SystemRescue is a Linux operating system designed to repair Windows and Linux computers. It can be downloaded and started from a CD/DVD drive or USB drive. More information is available in the Quick Start guide and online documentation.
Category Archives: Linux
Foxit free PDF Reader app
Foxit, a maker of document and imaging software, has a free lightweight PDF Reader app for Windows, Mac, and Linux as well as mobile apps for iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. A list of free and paid Foxit products can be found at www.foxitsoftware.com/downloads.
Windows Terminal is a new application for command-line tool users
Microsoft has announced the upcoming release of its new command line tool application Windows Terminal. This application for PowerShell and WSL users is currently available for download at GitHub and is also available the Microsoft Store.
More information about Windows Terminal can be found at at the Terminal FAQ page.
Update: Windows 11 allows you to select Terminal as your default command-line interface.
SQL Server 2019 Community Technology Preview 2.0 released
Azure Data Studio is the new name for SQL Operations Studio
Microsoft announced the September 2018 release of Azure Data Studio, formerly known as SQL Operations Studio (preview version). Azure Data Studio is a new open source desktop environment for SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, and Azure SQL Data Warehouse data that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
7-Zip – a free file archiver that uses many compressed file formats
7-Zip is a free open source software that can be used to compress or uncompress files in many commonly used file formats. The default compressed file format is 7z but other common formats such as ZIP, TAR, etc. can be used. 7-Zip download files are currently available for Windows and Linux. This FAQ lists more information on how to use 7-Zip.
SQL Server and Azure SQL Database Tools and Utilities
Microsoft has made available many free downloadable apps for SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, and/or Azure Synapse Analytics (formerly Azure SQL Data Warehouse), including:
- SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
- Azure Data Studio (formerly SQL Operations Studio)
- Azure SQL Documentation
- SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT)
- SQL Server ODBC Driver
- Transaction Log Architecture and Management
- SQL Server Troubleshooting documentation
- SQL Server PowerShell cmdlets such as Invoke-Sqlcmd
- SQL Server Configuration Manager
- Data Migration Assistant (DMA)
- SQL Server documentation at GitHub
- Database Engine Tuning Advisor and dta utility – analyzes a workload or SQL script and recommends data server structures to improve performance
- mssql-cli – a command-line tool for querying SQL Server on Windows, macOS, or Linux
- SqlCmd utility and Microsoft Command Line Utilities
- Database Console Commands (DBCC)
- DBCC TRACEON Trace Flags
- Extended Events – replacement for deprecated SQL Server Profiler and SQL Trace
- SQL Server Diagnostic Connection for Database Administrators (DAC)
- mssql-scripter – multi-platform command line tools for SQL Server scripting
- TableDiff utility – a row by row data comparison of two tables
- Diagnostic Connection or Dedicated Administrator Connection (DAC)
- SqlLogShip – a command line tool for log shipping operations
- SqlLocalDB – a command line tool for SQL Server Express LocalDB
- SqlPackage – a command-line tool for importing and exporting databases and snapshots from SQL Server or Azure SQL databases (download available)
- mssql-conf – configure SQL Server on Linux
- RML Utilities for SQL Server – a set of tools and processes to run load tests
- Database Experimentation Assistant (DEA) – an A/B testing solution for SQL Server upgrades
- Distributed Replay – replay a workload like SQL Server Profiler but from multiple computers for SQL Server or Azure SQL databases.
A list of most of these SQL tools and utilities can be found at the SQL tools overview and command prompt utilities pages.
Kodi – a free open source media player for multiple platforms
Kodi is a free open source media player and entertainment center for multiple platforms, including Android, Linux, MacOS X, iOS, Windows, and Xbox One. It is also available as a downloadable app from Google Play and Microsoft Store.
Kodi was originally known as Xbox Media Center (XBMC) and developed by the XBMC Foundation, a non-profit technology consortium. It plays audio, video, and image files, and third-party plugins are available to add additional features. The Kodi Wiki page lists more details about configurations and options for this app.
Google Chrome Remote Desktop
Google Chrome Remote Desktop is an app that allows users to access remote computers through the Chrome browser or the Chromebook operating system using a secure connection. This app is free and runs on multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Visual Studio Extensions Marketplace
Extensions for the Microsoft Visual Studio suite of products can be found at marketplace.visualstudio.com. Extensions add support for languages not included in Visual Studio, aid in IDE development, or perform a specific task.
Some current popular extensions are:
- Azure Extensions
- Azure DevOps Extensions
- Visual Studio Extensions
- Visual Studio Code Extensions
- PowerShell (replaces PowerShell ISE)
- SQL Server, Azure SQL and SQL Data Warehouse (mssql)
- Python
- Docker
- Chrome Debugger
- Oracle Developer Tools for Visual Studio Code
- Go language for Visual Studio Code
- PostgreSQL for Visual Studio Code
- Productivity Power Tools Extensions
- Visual Studio IntelliCode for Python and Java
- Visual Studio Live Share
- Visual Studio Pull Requests
- C# and C/C++
- Developer Analytics Tools
- Visual Studio Code Remote for WSL, SSH and Docker containers
- Visual Studio Code – Coding Pack for Java – Windows and MacOS
- Java Language Support (Red Hat)
- All Microsoft Visual Studio Extensions
Extensions can be free, preview, or paid. Paid extensions are often charged per user per month. Preview extensions are eventually converted to paid extensions. Extensions are either written by Microsoft, third party vendors, or individual developers.
More information can be found at code.visualstudio.com/docs/extensions/overview.