Linux alternatives to Android apps

Last updated: 2026-02-18

This guide assumes you are running a reasonably recent version of Linux Mint and have AM installed.

TTS ebook reader: Evie -> Foliate + Pied + Piper

sudo apt install foliate

curl "https://github.com/Elleo/pied/releases/download/v0.3.1/com.mikeasoft.pied.flatpak" > /tmp/pied.flatpak

flatpak install /tmp/pied.flatpak

Open Pied and click on the green button to install Piper (the actual TTS voice dispatcher). It will take a few minutes.

Once Piper is installed, inside the Pied window, download a voice you like and then click "Select Voice".


Offline dictionary: Aard

wget "https://github.com/itkach/aard2-web/releases/download/0.9/aard2-web-0.9.jar"

Download some Aard-compatible dictionaries (they will be in .slob format). This link has some.

java -Dslobber.browse=true -jar aard2-web-0.9.jar /path/to/your/dictionaries/*.slob


Calendar & contact sync: DecSync CC -> Radicale (with the DecSync plugin)

sudo apt install radicale

pip install radicale_storage_decsync --break-system-packages

Note: that pip command won't actually break your system packages because you (hopefully!) installed it without sudo at the front.

mkdir -p ~/.config/radicale

Paste the following into ~/.config/radicale/config:

[storage]
type = radicale_storage_decsync
filesystem_folder = ~/.var/lib/radicale/collections
decsync_dir = ~/.local/share/decsync

Change ~/.local/share/decsync to the actual folder you're keeping your DecSync data in.

Paste the following into /lib/systemd/system/radicale.service (you may need root privileges):

[Unit]
Description=Radicale with the DecSync plugin
After=network.target

[Service]
User=YourUsername
Group=YourUsername
ExecStart=/usr/bin/radicale --config /home/YourUsername/.config/radicale/config
TimeoutStopSec=5s
LimitNOFILE=1048576
ProtectSystem=full

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

If that file had anything already in it before you copy-pasted, delete it.

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

sudo systemctl start radicale ; sudo systemctl enable radicale

You can now add http://127.0.0.1:5232 as a server on any calendar program that supports CalDav. If the program asks for credentials, you can put anything in.


Local LLMs: Off Grid -> LM Studio

am -i lmstudio

You will need to download at least one .gguf model file. You can download models directly within the program. Otherwise this link has some.

If you choose to download your own model, you'll have to move (or symlink) it to ~/.lmstudio/models/make_a_folder_here/make_another_folder_here/. LM Studio expects models to be inside two layers of folders. It really doesn't matter what you name them.

Note: For whatever reason, LM Studio makes XFCE freeze sometimes. Running LM Studio in i3 works fine, though.


QR code scanner: Binary Eye -> CoBang

flatpak install flathub vn.hoabinh.quan.CoBang


Maps: OsmAnd+ -> Organic Maps

flatpak install flathub app.organicmaps.desktop


PSP emulator: PPSSPP

PPSSPP doesn't seem to be in the default Mint repos.

am -i ppsspp


Photo manager: Gallery -> gThumb

sudo apt install gthumb


Music player: Vanilla Music -> Elisa

sudo apt install elisa


MIDI player: Timidity AE -> FluidSynth

sudo apt install fluidsynth


Further reading