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    List of software like the "ever growing list..."

    Discussion in 'Linux Compatibility and Software' started by grazzt, Mar 26, 2011.

  1. grazzt

    grazzt Notebook Consultant

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    I have looked through this thread and has not found a list like the other one in the Windows Free software list in the other thread. Do we have one here for LINUX?

    grazzt
     
    grazzt, Mar 26, 2011
    #1
  2. hakira

    hakira <3 xkcd

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    Uhm... by definition, the vast majority of linux software is free (open source), so that list would be.... massive, and pointless.

    If there was a list of packages that people found exceptionally useful or better than the rest it might be cool, but even then everyone needs/wants different things from their distro.
     
    hakira, Mar 26, 2011
    #2
  3. grazzt

    grazzt Notebook Consultant

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    There must be a Top set of applications that must haves?
     
    grazzt, Mar 26, 2011
    #3
  4. debguy

    debguy rip dmr

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    debguy, Mar 28, 2011
    #4
  5. Thomas

    Thomas McLovin

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    There was a few attempts, but it's quite pointless.
     
    Thomas, Mar 30, 2011
    #5
  6. naticus

    naticus Notebook Deity

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    naticus, Mar 30, 2011
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  7. debguy

    debguy rip dmr

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    Umm... right! :eek:
     
    debguy, Mar 31, 2011
    #7
  8. Thaenatos

    Thaenatos Zero Cool

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    Does anyone actually still use dial up? :confused:
     
    Thaenatos, Apr 1, 2011
    #8
  9. naticus

    naticus Notebook Deity

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    LOL, It obviously was a failed attempt of a joke at the number of programs in that repository. You nubs :D
     
    naticus, Apr 1, 2011
    #9
  10. debguy

    debguy rip dmr

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    Actually yes! Most people will think of Tuareg camps somewhere in the sahara, but even some rural regions in Germany have still not reached the 21st century.
     
    debguy, Apr 3, 2011
    #10
  11. Joel

    Joel coffeecoffeecoffeecoffee

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    I started to work on one a while ago but didn't get around to finishing it. I might start it back up again, though I'm not sure if it's worth it.
     
    Joel, Apr 3, 2011
    #11
  12. debguy

    debguy rip dmr

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    The general problem with "must-have lists" is that they assume that everybody has the same requirements, which is not true - not only but especially on a highly configurable system like GNU/Linux/whatever.

    If we start at the application level one could assume that everybody needs a mail client. This isn't the case. I don't have one. One could also say that everybody needs a webbrowser. I know nobody who doesn't use one on his desktop or laptop, but I know some people who are very happy with lynx, which would be awkward for most others. Most Linux users use OpenOffice or a derivative of it. I don't. Abiword and Gnumeric are sufficient for my needs but that doesn't go for everybody. And while many people might prefer text editors like gedit or kate I prefer vim (it happens quite often that my code contains waste colon sequences when I use another editor).

    If we start at the desktop level, well there's KDE, Gnome, Xfce and LXDE. None of them is a must-have. I know a lot of Debian users who only use a simple window manager. And one of the lynx-users I had in mind doesn't run an x-server at all.

    Ok, the Kernel: Linux is not a must-have. Some Debian and Gentoo users actually use a FreeBSD kernel, and I might be one of them after the next Debian release.

    The idea of must-haves simply doesn't work with Linux. And even when I still was a Windows user some years ago I found this idea pretty strange.
    It might only be me but i always found the idea of telling others what good software is to be patronizing. I'm pretty sure it isn't intended to be this way but if one just throws a software name at me without mentioning alternatives and discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the alternatives that's exactly the impression I get.

    Something that goes through my mind whenever I visit a website of a computer vendor:
    The same goes for any software.
     
    debguy, Apr 3, 2011
    #12
  13. zephyrus17

    zephyrus17 Notebook Deity

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    Here's something similar from the Arch Linux forums. The Light 'n' Fast awards:

    2009
    2010
    2011 (Still voting)

    Instead of just looking for
     
    zephyrus17, Apr 6, 2011
    #13