Keep Grinding

The Least Worst for Unix-like Systems

Navigation

Productivity
Scripts
Utilities
Security
Networking
Multimedia
Emulators, Engines, & Hypervisors
Which distro?

Productivity

Git tracks changes in documents.
LibreOffice is a productivity suite that can not only replace Microsoft Office and Apple's iCloud, but also read files from both of them! If your system is weak, try Pandoc and sc-im instead.
LXTerminal runs a shell.
NeoVim is an advanced text editor.
sdcv handles dictionaries.
Zathura displays documents.

Scripts

Bedrock Linux combines *Linux distributions.
lockdown.sh is a security-hardening script for Debian-based distributions.
me_cleaner partially disables Intel's reviled Management Engine.
Spectre & Meltdown Checker
ufetch displays information about your installations alongside ASCII art.
vpnfailsafe prevents OpenVPN from leaking your IP address.

System Utilities

BleachBit is an easy way to free space on the internal storage.
Exiftool displays and alters metadata.
p7zip compresses and encrypts directories.
Redshift reduces a display's blue light. If you use xrandr to change the brightness, run that first.
rsync is a simple backup tool.

Security

Firejail sandboxes a program to weaken any vulnerabilities. If you dislike editing configuration files, Firetools is a graphical configuration tool for it. If a program does not co-operate with Firejail, then try restricting it with AppArmor instead.
signify is an easier alternative to GNU Privacy Guard.
slock, well, locks the desktop until you enter your password.
VeraCrypt creates near-bulletproof digital safes.

Networking

Claws Mail is one of the most secure e-mail clients out there. It even deflected the EFAIL attacks.
I2P is an alternate internet.
irssi is an IRC client. Bitlbee connects it to other forms of instant messaging.
Lynx is a text-only browser for HTTPS and Gopher.
mitmproxy reveals which servers a program connects to.
Newsraft reads RSS feeds.
OpenVPN reroutes your connection to discourage trackers on your LAN.
qBittorrent is the perfect BitTorrent client for desktops. On servers, use Transmission for better performance.
qutebrowser is a lightweight graphical web browser.
Tor is a psudonymizing proxy and an alternate internet. Just don't use it for BitTorrent.
Ungoogled Chromium is an improved version of Google's Chromium, the basis of Google Chrome.
vsftpd is a file server. If you want to access remote files through Android, use SyncThing instead.

Read the linkroll for recommended extensions.

Multimedia

HandBrake converts videos.
MakeMKV extracts files from DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs.
mpv is a video and music player.
Pinta is a clone of Paint.NET.
scrot takes screenshots.

Emulators, Engines, and Hypervisors

Arx Libertatis is for Arx Fatalis.
Azahar emulates the 3DS.
Daggerfall Unity is for The Elder Scrolls II.
Dolphin emulates the GameCube and the Wii. If a game lags, try it in Ishiiruka-Dolphin instead.
DOSBox-X emulates Microsoft's DOS.
DuckStation emulates the PSone.
EasyRPG Player runs games made with RPG Maker 2000 and 2003.
Exult is for Ultima VII.
FinalBurn Neo is an arcade game emulator that performs better than MAME.
Flycast emulates the Dreamcast and Windows CE.
The Force Engine is for Star Wars: Dark Forces.
FS-UAE emulates Commodore's Amiga line.
Jazz2Resurrection is for Jazz Jackrabbit 2.
jzintvImGui emulates the Intellivision.
MAME emulates arcade games, plug-and-play consoles, and oddball systems.
melonDS emulates the Nintendo DSi. Don't forget your touch-compatible monitor!
mGBA emulates the Game Boy Advance.
OpenGOAL is for Jak and Daxter.
openMSX emulates the MSX line.
OpenMW is for The Elder Scrolls III.
ParaJVE emulates the Vectrex.
Perfect Dark
Phoenix emulates the 3DO and the Jaguar.
pokemini emulates the Pokémon Mini.
PPSSPP emulates the PlayStation Portable.
QEMU emulates other computers. If the command line intimidates you, VirtualBox is a graphical program that has the same purpose.
Raze is for One Unit Whole Blood.
RetroArch organizes excellent emulators of the following machines: 32X, Amiga CD32, Atari Lynx, Atomiswave, Game Gear, Master System, Naomi, Neo Geo Pocket Color, NES, PC Engine Duo/Turbo Duo, PC-FX, Saturn, SG-1000, Super NES/Super Famicom, Twin Famicom, Virtual Boy, WonderMega, and WonderSwan Color.
Rigel Engine is for Duke Nukem II.
rottexpr is for Rise of the Triad.
RPCS3 emulates the PlayStation 3.
SameBoy emulates the Game Boy Color and the Super Game Boy 2.
ScummVM is for old adventure games.
simple64 emulates the Nintendo 64.
Stella emulates the Atari VCS/2600.
Tsugaru emulates the FM Towns.
VICE emulates the VIC-20 and the Commodore 64.
Wine is a compatibility layer for Windows programs. A game-tailored variant called Proton comes pre-compiled with Batocera.

"But which distro should I use?!"

OpenBSD is definitely recommended if your computer supports it. It lacks the security and design problems of other systems.
Many Raspberry Pi-oriented distros significantly fail, though DietPi fails much less.
Batocera is an excellent entertainment center. Be careful when installing it, because it will try to take up an entire disk.
If everything else doesn't work for you, try Alpine.