Links - free and opensource software
The term FLOSS is often used to refer to Free / Libre (and) Open Source Software.
Free in this context is generally considered to relate to the legal Freedom to use, modify and redistribute the software.The term Freeware is also widely used to refer to software which is available free.
Free in this context is generally considered to relate to the ability to use the software legally without having to make a financial payment.
FLOSS software
word proccessing and office software
- AbiWord (cross platform - word processor) .
- Open Office.org (cross platform - office suite) .
- NeoOffice (version of OOo tweeked for Mac OSX) .
design, graphics and photo editing software
- The GIMP (cross platform - image manipulation package) .
- GIMPshop (The GIMP with an alternative GUI) .
- Inkscape (cross platform - vector graphics creation (drawing) package) .
- Scribus (cross platform - desk top publishing package) .
internet and networking software
- Nvu (cross platform - web site creation package) .
- FireFox (cross platform - web browser) .
- ThunderBird (cross platform - email client) .
- Cyberduck (Mac OSX - ftp client) .
- FileZilla (Windows - ftp client) .
music and multmedia software
- Audacity (cross platform - music production package) .
- Mplayer (cross platform - multimedia player) .
- Songbird (cross platform - multimedia player) .
- VLC (Video LAN Client) (cross platform - multimedia player) .
system utilities
- 7-Zip (Windows - file compression and expanding utility) .
- chmox (Mac OSX - .CHM viewer) .
- GnoCHM (Linux - .CHM viewer) .
freeware software
- TextWrangler (Mac OSX - text editor) TextWrangler is effectively a freeware less fully featured version BBedit. Both these packages are produced by Bare Bones Software and both packages are fully supported by them.
- ArtRage 2 Free (Mac OSX and Windows - drawing package) ArtRage 2 Free offers the same interface as the full version of ArtRage 2, but has a number of the full version's features disabled.
- Stuffit Expander (cross platform - compressed file expansion utilty) Stuffit Expander is the freeware component of the Stuffit Deluxe software suite. While the 'full' version of Stuffit includes tools to compress and decompress / expand files, Stuffit Expander only offers the ability to decompress / expand files.
- Acrobat Reader (cross platform - .PDF viewer) .
- FoxIt Reader (Linux and Windows - .PDF viewer) .
- CutePDF (Windows - pdf creation utility) CutePDF creates a virtual printer within your computer, but instead of physically printing onto paper it will elctronically 'print' whatever is selected and produce a pdf file.
- Sandboxie (Windows - security utility) Sandboxie provides a way of creating a barrier between programmes (especially web browsers) and the rest of the computer's data. This can help reduce the risk of viruses and malware accessing your computer's data.
- Lego Digital Designer (Mac OSX and Windows - design and entertainment) Anyone who has read the novel MicroSurfs will be familair with the (fictional) idea of being able to design Lego models on their computer - something which Lego Digital Designer now makes it possible to do for real.
open source and freeware software compilations
software compilation CDs
- MacLibre (Mac OSX - open source compilation CD) .
- FreeSMUG Suite CD (Mac OSX - open source compilation CD) .
- TheOpenCD (Windows - open source compilation CD) .
- WinLibre (Windows - open source compilation CD) .
- GNUWin II (Windows - open source compilation CD) The GNUWin II compilation CD is still available for download, but (at the time of writing) is no longer maintained or updated.
- Open Source Software CD (Windows - open source compilation CD) The Open Source Software CD is still available for download, but (at the time of writing) does not seem to have been updated since September of 2005.
- FreeSMUG Portable OSX Apps (Mac OSX - open source portable apps collection) .
- PortableApps.com (Windows - open source portable apps collection) .
- winPenPack.com (Windows - mixed freeware and open source portable apps collections) .
- Portable USB Apps (Windows - mixed freeware and open source portable apps collection) The Portable USB Apps collected together into a single download should all be able to run from a USB memory stick and consist of a mixture of open source and freeware licenced applications.
- The Portable Freeware Collection (Windows - freeware portable apps collection) The Portable Freeware Collection is a long list of freeware applications which should be able to run without having to be installed onto the host computer - in theory these should therefore be able to run directly from portable devices (or so the logic goes).
- U3 Software Central (Windows - U3 Smart software store) U3 Smart Drives are USB flash drives which have U3 LaunchPad installed on them. This looks similar to the Windows Start menu and enables U3 applications to be run directly from the U3 Smart Drive. Additional U3 applications can be downloaded (for a fee, as shareware, or free of charge depending upon the application) from U3 Software Central.