hurricanemaxi
Joined: 04 Nov 2011
Posts: 120
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 Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 9:47 am Post subject: Going All-FOSS With a New Computer |
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Linux bloggers' New Year's resolutions tend to be many and varied in any given year, but one most can surely agree upon is the desire to outfit a new PC with nothing but free software.
That sentiment, indeed, is just the one that was anticipated over at Computeractive UK, which published a compelling little story along those lines back in December.
"I want to use only free software on my new PC. Where do I start?" the piece began, before zeroing in on Ubuntu, in particular.
Of course, as any good Linux geek knows, there's a wide world of FOSS out there, and Ubuntu is just the beginning -- but certainly not the only one.
Bloggers didn't hesitate to pick up that ball and run with it.
'Scribus, Inkscape, and Hugin'
"I would still choose Ubuntu, and in fact I am still running it," offered Hyperlogos blogger Martin Espinoza. "I would start out with essentially the default set of applications, because that is the path of least resistance, but I would certainly also install some other FoSS greats like Scribus, Inkscape, and Hugin."
For gamers, meanwhile, "I'd also install Freespace 2 Open and perhaps VRally just to give them something to do in between bouts of cursing Wine for breaking compatibility with a game that worked last week," Espinoza added.
"My lady is running Ubuntu and is happier with it than with XP in almost every way," he pointed out. "After a few initial questions on 'how do I do this thing I used to do,' there are actually less new questions coming because it doesn't break as often.
"If only Overdrive Media Console weren't windows-only, she'd probably never need to touch 'doze again," Espinoza concluded.
'I Highly Recommend Wicd'
"I am running Fedora 16 right now and added LibreOffice and Dropbox," chimed in Roberto Lim, a lawyer and blogger on Mobile Raptor.
"If I installed Ubuntu, it would have everything I needed even from the USB install, except for Dropbox," Lim added.
"For a Linux-only PC I highly recommend Wicd for easy point and click wireless management," suggested consultant and Slashdot blogger Gerhard Mack.
'GnuCash or LedgerSMB'
Chris Travers, a Slashdot blogger who works on the LedgerSMB project, had a different set of packages to suggest for the general user:
1) Linux -- "depending on purpose and user, Fedora, Scientific Linux, Ubuntu, or Mint";
2) LibreOffice;
3) TexLive and LyX;
4) Scribus;
5) Chrome and Firefox;
6) GnuCash (for personal finances) OR LedgerSMB (for business finances); and
7) Redshift -- "this program is AMAZING and and has at least doubled my productivity just by changing the colors subtly on the monitor," Travers said.
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