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We've all heard some variation on the quote "with great power comes great responsibility". While there seems to be some question about where it came from, there's probably a bit of truth in it: if you've got some super power, you should use it for good.

In Linux, and the other Unix-like operating systems, users have great power. There are bunches of tools available that let you stand the system on its ear and do all kinds of nifty things with your files. Unfortunately, the most powerful way to take advantage of this strength is in a terminal window at a command prompt. While you can do a lot, often to be most effective, you've got to remember several different command line arguments, and get them all in the right order, to get your work done. You can work through it by trial and error, or having a dog-eared Unix manual sitting next to you, or maybe you'd like to try your luck with CLI Companion.

CLI Companion gives you a terminal window to work in, but it adds a database of frequently used commands. Now instead of having to remember the complete syntax for one of those slick shell commands, you can just grab it off a list. And if you've got a favorite that's not included on the list, it's easy to just add your own.

CLI Companion is a free, open source tool for your Linux system.

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Writing computer code can be a complicated undertaking. You've got to figure out what you're trying to accomplish, then write the code, and then spend time debugging your handiwork. Sounds simple enough, but it can get messy. Which computer language are you writing in? Do you remember the differences in syntax between PHP and Perl? How about JavaScript? You might be interested in a text editor that helps you out with some of these complications.

Komodo Edit is a text editor designed specifically for programmers. You're working in plain text, so you don't have to worry about extra junk in your code. It features syntax highlighting and syntax checking for supported languages. It also includes autocomplete, so if you can enter the start of a command or keyword, you can probably finish it without having to know all the particulars—especially handy when it comes to functions with multiple arguments. Block indenting helps you better organize your code; code folding lets you focus on the stuff you're editing without having to dig through the stuff you aren't.

You can download a free copy of Komodo Edit. It's available for Linux, Mac, and Windows platforms.

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If you've got information to share, you could just open your window and shout out into the street. While you might get the attention of passing pedestrians, they may be more inclined to pass you by than listen to what you have to say. And of course, nobody else is going to hear your story. That's why they invented handbills, leaflets, and flyers.

Whether you're renting a room out, looking for a babysitting gig, or promoting your business, it's nice to put a piece of paper into people's hands. Whether you're handing out flyers with your business name, or tacking a For Sale sign with those little tear-off tabs with your phone number on a utility pole, people are going to remember better who you are and what you have to offer when they've got something in their hands.

Printable Flyer Templates has dozens of free templates you can use for selling your stuff, advertising your services, or just generally letting folks know that you're in business. Advertise your garage sale, find your lost dog, publicize your organization's car wash, and more. And best of all, they're free—just download a template in Microsoft Word DOC format, make your edits, and then print your customized flyer. They're compatible with any system that supports Word, or other apps that can work with DOCs. Some of the flyers are also available as PDFs.

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Back in the day, you had to have a pencil and paper to take a test. Where would we be without the dreaded Blue Book? Then came the Scantron card—just color in the little bubbles. We've come far beyond that. Now you can take tests on the Web. And if you use Hot Potatoes, it's not so hard to create those tests either.

Hot Potatoes is a suite of apps that let you build several different types of tests and quizzes suitable for deployment to the Web, or anywhere else you can reach with a browser. Choose from multiple choice, short-answer, and other formats. The quizzes are self scoring, so users get immediate feedback about their answers. They've got links to a bunch of sites that incorporate their tests to give you an idea of what's possible.

Hot Potatoes is a free download. It comes with a Windows installer, or you can grab the Java version which you can install on Linux, Mac, or any other system with a Java runtime.

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Moving is no fun. A nice new place with more room or quieter neighbors or a shorter commute is fun. If you want the new, you've got to put up with the move.

Okay, time to get organized. You throw out all the junk and pack all the important stuff into boxes. Great; now everything's in a box, but you don't have any idea what is where. Too bad you didn't label things as you packed. Or maybe you did, with a little help from Moving Label Kit.

The folks at Worldlabel.com have put this kit together for download. The Moving Label Kit is a "smart" PDF file that includes some prefab label pages (Fragile, This End Up, Glass) as well as several fill-in-the-blank forms. Type in your information, print your labels out onto various types of label stock (instructions included), and stick 'em on your boxes. Now when you get to your new place, you'll be able to figure out what's in which box.

Moving Label Kit is a great big PDF file, so you should be able to use it on Linux, Mac, Windows, or anybody else that supports Adobe Reader or any other app that opens PDF files.

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If you're working on a project with your files on your machine, you probably don't need a document management system. But once you start scattering files around, or having multiple people working at once, you almost have to have a system in place to keep track of who's doing what. After all, you don't want to spend all day working on revisions to the most important report of the year, only to have your work trashed by somebody going through the document tweaking captions to pictures in it. A document management system helps keep you from stepping on each other's toes.

With OpenDocMan, you can decide who has access to which files. Let a whole department work on a set of documents, or tighten-up access so that only an individual can get in there. Check-in/check-out makes sure that two people aren't editing the same doc at the same time. And maybe the most important thing is that since the system tracks changes to documents, you can roll-back to earlier versions if necessary. Cool.

OpenDocMan is an open source application, and you can download it for free. You're probably going to want to use it on your Linux webserver, as it needs Apache, MySQL, and PHP to make things go.

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Mom always told you to "play nice" with each other. Cooperation is really the only way to get things done when there are multiple people involved. While it's easy to cooperate with others when you're all in the same room, it gets a little tricker when you are spread out around the enterprise or across the world. We've all played the game where a document is edited and changes are made, and then circulated around the department. The next person tweaks this, then somebody else tweaks that, and before you know it, nobody can figure out what is really going on. It would be much more efficient if everybody could put their two-cents worth in at the same time.

MoonEdit is a tool that lets you do just that. There's a server part as well as a client app that lets everybody load the same document at once. Everybody gets their own cursor—color-coded so you can tell who's doing what—and can edit your shared document simultaneously. No more waiting for everybody to look, approve, and circulate to get the job done.

You can download a copy of MoonEdit. It's free for non-commercial use and comes in flavors for Windows ('98 and later), as well as Linux and FreeBSD.

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Sometimes it seems like the planning that goes on for a project is more work than the actual project itself. Trying to keep track of all the tasks and sub-tasks, allocating necessary resources, and arranging the people to do the work can become its own project. Then I suppose you have to figure out how to manage that project, and on and on….

GanttProject is a free project scheduling and management tool. As its name suggests, it's easy to picture your project when it's displayed as a Gantt chart. Those horizontal bars make it easier to visualize dependencies and critical path as you try to figure out how you're ever going to get this thing done with the amount of time you have available. Once you've got a handle on everything, you can export your projects as PNG images, with reports to back them up.

GanttProject is a Java app, so it should run on just about any platform with an appropriate Java runtime installed on it. To make things super convenient, there are separate packages available for Linux, Mac (OS X), and Windows systems. Or if you just want to check it out, you can even try a Web-based version in your browser.

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If you've got employees, you need to keep track of how much time they put in. If you are an employee, you want to make sure the boss knows how hard you've been working. Luckily it's easy to take care of both of these with a timeclock. Back in the day, this meant one of those machines that you had to shove a card into and have it print a time on it. Now we've got all those newfangled computer-machines, and things are easier, and dare we say more convenient?

PHP Timeclock is an online time tracking system. Running on your webserver, you use a browser to access its data input and output functions. Clocking in and out at the beginning and end of your shift is easy. Management can pull data with no muss or fuss via its admin functionality: no more having to dig through and copy data from a stack of dirty timecards, and no worry about losing them either. It generates all manner of reports, so you can be on top of your staffing needs. And this app does one thing that even the best physical timeclock can't do: it can be in two (or more) places at once. One system will serve all your locations, since it lives on a server, rather than being a bunch of discrete mechanical clocks.

A free download, PHP Timeclock needs to be installed on a server with PHP, MySQL, and Apache. You should be able to access the front-end with most modern web browsers, including Firefox and IE ver 6 or later.

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No matter how big your business, if you employ somebody, you have to deal with human resources. If you're just a little ma-and-pa organization, it probably isn't too complicated. But once you start adding the folks, the complication grows. Pretty quick you're spending more time dealing with your workers than taking care of your work. That's why they invented HR software. Unfortunately, HR apps tend to be complicated and costly. That's bad.

OrangeHRM is a free human resources management system. It's modular in construction, so you can pick and choose the pieces you're interested in if you aren't ready to take the plunge and dive completely into it. Using its modules, your life will become much easier when you deal with personnel information, attendance, benefits administration, and even recruiting. It has self service features, so employees don't need to hassle HR staff for simple changes like updating contact information. Along with keeping track of raw information, you can generate reports to let you better see how things are going on the HR front. Save your report templates, so you can track things over time.

OrangeHRM is available for free for Linux and Windows systems. If you're too intimidated by the whole thing, or simply lack the IT depth to properly administer the system, they do also have a paid hosted version you can use.

Download OrangeHRM