, run:

sudo dnf install tldr

sudo pacman -S tldr

A terminal window with the Vim text editor open

If you haven't explored Vim yet, you're missing out on a highly effective text editor. Vim (Vi IMproved) is a highly customizable text editor that's been popular among Linux users for a long time. At first, it might seem difficult, but as you learn how to use it, you’ll find it’s a very effective tool for editing code, configuration files, and other text documents.

For instance, let's say you want to edit a large configuration file on a remote server. With Vim, you can connect to the server, open the file, and make edits efficiently, even with a slow internet connection. Its modal editing allows you to move around the file, copy, paste, and manipulate text without ever needing to take your fingers off the keyboard.

If Vim is not pre-installed on your system, you can install it from your distro's repositories.

To install Vim on Ubuntu, run:

sudo apt install vim

You can install Vim on CentOS or Fedora:

sudo dnf install vim

sudo pacman -S vim

The terminal window displaying system information using fastfetch tool

Do you want to view system information with lightning speed and accuracy? Look no further than Fastfetch . With Fastfetch, you can display detailed information about your system, including CPU, memory, disk usage, kernel version, uptime, and even CPU architecture. It is one of the widely used alternatives to Neofetch .

Viewing system information with Fastfetch can be useful for troubleshooting, system administration, or just keeping track of what’s on your machine.

Instead of having to run multiple commands or navigate through complex system information tools, you can simply type fastfetch in the terminal and get a clean, concise, and visually appealing display of all the key details.

Fastfetch isn't included in the default software repositories for Debian or Ubuntu. To get it on Ubuntu or Debian-based distros, you first need to add its PPA repository:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:zhangsongcui3371/fastfetch

Now, install Fastfetch with:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install fastfetch

You can get Fastfetch on Fedora or CentOS by running:

sudo dnf install fastfetch

To install Fastfetch on Arch Linux, run:

sudo pacman -S fastfetch

fzf , short for Fuzzy Finder, is another useful command-line tool that enables you to quickly find and navigate through files, directories, command history, and more. It's much faster and easier to use than traditional commands like find or grep , which can be slow and difficult with large file systems or complicated searches.

fzf lets you locate what you need with just a few keystrokes. It uses fuzzy matching, meaning you don't have to remember the exact name—just type a word, and fzf will present you with a list of relevant options.

You can search for a file by its name and contents, and open the selected file in your preferred text editor. You can also list installed packages and search for a specific one using fzf.

For example, to search for all the packages related to LibreOffice , run this command:

dpkg --get-selections | fzf --query 'libreoffice'

searching libreoffice package in installed packages list using fzf tool

You can install fzf on Debian-based distributions or Ubuntu using this:

sudo apt install fzf

For RHEL/CentOS/Fedora, use:

sudo dnf install fzf

sudo pacman -S fzf

bat is a modern alternative to the traditional cat command . With bat, you can quickly view and understand the contents of text files, especially those with complex formatting or syntax. The built-in syntax highlighting feature makes it much easier to quickly scan and identify the different components of a file, such as code, comments, and configuration settings.

Here is what a Python file looks like when opened with bat in the terminal:

displaying python file code with bat tool in terminal

With cat, it would appear as a plain block of text, making it difficult to distinguish between different sections and elements. By switching to bat, you get syntax highlighting, allowing you to quickly grasp the structure and scope of the content.

To install bat on Debian-based distros like Ubuntu, run:

sudo apt install bat

To get it on Fedora or CentOS, use:

sudo dnf install bat

sudo pacman -S bat

On Ubuntu and Debian, you need to use the batcat command instead of bat because of a conflict with a package named bacula-console-qt.

However, if you still intend on using bat, there is a workaround you can try. Simply create a symbolic link to batcat with the following commands.

mkdir -p ~/.local/bin

Next, run this:

ln -s /usr/bin/batcat ~/.local/bin/bat

Make sure you don't have the bacula-console-qt package installed before doing this. If you use that package often, you'll have to continue using batcat.

The 'Oh My Zsh' splash screen on terminal

What if your command line could be more informative and customizable? That's exactly what Oh My Zsh offers. Oh My Zsh is an open-source Zsh configuration framework that provides a wide range of themes, plugins, and features to enhance your command-line experience.

With Oh My Zsh, you can configure your prompt to show information such as Git branch, current directory, or system load. For instance, you can install plugins for syntax highlighting in your prompt, auto-completion for frequently used commands, and integration with version control systems like Git.

To use Oh My Zsh, you need to have Zsh installed on your Linux system.

Once Zsh is set and installed, you can get Oh My Zsh on Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch Linux, using the curl command :

sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

You can also use the wget command :

sh -c "$(wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh -O -)"

Full htop output interactive process view in Linux Bash terminal

Want to monitor your system's resource usage in a more efficient and visually appealing way? Try htop . You can use htop to view detailed information about your system's CPU, memory, and disk usage. Unlike the classic top command , htop provides a visual representation of resource allocation that makes it easier to identify bottlenecks and diagnose performance issues.

With htop, you can quickly see which processes are consuming the most CPU, memory, or other resources, and then take appropriate actions to optimize or terminate them.

You can install htop on Ubuntu or Debian-based distributions using this command:

sudo apt install htop

To install htop on Fedora/CentOS, run:

sudo dnf install htop

You can get htop on Arch Linux using this:

sudo pacman -S htop

Navigating directories in terminal with zoxide

If you spend a lot of time navigating directories in the command line, then zoxide is for you. zoxide is a fast and efficient alternative to the built-in cd command . It uses a ranking algorithm to keep track of the directories you visit most frequently, allowing you to quickly navigate to them using a simple command.

You also do not need to remember and type out long file paths, rather you can simply type z followed by a few letters of the directory you want to access, and zoxide will automatically take you there.

To install zoxide on Ubuntu or Debian, you can run this:

sudo apt install zoxide

To install zoxide on Fedora/CentOS, use this:

sudo dnf install zoxide

sudo pacman -S zoxide

After installation, you need to add the following command to the end of your config file (usually "~/.bashrc"):

eval "$(zoxide init bash)"

When you install zoxide, start using it normally like the cd command for the first time. It will create a small database on your computer for every folder you visit. It keeps track of how often you visit each folder and the last time you accessed it. This helps zoxide find and open folders faster for you.

That's all! These Linux tools have improved my command-line productivity, and I'm optimistic that they'll do the same for you. Give them a try and explore how they can change your command-line experience!

  • Linux & macOS Terminal

Getting started

This getting started guide is a series of quick topics that show you how to:

  • Install Docker Desktop
  • Develop with containers
  • Build and push your first image

By the end of this guide, you'll have hands-on experience using Docker Desktop and a better understanding of the benefits of containerizing your applications.

Get started by installing Docker Desktop and running your first container.

IMAGES

  1. Beyond PowerPoint: 4 Linux Presentation Tools

    linux tools for presentation

  2. Top 10 Best Presentation Software For Linux Desktop

    linux tools for presentation

  3. Beyond PowerPoint: 4 Linux Presentation Tools

    linux tools for presentation

  4. The 10 Best Presentation Software for Linux in 2020

    linux tools for presentation

  5. presentation software linux

    linux tools for presentation

  6. PPT

    linux tools for presentation

VIDEO

  1. Must-Have Top Linux Apps & Add-Ons PART 2

  2. Linux tooling and chatting

  3. Linux tooling and chatting

  4. Introduction to Basic Linux Commands

  5. Use Linux and It's tools in windows. #wsl #wsllinux #cybersecurity #hacker #ethicalhacking #shorts

  6. Terminal tools potentially useful for Linux computer control

COMMENTS

  1. The 6 best PowerPoint alternatives for Linux users

    6 best PowerPoint alternatives for Linux. 1. LibreOffice Impress. LibreOffice Impress is a highly versatile and feature-rich presentation tool that's part of the LibreOffice suite. It's known for its strong compatibility with Microsoft PowerPoint, making it easy for users to switch between the two. Standout features include a vast selection ...

  2. 8 Best PowerPoint Alternatives for Linux in 2024

    Online Presentation Tools for Linux. Here we will discuss all online presentation tools for Linux. 6. Canva - Graphic Design Platform. Canva is a web-based tool that is gaining more and more attention from users today. It is an easy-to-use online program for creating images and content for social networks, advertisements, and designs for ...

  3. Top 10 Best Presentation Software For Linux Desktop

    Knowing about the features of this software might help you choose a suitable candidate and the best presentation software of Linux for the work. 1. LibreOffice Impress. Regular Linux users often heard the name of this software. Most of the developer calls it the Microsoft office of Linux.

  4. Beyond PowerPoint: 4 Linux Presentation Tools

    What pdftk is to PDF files, SlideCrunch is to presentations. For users who are not allergic to the command-line, this tool is a great way to manage presentations. It can merge files (PDF or SVG) into a slideshow, separate a presentation into individual slides (images), and even create a slidecast with audio narration.

  5. 8 Best Free and Open Source Linux Presentation Software

    LibreOffice Impress. Tool for creating effective multimedia presentations. Calligra Stage. Presentation program for the Calligra Suite. Slides. Terminal based software for writing Markdown to create presentations. Impressive. PDF presentation tool with eye candy. Beamer.

  6. Beyond PowerPoint: 4 Linux Presentation Tools

    Calligra Stage is a presentation tool included in the Calligra Suite, a set of creative applications for Linux. It offers a good alternative to Impress with some unique features. Key features of Calligra Stage include: Multi-monitor support for presenter view. Vector-based graphics for resolution independence.

  7. Slideshow Makers for Linux

    Slideshow presentations can prove to be invaluable visual aids for people attempting to convey complex and nuanced ideas to a large group of people. Scenarios like teaching a class or presenting a business idea or proposal are prime examples of this. From the most used slideshow creators like PowerPoint and Keynote, to freely accessible alternatives such as LibreOffice Impress and Prezi, there ...

  8. 5 Microsoft Powerpoint alternatives for Linux users

    Well, let's find out with the 5 best Microsoft PowerPoint alternatives for Linux users! 1. Libre Office Impress. Libre Office Impress is a complete MS Powerpoint replacement that makes it easy to create presentations and slideshows on Linux, thanks to its similar user interface, and support for various file formats, including Microsoft's ...

  9. Microsoft PowerPoint Alternatives for Linux: Top 10 Presentation Makers

    Other interesting Linux alternatives to Microsoft PowerPoint are OpenBoard Whiteboard, Sozi, Storyboarder and LaTeX Beamer and Prosper. Microsoft PowerPoint alternatives are mainly Presentation Makers but may also be Slideshow Makers or Code Editors. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific ...

  10. 27 Open Source Slideshow Presentation Editors and PowerPoint Alternatives

    1- Sozi. Unlike the classical slideshow presentation, Sozi is an amazing presentation program that allows you to create a catchy zoomable presentation. It is based on open standard and released under the Mozilla Public License 2.0. Sozi can be installed on Linux, Windows, and macOS. It can also be installed using Docker for macOS and Linux.

  11. Spice-up: Open source Standalone Presentation App

    Unlike many presentation software programs that resemble Microsoft PowerPoint, and LibreOffice embedded presentation, Spice-up is a standalone presentation software for Linux systems. It allows you to create presentations that stand out! Spice-Up has everything you need to create simple and beautiful presentations. Get your ideas across with beautiful designed templates,

  12. software recommendation

    2. LibreOffice Impress. Use LibreOffice Impress for create a presentation, it's an default presentation program for Ubuntu. Google Presentation. Google's web application is used to create presentations. NEW !! Microsoft PowerPoint online. Now microsoft office opened on the web !!! Visit this site for PowerPoint online.

  13. 3 open source alternatives to PowerPoint

    Desktop presentation tools provide the closest experience to the traditional PowerPoint experience, both on the design side and the presentation side. If you're just looking to be able to put together some formatted text with a few images, perhaps a transition or two, add a few speaker notes, and be able to email out your presentation to ...

  14. What should I use for presentations on Linux?

    The best compatibility from Linux probably stems from Softmaker. Their software isn't very cheap under Linuxer standards, but the sofware is sound. Another option, if you have a copy of Office that is wine-compatible (i.e. Office 2000 or 2007) and don't mind losing clipart, is to install Office on Wine. The Office EULA permits 2 installation ...

  15. Presentation and collaboration tools

    The presentation app is the Achilles' heel of the Gnome Office suite. There have been several candidates, such as Agnubis and Ease, but none have been developed long enough to compete with other apps.

  16. The Best PowerPoint Alternatives for Linux

    Part 1. Open-Source Desktop Software. Here we will discuss all open-source desktop software for Linux. LibreOffice Impress. Almost every article about PowerPoint alternatives for Linux that you can find on the Internet starts with LibreOffice Impress, and ours is not an exception.This presentation tool forms part of the famous LibreOffice suite distributed under LGPLv3 (GNU Lesser General ...

  17. Command Line

    Contrary to conventional wisdom, a command-line presentation app can be easy to use. Impressive does just that and gives you more flexibility to boot. Called on to do a presentation, most Linux users will reach for LibreOffice's Impress. Impress is a thoroughly modern slide show app, comparable to Microsoft PowerPoint, and more than enough for ...

  18. Best Presentation Software for Linux 2024

    MediaShout is a church presentation software which enables the display of song lyrics, announcements, bibles passages, and almost any type of media file. The solution includes templates, fire buttons, social media integrations, text formatting, editor/presenter views, a sermon builder, and more. Read more about MediaShout.

  19. How to Create Lightweight Slideshow Presentations in Your Linux ...

    To add it this way, enter: yay -S slides. While Slides is present in the Snap Store, if you install it using snap, you'll run into problems when executing code. If you don't plan on using this feature, you can install Slides as a snap with the following: sudo snap install slides. You're now ready to create a slideshow.

  20. GitHub

    # Welcome to Slides A terminal based presentation tool ---## Everything is markdown In fact, this entire presentation is a markdown file. ---## Everything happens in your terminal Create slides and present them without ever leaving your terminal.---## Code execution ``` go package main import " fmt " func main { fmt.Println (" Execute code directly inside the slides ") } ``` You can execute ...

  21. Using Linux for Presentations Mini-HOWTO

    Introduction and Motivation. This Mini-HOWTO is aimed at people who have a laptop running linux, and want to use it to give presentations via a computer screen projector using free software, rather than use proprietary tools such as powerpoint. When I first wrote this HOWTO, I had very little experience presenting slides (though since then I've ...

  22. Best Presentation Software for Linux

    What is Presentation Software for Linux? A presentation software provides the tools to create graphics, text and video in the format of slides with the purpose of supplementing a spoken presentation. Compare and read user reviews of the best Presentation software for Linux currently available using the table below. This list is updated regularly.

  23. Best Open Source Linux Presentation Software 2024

    Impressive is a program that displays PDF presentation slides with style. Smooth alpha-blended slide transitions are provided for the sake of eye candy, but in addition to this, Impressive offers some unique tools that are very useful for presentations. 12 Reviews. Downloads: 79 This Week.

  24. These Linux Tools Increased My Command-Line Productivity: Here's How

    Over the years, I've found several Linux tools that have transformed my workflow and improved my command-line productivity. Let's take a look at my list of Linux power-ups. tmux tmux is a terminal multiplexer, similar to GNU Screen, which lets you start a session and open several windows within it. Each window takes up the full screen and can ...

  25. Getting started

    Get started with Docker. You'll learn about Docker Desktop, developing with Docker, as well as how to build and push your first image.