Introduction
For many years, website designers have used Apple Macs and the Adobe Suite to create wireframes, site maps, and mock-ups of websites. Even those who use a Windows PC will likely still use the Adobe Suite. But what if there was a free software alternative? In this article, I will be highlighting the best website design and development software for Manjaro Linux.
You may be wondering why I have chosen Manjaro Linux, rather than Ubuntu Linux. The answer to that is very simple. It is my preferred Linux distribution. The main reason I love Manjaro Linux is that it is a rolling distribution. What does this mean? Unlike Ubuntu, which has full system upgrades every 6 months - or 2 years if you use the LTS version of Ubuntu - Manjaro does smaller upgrades more frequently. This matters to me, as more often than not when I have upgraded Ubuntu, it has caused a catastrophic error or affected system devices in a negative way. For example, the internet connection is lost.
Now that you know why I use Manjaro Linux, Let’s have a look at the best website design and development software for Manjaro.
Krita
Available from the official repository.
If you need an alternative to Adobe Photoshop then Krita is the application you want. For a free piece of software, it is surprisingly good. It has all the raster drawing tools you would expect and a vast selection of paintbrushes, so if you want to paint or draw you can do that. You can also touch up photos if painting isn’t your speciality.
GIMP is another popular paint program on Linux but I personally prefer Krita. it is more powerful and has a better laid out interface.
Inkscape
Available from the official repository.
This is the best free alternative to Adobe Illustrator that you’ll find on Manjaro. Unlike Krita which is a raster painting and drawing application, Inkscape is the tool you need for creating and editing vector graphics. If creating illustrations and logos is a big part of your workload then Inkscape is ideal for your needs.
Scribus
Available from the official repository.
Scribus is a desktop publishing tool. So why include it in a web designers list, you may ask? I will usually design website wireframes in Scribus because all I need for that is some lines and text. You could do this in Inkscape or Krita but I find I work faster in Scribus.
WordPress Desktop Client
Available from the official repository.
If you work with WordPress websites on Wordpress.com, rather than using self-hosted websites, then the WordPress Desktop Client may be of use to you. It isn’t a website design tool exactly. It is a cut-down interface that is mainly aimed at writers and bloggers who simply want to publish articles. But if that is what you or your client needs then you can access it in Manjaro.
Darktable
Install via terminal: pacman -S darktable
If you take a lot of photos to use on websites then you probably need a way of organising your collection. Darktable is the best option to do this. However, it does more than simply organise your photos. You can manipulate raw image files, apply filters, embed metadata in photos and tag the images. I personally think it is the best app of its kind and it is free.
DaVinci Resolve
Available from the developer website - blackmagicdesign.com*
If you create videos for your website then look no further than DaVinci Resolve. It is a brilliant video editor and puts many of the paid solutions to shame. The only down point is you will need to download the source files from the developer website and build them via the terminal. However, when you register with the website and get your download, instructions will be provided.
If you want to avoid the complexity of installing DaVinci Resolve then you can use OpenShot. OpenShot lacks the many features of DaVinci but is fine for basic video editing. It is an easy installation from the Manjaro Software repositories.
VLC Media Player
Available from the official repository.
You’ll probably want to view videos you’ve made or edited. VLC Media Player is probably a name you’re familiar with. It is available for Manjaro.
Synfig Studio
Available from the official repository.
If you create 2D animation for your website then Synfig studio could be useful. It allows you to create vector 2D animation, has a clean interface, and runs fast in comparison to other animation applications.
Shutter
Available as a Snap app.
You may need a screenshot tool to add page layouts to your design portfolio or to show clients what you’ve created. Shutter can fill this need. It has tons of features that allow you to manipulate your images or grab portions of the screen. However, you do need to install it via the Snap repository, so you’ll need to install Snap first.
If you do not want to use the Snap repository, there is another screenshot app you can use. It’s simply called Screenshot. It’s a basic app but it can take a screenshot or grab a window, which may be all you need.
ReText
Available from the official repository.
This is my favourite markdown editor for Manjaro. I actually use this to write all my blog posts in markdown. I then export the markdown to an HTML file. Then I simply copy and paste it into the WordPress editor. I could write these posts in HTML but this just makes the process slightly quicker and has a simple interface, aimed at writers, with few distractions. If you know you want to write basic HTML, then this is the tool to use. Stick to Visual Studio Code for more complex HTML.
Vivaldi
Available from the official repository.
Vivaldi is a web browser built on open-source Chromium. It is my favourite web browser as it packs lots of features that you will not find in other browsers. Plus, it still has the web developer tools you find in Chromium. However, if you want to stick to a more familiar browser then Chromium and Firefox are both available in Manjaro too.
Visual Studio Code
Available from the official repository.
You probably already use Visual Studio Code if you write HTML mark-up and CSS on Windows. You might even use the plethora of plug-ins that allow you to write code in PHP, Python or C#. All that functionality can be yours in Manjaro as well. It is the best free code editor you can get. I personally think it is a far superior package to alternatives, such as Atom, Brackets and Sublime Text. Just ensure you search the official software store for ‘VSCode’ as searching for its full name doesn’t display it. Or maybe that is just a glitch on my system.
PyCharm
Available from the official repository.
For those who make websites in Python - PyCharm is a Python IDE. You could also use Visual Studio Code but if you work exclusively with Python then this may be the better option.
FileZilla
Available from the official repository.
You will need an FTP client to upload website files to your web host. FileZilla does this job perfectly. I would be amazed if you were not already familiar with FileZilla. It has been the go-to FTP application for a long time.
VirtualBox
Available from the official repository.
You might want to create virtual machines for various development test servers. You can do this with VirtualBox. You can install Ubuntu Server, Windows Server, or any other operating systems. This is very handy if you do not want to clutter your Manjaro installation with a server install.
AMPPS
Download from the official AMPPS website
If you want a local server environment similar to XAMPP, then AMPPS may be what you need. It is actually very similar to XAMPP but has many more features. It isn’t officially supported on Manjaro but I managed to get it working fine by following these installation instructions on the AMPPS website.
Apache Server
Available from the official repository.
If you would prefer not to use AMPPS or VirtualBox, then you can install the Apache Web Server directly on to your Manjaro installation. To install multiple websites, you would need to configure virtual hosts. I cover this - and how to configure Apache - in my tutorial Running a Live Web Server on a Raspberry Pi from Home.
Putty
Available from the official repository.
If you run your own live web server then you may need a method of connecting to it to perform maintenance tasks. Putty is an SSH client that allows you to do this.
Conclusion
This is the complete list of applications I use - or have used - on Manjaro Linux. I personally install an Apache test server directly on to Manjaro, rather than using AMPPS. Although, AMPPS is a great application if you are looking for this type of app.
I also use a Windows Server virtual machine for when I occasionally dabble with coding in C#. The point is that you can pick and choose what software you like as there is such a vast choice. Maybe you will even find alternatives in the Software Manager than what I’ve listed here. That’s the beauty of Manjaro - there are so many choices.
