OPEN FORUM PLUS!
- Windows/Linux Application Equivalency Night
"How do I get my normal work done on a Linux box?"
Well that's what we'll be addressing here this Monday. For every
desktop app on Windows, there is usually a compliment on the Linux side;
and the Linux apps are all free! Monday night, common Windows programs
will have their Linux equivalents defined and demonstrated live. In
fact, Tom will even be bringing a Mandrake Install CD (7.2) that will
include ALL of the covered "Window Replacements". So bring
your machine of you want it installed! :)
Of the most common, we will show you how to replace:
Application Type Windows Package Linux Package
=============================================================
Office Suite MS-Office Star Office *
Advanced Word Proc. MS-Word Abi-Word *
Structured Drawing Visio Dia *
Image Processing Photoshop GIMP *
Personal Finances Quicken GNU-Cash *
Email Client MS-Outlook [Evolution]*, NS-Mail, kmail,
Browser IE4/5, Netscape Netscape,
Instant Messaging AIM, ICQ, etc [Jabber], EveryBuddy, Gaim, Licq *
HTML Authoring FrontPage, HotDogPro BlueFish, Quanta, Screem
digital-camera sw -misc- Gphoto
MP3/Audio WinAmp Xmms *
all-other apps - WINE (Windows Emulation) +
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Est.
Cost ~$900 $0 !
* = Package has native support for importing/exporting/talking in
its windows-equivalants proprietary format.
[ ] = Added after this month's meeting
Looking for others Windows equivalents? Chances are that The Mandrake
7.2 will have them (it's a fairly fat, but complete distro).
[Addition: Here's a screen shot of an older Linux desktop, running (clockwise) Netscape Communicator, Netscape Mail, XMMS (MP3 player), dia (Visio clone), and a couple of task/load monitoring packages (lavaps ans gkrellm) on the right.]
We may also discuss the new, evil Microsoft ".NET" strategy that will
ensure that you never own any future Microsoft software, but only lease
it on a month by month basis! This is even driving may Windows lovers
away from the platform and towards an alternative. This Windows
Equivalency night could be your ticket to empower you to move to Linux,
but still stay compatible with the rest of the world! Who says that
Linux can't replace the Desktop?!! ;)
- Windows "Emulation" For Other Software Package Usage
While there are tons of awesome (free) power applications on Linux
natively, once in a while you'll simply have to still be able to run old
Windows package A or B. You're in luck! There is a project called WINE
that has basically ported all of the OS level APIs (hooks) of the
DOS/Win3.1/Win9x/WinNT operating systems, so that Windows applications
can be run natively in Linux/UN*X!
Tom will be giving a simple demo showing how to actually move an
application over from your C:\Program Files\App folder, over to your
Linux box, and run it natively! At full Speed! Or on a dual boot
Windows and Linux box, you could run your Windows applications when
booted into Linux by pointing WINE to your Windows partitions (yes even
NTFS!)!
NOTE: this is not an "Emulator" since the underlying processor
is the same... but is simply a "Windows Hooks" or supplemental layer
for Linux/UN*X, if you will, so yes.. it's fast!.
Here are some way cool screen shots of a bunch of different Windows apps running natively in linux.
Tom will be showing "UltraEdit32 for WinNT running on Linux... and maybe some other apps also.
Any others you would like to see? Email Tom soon. You can run Eudora
(email), IE4, and even MS-Word all natively in Linux. Very cool
indeed! If you've never seen WINE work, or have heard
of it's unstable "old days"... you OWE it to yourself to come check out
how it's progressed! This meeting's a must!
- Unannounced
Bruce Tomlin also showed up with VirtualPC For Mac showing various Windows OSs running on his G4 laptop. Additionally, "The College Guys" made an appearance and demo'd VMware, a full processor/BIOS level virtual machine that runs "inside" your current OS, which allows you to run OTHER (x86) OSs simultaniously, and at full speed! Very cool stuff!
- More Free Stuff!
This month, I was as ISPCON in Baltimore for my job and brought back a bunch of goodies! Magazines, Mugs, Linuxcare Bootable Busines Cards, a Linuxcare Baret, and even a nice Laptop Backpack! Come and put your name in the hat!
- P I Z Z A - N - C O K E !
If there is enough interest, Free Pizza and coke. But please show up before 7:30 if you plan on having pizza! ;)
Other local user groups are ALWAYS more than welcome to attend our
meetings...
No Charges or Dues...
ever...