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Coding Standards may also be of interest.)With the abundance of inexpensive computers that can run GNU/Linux, as well as the greater availability of Internet access, many GNU volunteers today have all the computer facilities they need. However, there are still advantages to having central computers where GNU volunteers can work together without having to make their own machines accessible to others.For that reason, the Free Software Foundation encourages GNU software projects to use the machines at gnu.org as a home base. Using these machines also benefits the GNU Project indirectly, by increasing public awareness of GNU, and spreading the idea of working together for the benefit of veryone. |
Free Software alternatives to proprietary applications on the Microsoft Windows OS.
Here is a list of popular free software applications that run on Microsoft Windows--along with the proprietary applications they replace. If you are still a Windows user, you can take a first step towards free software by installing these applications.
When we say these application programs are free software, we're talking about freedom, not price. It means that you are free to use these programs constructively, either alone or in a community, while respecting the freedom of others. The source code is available, so that you can study the software, adapt it to your needs, fix bugs, and release versions with new features. You can also convince or pay others to do these things for you. You are also free to give away and free to sell copies, under the terms of the applicable free software license. These programs are free software because you have freedom in using them. Free software develops under the control of its users.
Microsoft Windows is a clear and instructive example of non-free software. Its source code is a secret, so programmers cannot learn from it, fix it, adapt it to their clients (your) needs, or even verify what it really does. If you share copies with your neighbors, you will be called a "pirate", and users have been threatened with imprisonment for this. Non-free software is completely controlled by its developer, who also has power over the users. We started the free software movement because this power is unjust.
Using free software on Microsoft Windows (or any non-free operating system) is the first step towards freedom, but it does not get you all the way there. You're still under Microsoft's power as long as you use Windows. So the next step is to replace Windows with a free operating system such as GNU/Linux. However, in this page we're concerned with the first step.
| Application: | Gaim |
| Replaces: | Trillian, Chat Clients |
| URL: | http://www.gnu.org/directory/gaim.html |
|
Gaim is a multi-protocol instant messaging client, with support for:
Gaim also supports plugins, for additional functionality. |
|
| Application: | VideoLAN Client (VLC) |
| Replaces: | Windows Media Player, PowerDVD |
| URL: | http://www.videolan.org/vlc |
|
VLC (initially VideoLAN Client) is a highly portable multimedia player for various audio and video formats (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, mp3, ogg, ...) as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. It can also be used as a server to stream in unicast or multicast in IPv4 or IPv6 on a high-bandwidth network. |
|
| Application: | GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) |
| Replaces: | Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro |
| URL: | http://www.gnu.org/directory/gimp.html |
|
GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It can be used as a simple paint program, an expert quality photo retouching program, an online batch processing system, a mass production image renderer, an image format converter, etc. GIMP is expandable and extensible. It is designed to be augmented with plug-ins and extensions to do just about anything. Anyone who is familiar with the GNU/Linux operating system has probably seen/used the GIMP at some stage. In terms of compatibility, GIMP can open/manipulate the PhotoShop PSD format and the Paint Shop Pro PSP format. |
|
| Application: | Blender 3D |
| Replaces: | Maya, 3DSMax |
| URL: | http://www.gnu.org/directory/blender.html |
|
Blender is the first and only fully integrated 3D graphics creation suite allowing modeling, animation, rendering, post-production, realtime interactive 3D and game creation and playback with cross-platform compatibility. |
|
| Application: | OpenOffice |
| Replaces: | Microsoft Office |
| URL: | http://www.openoffice.org |
|
OpenOffice.org is a multi-platform office productivity suite compatible with all major file formats. |
|
| Application: | 7-Zip |
| Replaces: | WinZip, WinRAR |
| URL: | http://www.7-zip.org |
|
File archiver which integrates into the windows shell and supports ZIP, CAB, RAR, ARJ, GZIP, BZIP2, TAR, CPIO, RPM, DEB, and it's own format, 7z, which offers a higher compression ratio than any other current archive format. Currently only compatible with GNU/Linux under WINE. |
|
| Application: | Mozilla Thunderbird |
| Replaces: | Outlook, Outlook Express |
| URL: | http://www.gnu.org/directory/Thunderbird.html |
|
Versatile and modular e-mail client. Supports themes and extensions to customise and increase it's functionality. Has integrated "smart" spam filter, to cut down significantly on spam mail. Also integrates (via EnigMail extension) seamlessly with GNU GPG. |
|
| Application: | XChat |
| Replaces: | mIRC |
| URL: | http://www.gnu.org/directory/xchat.html |
|
XChat is a very powerful and versatile IRC client which utilises the GTK+ Toolkit. It is the "standard" graphical IRC client found on the GNU/Linux platform. Four different languages are available for plugins: Perl, TCL, Python and C. |
|
| Application: | Sodipodi |
| Replaces: | Coreldraw, Adobe Illustrator |
| URL: | http://www.gnu.org/directory/sodipodi.html |
|
Sodipodi is a vector-based drawing program, like CorelDraw or Adobe Illustrator from the proprietary software world, and Sketch or Karbon14 from the free software world. It is free software, distributed under the terms of the Gnu General Public License, Version 2. Sodipodi uses W3C SVG as its native file format. It is therefore a very useful tool for web designers. It has a relatively modern display engine, giving you finely antialiased display, alpha transparencies, vector fonts and so on. Sodipodi is written in C, using the Gtk+ toolkit and optionally some Gnome or KDE libraries. |
|
| Application: | Dia |
| Replaces: | MicroSoft Visio |
| URL: | http://www.gnu.org/directory/dia.html |
|
Dia is designed to be much like the proprietary Microsoft program 'Visio'. It can be used to draw many different kinds of diagrams. It currently has special objects to help draw entity relationship diagrams, UML diagrams, flowcharts, network diagrams, and simple circuits. It is also possible to add support for new shapes by writing simple XML files, using a subset of SVG to draw the shape. It can load and save diagrams to a custom XML format (gzipped by default, to save space), can export diagrams to EPS or SVG formats and can print diagrams (including ones that span multiple pages). |
|
These are just a small amount of the more common free software applications available for the Microsoft Windows platform. For other lists and additional applications (such as more specialist fields; Bochs for PC emulation, or applications for CAD, for example), additional resources are available:
| http://gnuwin.epfl.ch/apps/en/bestlist.html | The GNUWin project is a CD which has many free software Windows applications on it, all of which are available for download from their website. |
Return to the GNU Project home page.
Please send FSF & GNU
inquiries to gnu@gnu.org.
There are also other
ways to contact the FSF.
Please send broken links and other corrections (or suggestions) to webmasters@gnu.org.
Please see the Translations README for information on coordinating and submitting translations of this article.
Copyright © 2004 Alan Madden.
Permission
is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License,
Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free
Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no
Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.
The National Association of Small Business Investment Companies is dedicated to building and maintaining a strong and profitable Small Business Investment Company industry. For 42 years, NASBIC has played a pivotal role in promoting the growth and vitality of this business sector through effective representation in Washington and successful professional programs.
|
Hardware Update: "World's Lightest Linux Notebook Computer" ... Linux in Government: Security Enhanced Linux - The Future is NowFour years after the release of SELinux, several Linux distributors, Red Hat, SUSE, Debian GNU/Linux and Gentoo Linux, finally have announced plans to support it. As with many new technologies, a lack of easily digestible information created a barrier to understanding and using NSA's Linux. So when BillMcCarty's recent book, SELinux NSA's Open Source Security Enhanced Linux hit the market last month, I grabbed a copy. In all of his books, Bill explains the Linux security model in logically organized, simple and understandable terms. I zipped through his book and began working with SELinux immediately. I found Bill's directions to be clear, following a step-by-step method of helping the reader gain knowledge and then helping him or her apply that knowledge. His new book helps you understand the SE Linux model, install the necessary components and troubleshoot problems that might arise. Add a nice section on administering SE Linux, and you have a complete manual to lead you into the realm SE Linux specialists. Although unusual, readers should find the standard body of information and knowledge required for SELinux in less than 200 readable pages. I contacted Andy Oram, Bill's editor at O'Reilly & Associates, and arrange for an interview with the author. Like his book, Bill surprised me with with his vast knowledge and ability to articulate his subject in discernible ways. By Tom Adelstein on Fri, 2004-12-17 00:00. An interview with Bill McCarty, author of a new book on SELinux, about the potential SELinux holds for secure computing. In December 2000, researchers at the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) working with Network Associates and MITREB1 Class operating system to the public known as SELinux. Although many Linux professionals have heard of SELinux, few recognize that its heritage reaches back to the work of David Bell and Leonard LaPadula, work begun in 1973. Bell and LaPadula's work helped define the criteria that make up the U.S. Government's Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria (TCSEC). released a |
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