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1.2 Major Open Source Applications

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LPI Linux Essentials Certificate 010-160

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1 Introduction & Exam Overview

1.1 Current Exam Facts 1.2 Study Strategy & Blueprint Weights

2 Topic 1: The Linux Community and a Career in Open Source

1.1 Linux Evolution and Popular Operating Systems 1.2 Major Open Source Applications 1.3 Open Source Software and Licensing 1.4 ICT Skills and Working in Linux

3 Topic 2 Part A: Command Line Basics & Getting Help

2.1a Bash Shell, Command Syntax & Variables 2.1b Quoting, History & Safe Command Syntax 2.2 Using the Command Line to Get Help

4 Topic 2 Part B: Directories, Listing & File Operations

2.3 Using Directories and Listing Files 2.4 Creating, Moving and Deleting Files

5 Topic 3 Part A: Archiving & Searching Data

3.1 Archiving and Compression on the Command Line 3.2a Pipes, Redirection, and Basic Regular Expressions 3.2b grep and Text Extraction Tools

6 Topic 3 Part B: Turning Commands into Scripts

3.3a Script Basics: Shebang, Variables, and Arguments 3.3b Loops, Exit Status, and Simple Conditionals 3.3c Editors, chmod +x, and Running Scripts

7 Topic 4 Part A: Choosing an OS, Hardware & FHS Basics

4.1 Choosing an Operating System 4.2 Understanding Computer Hardware 4.3a Where Programs and Configuration Live (FHS Basics)

8 Topic 4 Part B: Processes, Logs & Networking

4.3b Processes, Memory & Logs 4.4 Your Computer on the Network

9 Topic 5: Security and File Permissions

5.1 Basic Security and Identifying User Types 5.2 Creating Users and Groups 5.3 Managing File Permissions and Ownership 5.4 Special Directories and Files

1.2 Major Open Source Applications

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

Know major desktop OSS apps: LibreOffice/OpenOffice, Firefox, Thunderbird, and GIMP — and common closed-source workplace equivalents

Server staples include Apache HTTPD, NGINX, MariaDB/MySQL, NFS, and Samba for file services across Linux and Windows clients

Nextcloud and ownCloud provide self-hosted collaboration and file sync as open-source alternatives to proprietary cloud suites

Recognize key languages used in Linux environments: C, Java, JavaScript, Perl, shell, Python, and PHP

  • Package tools map to families: dpkg/apt-get for Debian-family; rpm/yum for Red Hat-family RPM systems
  • Last updated: July 2026

1.2 Major Open Source Applications

Quick Answer: Linux Essentials 1.2 tests recognition of widely used open-source applications — desktop productivity and graphics, collaboration servers like Nextcloud/ownCloud, classic server stacks (web, database, file sharing), common programming languages, and the package tools that install them.

Why Application Awareness Matters

You will not be asked to configure Apache line-by-line on this objective, but you must know what each project is for , which closed-source products it often replaces, and which package tools install software on a given distro family. That knowledge shows up in scenario questions: "Which open-source tool replaces Microsoft Outlook for email?" or "Which server provides SMB shares to Windows PCs?"

Desktop Applications

  • Category Open-source examples Typical closed-source workplace equivalent
  • Office suite LibreOffice , Apache OpenOffice Microsoft Office
  • Web browser Firefox Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge (proprietary builds)
  • Email client Thunderbird Microsoft Outlook
  • Image editing GIMP Adobe Photoshop

LibreOffice and OpenOffice provide word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and related tools. LibreOffice is the more actively referenced suite in modern Linux desktops; OpenOffice remains part of exam vocabulary as a related office project.

Firefox is a major open-source browser. Thunderbird is the companion open-source mail client. GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) handles raster image editing — a frequent "Photoshop equivalent" exam answer.

Trap: do not assume every Linux desktop app is open source. Some commercial applications also run on Linux. Essentials focuses on the well-known FOSS names above.

Collaboration and Self-Hosted Cloud

Nextcloud and ownCloud are open-source platforms for file sync, sharing, calendars, and collaboration that organizations can host themselves. They are often positioned against proprietary SaaS suites when a company wants data residency or open-source stack control.

On the exam, if a scenario emphasizes self-hosted file sharing with an open-source web UI, Nextcloud/ownCloud are stronger answers than "only NFS" or "only email."

Server Applications

  • Role Open-source software What it does
  • Web server Apache HTTPD , NGINX Serve websites and reverse-proxy applications
  • Relational database MariaDB , MySQL Store structured data for apps
  • Unix/Linux file sharing NFS Share filesystems between Unix/Linux systems
  • Cross-platform file/print Samba Provide SMB/CIFS services so Windows clients can use Linux file/print shares

Apache HTTPD and NGINX are the two web servers you must recognize. Many production designs use one or both (for example, NGINX as a reverse proxy in front of an app).

MariaDB is a community-developed database that is highly compatible with MySQL ; exam text may mention either as the open-source database choice versus proprietary database products.

NFS (Network File System) is the classic Linux/Unix network filesystem. Samba speaks the protocols Windows environments expect, making Linux a file/print server for mixed networks.

Programming Languages in the Linux Ecosystem

Essentials expects familiarity with languages commonly used to build and automate on Linux:

  • C — systems programming; large parts of the kernel and many core tools
  • Java — cross-platform enterprise applications
  • JavaScript — web front ends and increasingly server-side tooling
  • Perl — historically strong for text processing and admin scripts
  • Shell (Bash and related shells) — command-line automation and glue scripts
  • Python — scripting, automation, data tools, and many Linux utilities
  • PHP — server-side web applications

You do not need to write programs for this objective. You need to recognize that these languages are part of the open-source/Linux application landscape and that many packages exist to support them.

Package Management Tools

Installing the applications above usually goes through the distro's packaging system:

  • Tool Family / format Typical use
  • dpkg Debian-family, .deb Low-level package install/query
  • apt-get (and apt ) Debian-family High-level install/update with dependency resolution
  • rpm Red Hat/SUSE-family, .rpm Low-level package operations
  • yum (and modern dnf ) Red Hat-family High-level install/update with repositories

Exam pattern: match the tool to the distro family. Ubuntu admin → apt-get / dpkg . CentOS/RHEL admin → yum / rpm . Do not invent a rule that yum installs .deb packages.

Closed-Source Equivalents Awareness

LPI wants career-ready awareness: open-source stacks often replace or coexist with proprietary tools. LibreOffice ↔ Microsoft Office, Thunderbird ↔ Outlook, GIMP ↔ Photoshop, Firefox ↔ commercial browsers, MariaDB/MySQL ↔ proprietary SQL databases, Apache/NGINX ↔ proprietary web stacks, Nextcloud/ownCloud ↔ proprietary cloud file suites, Samba ↔ Windows Server file services in mixed environments.

When a question asks for an open-source alternative , pick the FOSS name — not the proprietary brand.

Language and Stack Pairings You Will See

Exam vignettes often combine a language with a server role. PHP or JavaScript front ends are commonly served by Apache HTTPD or NGINX. Python and shell scripts automate package installs and backups. Java services may still sit behind the same web proxies. Perl remains a valid answer when a question emphasizes classic text-processing admin culture, even if your personal lab prefers Python.

Do not overfit: the objective is recognition, not declaring one language "best." If a question asks which languages are commonly used on Linux systems, any of the listed set (C, Java, JavaScript, Perl, shell, Python, PHP) can appear as a correct multi-select style fact in study materials — on the multiple-choice exam, pick the option that matches the role described.

Putting It Together in a Scenario

A small company runs Ubuntu servers, serves a website with NGINX, stores app data in MariaDB, shares files to Windows laptops with Samba, and gives staff LibreOffice and Firefox on Linux desktops. Package changes use apt-get . Developers write automation in Python and shell, with a legacy reporting script in Perl. That single picture touches almost every bullet in objective 1.2 — practice narrating similar stacks until the names feel automatic.

Opposite trap: a Red Hat shop running yum install httpd for Apache HTTPD is still using open-source server software; only the package tool family changed. Always separate what the application is from how the distro packages it .