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View Full Version : What kinds of software needs do you have?



aysiu
January 12th, 2006, 09:44 PM
I get the feeling there are a lot of frustrated users out there--people who want obscure programs but don't want to ./configure make make install.

Where do you fit in?

Stormy Eyes
January 12th, 2006, 09:50 PM
I get the feeling there are a lot of frustrated users out there--people who want obscure programs but don't want to ./configure make make install.

I'm not one of them.

facefur
January 12th, 2006, 09:52 PM
What I'd like to find, without searching interminably on Google, is a reference list of applications that provide the range of things I'm use to finding on *******, for example, TurboCAD, an excellent design program that is unfortunately so spaghetti coded into Win that even WINE can't run it. I'd also like to know about a substitute for 'The Print Shop', which does agreat job with posters, signs, business cards, etc...and finally, Quicken, probably the best personal finance manager software around (no, I don't own their stock). WINE does a passable job, but it's clumsy. Please, GNUCash just ain't its equal, and the learning process for GC is downright painful. The intro is more of a course in accounting than I want.

I'm betting someone has compiled a list of popular Win programs and their Linux equals, or at least substitutes. Finding and reviewing it might speed my conversion to Linux (vs. staying dual boot.)

Adv-thanks-ance,

facefur

chimera
January 12th, 2006, 10:00 PM
The only things I've installed are xine, xmms and a few games, all of which provided graphic installers. I'm not really an advanced user and I'm happy with what I've got:D

maruchan
January 12th, 2006, 10:06 PM
In my experience, the problem isn't needing to have a Windows-style installer. The problem is when you see something like this on a software website your friend linked you to:


Windows users: Click here to download .EXE installer
Linux users: Click here to download source. Also, user 3xc3ll3nt has provided us with a binary package that works on [insert obscure platform name] computers with a 320 watt power supply.

*That* is what drives me nuts. Supporting Linux users in an easy-to-use way is not the problem. The problem is that the authors of certain software packages need to work harder to support Linux users.

matthew
January 12th, 2006, 10:18 PM
The learning curve is a bit steep at first, but if you learn to compile your own programs you can always have the most recent with all the bells and whistles and not have to rely on a package management system. The really cool thing about this is you can examine the source if you want to, and then you can move the program and install it on lots of different computers with varying architectures--that can't be done with a binary.

That said, I rarely (almost never) need something that I can't find using Synaptic. :)

aysiu
January 12th, 2006, 10:22 PM
I'm betting someone has compiled a list of popular Win programs and their Linux equals, or at least substitutes. Finding and reviewing it might speed my conversion to Linux (vs. staying dual boot.) Yes, it's right here:
http://www.linuxrsp.ru/win-lin-soft/table-eng.html



*That* is what drives me nuts. Supporting Linux users in an easy-to-use way is not the problem. The problem is that the authors of certain software packages need to work harder to support Linux users. I like the way Opera does it--it has packages for all the major Linux distributions--one specifically for Ubuntu Breezy, for example.

public_void
January 12th, 2006, 10:31 PM
TBH I've been compiling for source more often, mainly because up-to-date versions of programs I want aren't in the repo. For example MonoDevelop 0.9.

ember
January 12th, 2006, 10:40 PM
Sometimes I compile things from source, but I prefer having a .deb that I can uninstalling. Until I finally figure out how to build some myself, I have to stick to jdongs backporting script to get things from dapper or rely on unofficial repositories.

Viro
January 13th, 2006, 09:10 AM
Yes, it's right here:
http://www.linuxrsp.ru/win-lin-soft/table-eng.html


I find that list to be somewhat strange. For many of the tools that are not Linux only and can be also found on Windows. Many of the Java IDEs for example aren't only available on Linux, but on Windows too.

What really gives me a good chuckle is every one who doesn't use Matlab claims that Octave is similar to Matlab, so much so that it can be used as a drop in replacement for Matlab. On many scripts, Octave can be up to 1,000x slower than Matlab though it is usually about 100 - 200x slower. In that list, only Matlab is equal to Matlab. The rest really need to be removed.

poofyhairguy
January 13th, 2006, 09:18 AM
What I'd like to find, without searching interminably on Google, is a reference list of applications that provide the range of things I'm use to finding on *******, for example, TurboCAD, an excellent design program that is unfortunately so spaghetti coded into Win that even WINE can't run it. I'd also like to know about a substitute for 'The Print Shop', which does agreat job with posters, signs, business cards, etc...and finally, Quicken, probably the best personal finance manager software around (no, I don't own their stock). WINE does a passable job, but it's clumsy. Please, GNUCash just ain't its equal, and the learning process for GC is downright painful. The intro is more of a course in accounting than I want.

I'm betting someone has compiled a list of popular Win programs and their Linux equals, or at least substitutes. Finding and reviewing it might speed my conversion to Linux (vs. staying dual boot.)

Adv-thanks-ance,

facefur


I tried to make that list once:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=33183

In the thread it has links to better lists.