what cool/useful features ubuntu has ?

[MaximB]

I mean programs/packages that are not available with the live cd/dvd
I took a look at XGL - it was really cool
I heard about Superkaramba and Cairo from a topic here - but don't know what they are ?
any new great and useful thing I can install in ubuntu ? (I'm not talking about openoffice or GAIM here).
I'm talking about things that normal beginner users don't know about.

[tribaal]

Hum... well to point at a few of my personal favorites:
- vmware. If you're the kind of guy that like trying out new operating systems, it really is a must have. It's not in the repos, and it's not open-source though, so purists might object.

- The battle for Wesnoth: one of the few games I play with a passion. It's completely open-source, is available through the repos, and is a very good (almost "professional") strategy game (turn-by-turn type, played on hexagons).

- The GIMP is a very nice piece of software, although again, photoshop purists will disagree. But it suits my needs very well (and man, the windows equivalent "out of the box" graphics software is... paint? :) )

- But of course, the apt-get system and Synaptic really are Ubuntu's *best* feature. Install, remove and update software with a couple of clicks.

Using Synaptic, I'm sure you'll discover many more cool features/programs by yourself, just "cruising the repositories" like I sometimes do. I hope you'll post some of your findings once you switch over :)

- trib'

[MaximB]

the things you mentioned are available in the synoptic and add/remove programs
but what are Superkaramba and Cairo ?

[dabear]

I must ask, are you unable to googleit?
First search gave me this on Superkaramba: http://netdragon.sourceforge.net/ssuperkaramba.html



SuperKaramba is, in simple terms, a tool that allows you to easily create interactive eye-candy on your KDE desktop. Currently, only linux is officially supported.


Cairo is a smooth-rendering library, one of its many uses is in the upcoming improved calendar in Evolution in Gnome 2.16 (you'd need edgy eft, the development version of ubuntu)

[MaximB]

thanks for your reply
I really should have googled it...sorry
but I ask for more stuff....maybe a cool things for gnome ?
or just usefull things you need to search really hard to find them ?

[Scunizi]

I've become addicted to VYM a mindmapping tool. It's like tomboy on steroids but different. See my PNG of the graphic portion of VYM that I use to "map" out what I want to do and what I've accomplished with Ubuntu.

[maniacmusician]

I've become addicted to VYM a mindmapping tool. It's like tomboy on steroids but different. See my PNG of the graphic portion of VYM that I use to "map" out what I want to do and what I've accomplished with Ubuntu.
that looks awesome! i'm putting that down on my list of programs to try. unfortunately the list is a little long, heh. Time constraints.

[Adamant1988]

in terms of features.. i kind of like the feature that lets you say

I don't like this applications menu, I think I'll replace it with something else. Maybe USP?

Or, Man.. i'm getting tired of gnome.. maybe I should install KDE and try that...


in terms of programs... I'm a big fan of GIMP (I think GIMP Shop should be in the repos) and XGL is nice... as long as you have the hardware for it.