MCS Linux is based on Ubuntu. It uses the Unity interface to the GNOME desktop environment.
This page was last updated on 17 October 2019.
The look and feel of the desktop differs from what users will see in the MCS Windows and Macintosh environment. There is no menu structure based upon the application categories.
If you are a new Linux user, please read Using an MCS Linux PC.
The majority of applications are available everywhere without licence number restrictions, however, a few of the applications are site-specific where availability at a site is dependent on licence arrangements. Site codes are used where there is restricted availability of an application.
[1] Unsupported application
[2] Non-interactive; cannot be invoked from the menu
Accessories
| Application | Version | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Archive Manager | [3] | |
| Calculator | ||
| Calendar | ||
| Character Map | [3] | |
| Disks | [3] | |
| Disk Usage Analysis | ||
| Display filespace quota | ||
| Display printer credit | ||
| Document Viewer | ||
| eCredit | Add credit to print balance | |
| Files | [1] | |
| Fonts | ||
| GNOME Colour Chooser | ||
| Help | [1] | |
| K3b | 2.0.2 | |
| Language support | ||
| Power Statistics | ||
| Screenshot | [1] |
Database packages
All applications are listed alphabetically below:
| Application | Version | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| GDAL | 2.2.3 | run from command line |
| KBibTeX | 0.4 | |
| LibreOffice Base | 6.0.7.3 |
Email and messaging
| Application | Version | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Alpine | 2.10 | |
| Evolution | 3.10.4 | Mail and Calendar |
| Thunderbird Mail | 24 |
Graphics and presentation
All applications are listed below alphabetically:
| Application | Version | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Blender | 2.69 | |
| Document Viewer | ||
| GIMP | 2.8.22 | GNU Image Manipulation Program |
| gscan2pdf | 1.2.3 | CL |
| ImageJ | 1.48 | |
| Image Viewer | [1] | |
| Inkscape Vector Graphics Editor | 0.92.3 | [1] |
| LibreOffice Draw | 6.0.7.3 | |
| LibreOffice Impress | 6.0.7.3 | |
| Shotwell | Photo Manager | |
| Simple Scan | [1] | |
| XSane Image scanning program | 0.998 | CL |
Multimedia and music
| Application | Version | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Aegisub | ||
| Audacity | 2.1.2 | |
| Cheese | Webcam Booth | |
| Clementine | 1.2.0 | [1], media player |
| K3b | 2.0.2 | GUI CD burning application |
| Rhythymbox Music Player | [1] | |
| Videos | ||
| VLC Media Player | 2.1.4 |
Network tools
All applications are listed below alphabetically.
| Application | Version | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Remmina Remote Desktop Client | [1] | |
| Transmission BitTorrent Client | [1] |
Programming and scripting
All applications are listed below alphabetically.
| Application | Version | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Android Studio | 1.2.2 | CL |
| Code::Blocks IDE | 13.12 | CL |
| Devhelp | ||
| Eclipse | 4.4SR2 | Mars R2 |
| Geany | 1.23.1 | |
| Glade | 3.16.1 | Interface Designer - GUI Builder |
| GNU Emacs25 | 24.3 | GUI, Terminal |
| GNU Octave | 3.2.4 | |
| IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition | 2017.1.4 | CL |
| jEdit | 5.1.0 | |
| Kate | 4.4.13 | programming text editor |
| KDbg | 2.5.4 | KDE GUI for gdb |
| Moscow ML | 2.10.1 | |
| Netbeans IDE | 10.0 | CL, Apache NetBeans IDE 10.0 |
| Perl | 5.18.2 | run from command line |
| Poly ML | 5.2.1 | |
| Qt 4 Designer | ||
| QT 5 Designer | ||
| QT 5 Assistant | ||
| QT 5 Linguist | ||
| rcs | 5.9.2 | run from command line |
| RStudio | 0.99.903 | |
| sox | 14.4.1 | utility for manipulating sound files; run from command line |
| Standard ML of New Jersey | 110.76 | run from command line |
| subversion | 1.8.8 | utility for managing files; run from command line |
| SWI-Prolog | 6.6.4 | CL |
Programming libraries and Software Developer Kits (SDKs)
The libraries available are invoked when compiling programming code. The software developer kit(s) are run from a command line prompt.
| Library | Version | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Android Platform Tools and SDK | 24.3.3 | |
| fftw3 | 3.3 | [2] |
| gcc | 4.8.2 | gfortran, g++, gcc |
| GDAL | 1.10.1 | processes geospatial data |
| Java OpenJDK | 8 | OpenJDK versions supplied |
| Maven | 3.0.5 | software project manager, run from command line |
| NAG Fortran Compiler | 6.0 | [2] |
| NAG Fortran Library for gfortran Compiler | [2] | |
| Prosper | LaTeX plugin - style sheet | |
| Python | 3.67 | Matplotlib v2.1.1, Numpy 1.13.3, Pandas 0.22.0, Scipy 0.19.1 libraries ; Python 2.x has been removed due to end of life in early 2020 |
| R Libraries |
Spreadsheets, maths and statistics
All applications are listed below alphabetically.
| Application | Version | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| EMACS Speaks Statistics | 13.09-1 | accessed through EMACS |
| GaussView | 5.0.9 | Front end for Gaussian |
| GeoGebra | 4.0.34.0 | |
| GNU Octave | 3.8.1 | |
| Gnuplot | 4.6.4 | |
| JASP | ||
| LibreOffice Calc | 6.0.7.3 | |
| LibreOffice Math | 6.0.7.3 | |
| Mathematica | 11.3.0 | [1] Colleges & UIS Rooms; [2] CH, CL, EC, GE, MA, PH |
| MATLAB | 2018a | [1] Colleges & UIS Rooms; [2] CL, EC, GE, MA |
| R | 3.4.4 | |
| R Commander |
Teaching packages
Most of these applications are supported by the institution for whose use they are provided and may be available at specific sites only; or are freely available across the MCS; (see site codes at the bottom of this page). ">" indicates a directory heading.
| Application | Version | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Clustal X | 2.1 | |
| GRASS GIS | 7 | |
| Hückel | 2012-1005 | CH |
| QGIS Browser | 2.18.17 | Las Palmas |
| QGIS Desktop | 2.18.17 | Las Palmas |
| ScapeToad | GE | |
| VMD | 1.9.3 | Visual Molecular Dynamics |
Unix shell
All applications are listed below alphabetically.
| Application | Version | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal | ||
| UXTerm | [1] | |
| XTerm | 271 |
Web browsing
All applications are listed below alphabetically
| Application | Version | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Chromium Web Browser | 45.0.2454 | [1] |
| Firefox Web Browser | 29 | |
| Google Chrome | Chrome (beta), Chrome (unstable) also available | |
| Zotero | can be installed by user for either Chromium or Firefox. |
Word and text processing
All applications are listed below alphabetically.
| Application | Version | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Ghostscript | 9.10 | run from the command line |
| GNU Emacs 24 | 24.3 | GUI, Terminal |
| jEdit | 5.1.0 | |
| Kate | 4.8.5 | |
| Kile | 4:2.1.3 | |
| LaTeX | TeX Live, Texmaker, TeXnic Centre, TeXstudio, TeXworks GUIs available; run from the command line | |
| ledit | 2.03 | line editor, run from command line |
| LibreOffice Writer | 5.3 | |
| LyX | 2.0.8.1 | [1] |
| NE | 3.02 | run from command line |
| Text Editor | [1] includes gedit, | |
| Vim | 2:7.4.052 | run from command line |
CH Department of Chemistry
CL Computer Laboratory
MA Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
PH Department of Physics
01223 332999