Open Source Programs and Free Software

[haxartus]

The problem with a lot of open-source software, and particularly with Linux, is a total lack of user-friendliness.

Ubuntu is way easier to install and work with than Windows. It had several major improvements in this direction for the past 2 years, and it's getting even more user friendly with each version. They are integrating Compiz with the GUI in the next version. This might attract some Windows users which like shiny effects.

[FattyXP]

@Asera: (your post made mine too huge so I won't quote it)
You probably haven't used these programs where they were originally intended to be used, which is not on windows. GIMP uses GDK to build its user interface. GDK is basically a frontend for making an interface, which is cross platform. You would need to do considerable editing of the interface building process in your coding to port a program onto another operating system. With the use of GDK that is no longer the case. (GDK looks horrible on windows, btw) The code is written originally for linux, and as such looks best and operates best there. Most things that are open source that have been ported from linux/unix don't run the greatest on windows. This tends to limit a servers admins choices to Apache or.. err well a whole lot of coding he could save himself by using Apache. Not to mention the security loopholes he is sure to leave open, cause its not like he has much experience with it and his coding would be flawed missing common security precautions.

Virtualbox http://www.virtualbox.org/
It creates a virtual computer inside your real one and you can do whatever you want with it.
You need to add this to your first post: http://sourceforge.net/

As far as I know Winamp isn't open source.

But it is free to use, with special features you can pay for. This isn't just for open source, its for Freeware too.

You don't have to be running windows to go to a website that runs IIS.

He wasn't saying you had to, but he is stating how windows is not exactly stable... and most webservers in fact use unix or linux distros over windows.

ImgBurn is a great disc image creating/burning software that is free to use.
http://www.imgburn.com/
Daemon-Tools Lite is also free to use for non-commercial applications. This is a disc emulator, with certain disc protection methods emulated to allow backup copy usage with certain games.
www.daemon-tools.cc
Audacity is a great free to use audio editing software.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
AIMP2 is a great alternative (clone pretty much) of winamp, and all features are free to use.
http://www.aimp2.us/
avast! is a good free anti-virus, with payable upgrades to help against identity theft and a sandbox web browser to use.
www.avast.com

[haxartus]

AIMP2 is a great alternative (clone pretty much) of winamp, and all features are free to use.
http://www.aimp2.us/

This is not the official site... Here it is: http://www.aimp.ru/
It has an English translation so there is no need for a second site.
There is an AIPM3 beta there and it's quite good. I haven't found any major bugs yet .

[Asera]

You probably haven't used these programs where they were originally intended to be used, which is not on windows.

I used GIMP on a Linux VM for a while. The interface still sucks, responsiveness still sucks, painting engine still sucks, layer management and blending suck, tablet support sucks (tablet supports sucks even more under Linux too)... it sucks. Period. Inkscape on the other hand is pretty intuitive and easy to use, almost as good as Corel Draw X4 in that respect, but like I said, it ONLY works in SVG. I work in graphics design, and we rarely deal with SVG files. Ever.

[ASO]

Ubuntu is way easier to install and work with than Windows. It had several major improvements in this direction for the past 2 years, and it's getting even more user friendly with each version. They are integrating Compiz with the GUI in the next version. This might attract some Windows users which like shiny effects.

I use Ubuntu on my laptop and I 100% disagree with you. It might be easier for YOU to install if you've done it before. For somebody who has never touched a *nix they will be intimidated.

I also question what version of Windows you last installed if you think Ubuntu is easier. I just installed 7 on someone's computer not a week ago and I think I pressed 5 keys the whole time, not counting serial and user name.

---------- Post added 2010-12-29 at 11:03 PM ----------

I used GIMP

Linux VM

I'm no fan of GIMP either, but...really? Give it a shot on a real system before damning it.

[Drainedsoul]

I'm no fan of GIMP either, but...really? Give it a shot on a real system before damning it.

Why would you waste time finding a real system, formatting it, getting it setup with a KVM or what have you, when you can just open VMWare Workstation?

He wasn't saying you had to, but he is stating how windows is not exactly stable.

Lol, what?

[FattyXP]

This is not the official site... Here it is: http://www.aimp.ru/
It has an English translation so there is no need for a second site.
There is an AIPM3 beta there and it's quite good. I haven't found any major bugs yet .

I just searched google for AIMP, that was the website that came up. Had no idea.

[haxartus]

I use Ubuntu on my laptop and I 100% disagree with you. It might be easier for YOU to install if you've done it before. For somebody who has never touched a *nix they will be intimidated.

I also question what version of Windows you last installed if you think Ubuntu is easier. I just installed 7 on someone's computer not a week ago and I think I pressed 5 keys the whole time, not counting serial and user name.

The last time I installed Ubuntu it took me like 10 minutes. Another 10 for the applications that I use and it was ready for work. Everything was installed with less than 2 or 3 clicks. It was just ridiculously easy.
You can't even imagine what an improvement this is compared to 2 years ago. You had to edit system files via the console to get even the simplest things working. There were no Ubuntu download manager, so you had to use either synaptic or the console with "sudo apt-get". The console was a nightmare for the new users. There were just so many problems with the operating system back then... All of them are gone now.

[Asera]

I'm no fan of GIMP either, but...really? Give it a shot on a real system before damning it.

Ever hear of VMWare Workstation?

[FattyXP]

Lol, what?

Haxartus first stated:
Because everyone is on Windows and Windows is actually good for something. Right...
But let's not make this thread Windows vs Unix/Linux.

Then Asera said:
You don't have to be running windows to go to a website that runs IIS.

Which is not what the person was stating. He was reffering to windows being bad... I assume directed at its stability as thats really all that matters with how advanced processors and other equipment are these days. ( a bloated OS has less of an effect when you have a processor that has 6 processors, and you are running oodles of RAM. )

[Drainedsoul]

My Windows Server 2008 R2 VM running PHP 5.3 and IIS 7.5 performs better than any Linux machine I've setup with Apache on equivalent hardware.

[FattyXP]

My Windows Server 2008 R2 VM running PHP 5.3 and IIS 7.5 performs better than any Linux machine I've setup with Apache on equivalent hardware.

I must admit I probably haven't used IIS since something like version 4, maybe 5. So its probably better than I remember. I also have no experience with server 08 yet, and I've heard its much more stable than any previous version of windows.
There is even a modified distro of server08 called Windows Workstation, which removes most of the "server" part and makes it just what it says, a workstation thats amazingly stable, and a whole lot faster than vista.(last time I checked into workstation, windows 7 wasn't out yet, not sure how it compares to windows 7 performance but it was a big boost over regular vista since it didn't have all the DRM bloat)

[Drainedsoul]

And it -- LEAHYDMZ2 -- doesn't seem to have any stability issues.

rleahy.ca/Learning_ASP/SystemStatus/uptime/index.aspx

^Proof^

[FattyXP]

And it -- LEAHYDMZ2 -- doesn't seem to have any stability issues.

rleahy.ca/Learning_ASP/SystemStatus/uptime/index.aspx

^Proof^

Coolbeans, my experience with internet hosting operating systems is old, I haven't dabbled in that for years now.

At any rate this has gotten horribly offtopic, anyone else have any open source or freeware suggestions?

http://notepad-plus-plus.org/

Notepad++ is pretty good, not that the original costs anything... but this greatly improves the original programs functionality ^_^

http://www.pidgin.im/

Pidgin is also a nice open source alternative to the individual clients for the protocols it supports, as well as the not free Trillian multi-protocol client.

[Drainedsoul]

Notepad++ is pretty good, not that the original costs anything... but this greatly improves the original programs functionality ^_^

The greatest program ever.

[Asera]

I LOVE Notepad++!

Pidgin though... I had ridiculous problems with it and MSN, so I had to ditch it in favour of Trillian.

[FattyXP]

I don't use MSN so I haven't had experience with that protocol in it. I've used it since it used to be called GAIM, and its always been pretty good.