This is our recommended stuffs for you after finished Parabola GNU/Linux installation with either GNOME or KDE Desktop. Let's start it!

Subscribe to UbuntuBuzz Telegram Channel to get article updates.

See also What To Do After Installing Guix Desktop System.

Setup Your Software Installation

This initial software setup on Parabola is similar to our tradition on Ubuntu by apt-get update and so on. Basically, Parabola uses Pacman similar to Ubuntu uses APT. More than that, Parabola uses Octopi similar to Ubuntu uses Synaptic, that is, the easy to use graphical user interface to add/remove programs. 

First, do the repository refresh (similar to apt-get update):

# pacman -Syy

Third, optionally do a full system upgrade (similar to apt-get upgrade):

# pacman -Syyu 

Lastly, install Octopi (similar to Ubuntu's Synaptic) to make your experience with Parabola easier:

# pacman -S octopi
# exit 

Then run Octopi by command below and have a nice time exploring Parabola!

$ octopi  

Install LibreOffice

• Writer: word processor program, by default saves as to ODT format. 
• Calc: spreadsheet program, by default saves as to ODS format. 
• Impress: presentation program, by default saves as to ODP format.
  

LibreOffice is the greatest office suite program from our Free Software Community for all people in this world. LibreOffice can save to ODT/ODS/ODP as well as PDF document formats aside from Microsoft's DOC/XLS/PPT formats as well.

# pacman -S libreoffice 

Install Web Browser

Parabola provides a tight choices of modern web browser and among them are Icecat (a fully free version of Mozilla Firefox) and Midori. Unlike other GNU/Linux distributions, Parabola strictly does not provide any versions of Chromium Browser so no Iridium and no Ungoogled either. We recommend Icecat because the user experience is just the same as Firefox's and  you can still install Firefox's addons on it.

# pacman icecat midori

Install Graphics Tools

• Gimp: image editor with similar functionality to Photoshop.
• Inkscape: illustration editor with similar functionality to Illustrator.
• Scribus: desktop publishing or page layout editor similar to InDesign. 
• Krita: professional digital painting and 2D animation making program.
  
• Shutter: full-featured screenshot capture, crop and edit tool.
• Blender: 3D animation, game and movie maker, the most successful and popular desktop Free Software.
• FreeCAD: 3D parametric computer aided design for architecture and machinery, with an active and supportive architect community.
• SweetHome3D: 3D house design maker that is user friendly.
  

For daily activities like cropping or annotating some photos, making some logo designs and illustrations, you can use Gimp and Inkscape on Parabola. If you have a digital printing press, you can start off by using Scribus. There are also other graphics programs await. To install them all in once command, do this:

# pacman -S gimp inkscape scribus krita shutter

For 3D graphics purposes, there are another tools you can install here. 

# pacman -S blender freecad sweethome3d

Install Audio/Video Player

• VLC: the most popular audio video player, full featured.
• Elisa: KDE audio player that is simple to use.
• Rhythmbox: GNOME audio player that is very popular.
• MiniTube: enjoy YouTube freely.
  

If you find no program to playback your movies or musics, you can pick either one or all of the players below:

# pacman -S vlc elisa rhythmbox minitube 

Install Multimedia Creativity Suite

• GNOME Sound Recorder: program to record voice using your microphone into MP3, OGG, FLAC or other audio format.
• OBS Studio: professional live streaming, broadcasting program with audio-video-screen recording functionality.
  
• Ardour: digital audio workstation with similar functionality to Fruity Loops.
  
• Shotcut: video editor with similar functionality to Adobe Premiere. 
• Rawtherapee: RAW photo processing and management similar to A. Lightroom.
  

Are you multimedia and broadcasting creative person? Then we are sure you will be satisfied with Parabola's applications you can use below.

# pacman -S gnome-sound-recorder obs-studio ardour shotcut rawtherapee 

Install Software Development Kits (For Programmer)

• Qt SDK: a choice of professional desktop programming with Kubuntu, KDE and Telegram as the real world products examples. Qt is often viewed as a competitor or alternative to GTK.
  
• GTK: a choice of professional desktop programming with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, GNOME, and Lazarus as real world product examples. GTK is often viewed as a competitor or alternative to Qt.
• Godot: a 2D/3D game maker tool that is very easy to use even without programming and enable you to produce one game, by one click, for multiple platforms at once including Windows, GNU/Linux, MacOS, Android and iOS.
  

To install Qt fully with its examples, follow this Parabola C++/Qt Setup Guide.

To install GTK fully with its examples, follow this Parabola C/GTK Setup Guide.

To install Godot, do this command:

# pacman -S godot 

Install Some Games

• 0AD: real-time strategy of ancient warfare similar to Age of Empires.
• Super Tux Kart: two-player 3D racing for kids.
• TuxMath: funny mathematics game for kids in every school grade. 
• Warsow: 3D first person shooter game similar to Unreal Tournament or Counter Strike. 
• MegaGlest: RTS with RPG elements similar to Warcraft.
  

Parabola is a great platform to evaluate how good Libre Software Games have become and fortunately we saw many great games available today. We are all busy with daily works and other stuffs, but indeed having some games is also important, for example to play with our kids.

# pacman -S 0ad supertuxkart tuxmath warsow megaglest