toucheatout  2006-03-21 14:58  Linux  

Linux tools / Interoperation with windowsers

General

• GAIM is a general-purpose IM system, allowing use of icq, msn messenger, Yahoo, Jabber...
• OpenOffice.org will provide you most of Word, Excel, PowerPoint functionnalities and interoperability

X-Windows toolkit

• nedit or gedit for a light and colorful editor.
• Sylpheed Claws is a light, fast, useable mail reader. It competes with evolution and its additional calendar & contact features
• xmms is a very good mp3 player, winamp lookalike. Alot are out those days. Think about using a video player as vlc for instance
• firefox seems the most accepted browser
• mplayer is a avi/mpeg/DVD player... See xine or helix player also.
• xcdroast or k3b, nice GUIs for burning (latest make DVDs as well). Actually front-ends to cdrecord or dvdrecord.
• the gimp, image manipulation a la photoshop.
• quanta and nvu, (more or less) WYSIWYG html editors.

For a command-line experience (console)

• vi for text editing (vim to give onself a treat :))
• mutt or pine for mail reading
• mpg123 for mp3 player
• lynx as browser
• cdrecord for burning
• screen, quick and useful crash course for this precious tool.

System tools

• mtr, a traceroute enhancement (real time connectivity along the path, ncurses)
• nmap, network scanner
• tcpdump, etheral (GUI), low-level network capture
• rsync, excellent data transfer tool with option of using ssh as transport. A daemonized version also exists.

Misc useful programs

• xosview or gkrellm will give you a display of resource usage within your system
• procmail for powerful mail filtering
• xpdf, a pdf viewer

More:

Accounting, Project Management

• Gnome's planner brings a simple yet useful, efficient mean of organizing time, work and material resources and display them on a Gantt chart. I'll say better use it to make the plan and give it a good lifting with gimp before delivering.
• Gnucash, a simple double-entry accountability software, surprisingly efficient for personal and (very) small businesses.

Misc gadgets

• swfplayer, a standalone flash player for linux, yet to be improved.