Over the last week, I have been testing some new website at my part time job and using Windows for that. This has been an interesting little experience as I rarely ever use Windows at my work. However, I looked at my screen and could see not one bit of proprietary software.
The start bar is set to autohide of course, and I have used Internet Explorer quite a bit for the aforementioned work.
Apart from those, the applications I have used over the last week were:
- Firefox for the web.
- Emacs, for coding and HTML.
- The GIMP, for graphics work.
- OpenOffice, for opening documents people send me via email.
- VLC, the media player, to provide background music.
- PuTTy, for accessing a real computer to check my email etc.
- Python Shell, for Python stuff.
So some argue that the Linux kernel combined with a load of free software should be called GNU/Linux.
The main thing I have used from Windows is the win32 kernel. Does the above logic that make that machine GNU/Win32?
Of course I did not install GCC, but then some (GNU/)Linux distributions come without it too.
I wonder how many people have this kind of setup? Free/Open Source software on Windows? I did not use Cygwin, though if I was going to use the Windows box long term then I would have to.
Please do feel free to leave a comment, I would especially like to know your stories if you have used a lot of Free/Open source on Windows.
<p>I use a lot of open source software whenever I use Windows. I have <a class="reference external" href="http://ifacethoughts.net/2006/12/25/good-software-for-windows/(GoodSoftwareForWindows)">listed</a>
the different softwares I use, and a lot of them are open source.</p>
<p>Hi,
I use as much OSS on my corporate windows box as possible - you mentioned
many of them. VLC, Openoffice, Python shell, GIMP (though it crashes on my
box), Putty.</p>
<p>However, I also use -> Avidemux for editing video, the mplayer port for
media, Dia (Visio-esque), 7zip, GAIM, WinDirStat, Firefox/Thunderbird,
ImageMagick, Wireshark, and NVU...just to name a few.</p>
<p>Cheers,
M.</p>
<p>I'm using Windows as my main OS, but I'm moving to a free desktop as soon as
some key applications become just as usable on the Open Source side. Right
now, the remaining apps I have to use on the windows side that would be hard
to use under Wine, etc, are things like Oracle Calendar, Macrodobe
Dreamweaver, Macrodobe Premiere, and Picasa. However, I'm at the point now
where I'm ready to jump ship on Windows. I've already decided not to move to
Vista, if I can help it. However, while I'm still using Windows, I've gained
quite a list of open source apps I use all the time. GIMP, Inkscape, Scribus,
Filezilla, Audacity, gVim, VLC, VNC, <a href="http://OpenOffice.org" rel="nofollow">OpenOffice.org</a>, NVu, Dia, CamStudio,
XAMPP, Media Player Classic with Real alternative and QT Alternative,
Songbird, Democracy Player, and on and on. If you absolutely have to use
Windows, you can definitely do it with an open source toolset. Great post.</p>
<p>Unfortunately all companies I've worked for have a policy against using
anything but Windows. That said I use a lot of software ported from Linux.
I'm not sure how I would get along without them.</p>
<p>eg: GIMP, Gaim, GCC toolchain (under cygwin), gvim, Dia, Apache, Subversion
and of course Firefox.</p>
<p>The company I work for right now could only afford one license for Photoshop
so everyone shares this one dudes system for image editing (we are a wireless
software development shop). This is annoying to say the least so GIMP on
Windows is not only a nicety but a rather a necessity. I read a Slashdot
article earlier this week citing an article that suggest the most significant
hurtle for promoting Linux as a viable replacement for Windows is getting
users comfortable with alternates to the applications they use on Windows. I
think that is spot on.</p>
<p>The only thing that really holds be to Windows (besides the policy) is
Outlook. I don't use it because I like it, but rather because the company
does and therefore I have to. I haven't done any research in this area... are
there any Linux apps that play nice with an Exchange server?</p>
<p>In regards to authors question "I wonder how many people have this kind of
setup? Free/Open Source software on Windows?" I guess the best response would
be anyone who prefers using a <a href="#id1"><span class="problematic" id="id2">*</span></a>nix environment but has to use Windows for
some reason likely uses some sort of setup similar to this.</p>
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<p>Thanks for the comments guys, one quick comment before I go to bed, Evolution
understands Exchange really well, especially for more normal setups.</p>
<p>There can be problems with highly complicated setups, for example, if you
want more than one exchange account in front of you at the same time and you
want to drag email or calendar events between them. As far as I know this one
thing is not possible (though you can have say, Exchange and IMAP accounts).</p>
<p>Yeah, I use alot of opensource software on Windows too... and a bunch of
proprietary stuff, but NOTHING from Microsoft.</p>
<p>KDE 4.0 is supposed to be able to run on windows so when that comes out you
will even be apple to replace the desktop environment with open source
software.
when I used windows as my main os in the past just about everything I used
was floss.</p>
<p>I'm a Linux admin stuck with a Windows workstation at a customer site . . . A
couple tools I use that I don't see listed much elsewhere are the SSH client
<a class="reference external" href="http://en.poderosa.org/">Poderosa</a> and the desktop pager <a class="reference external" href="http://virtuawin.sourceforge.net/">Virtuawin</a>.</p>
<p>I hate Putty with a passion, and have been looking and looking for a better
terminal emulator for Windows. Until KDE ports konsole to Windows (any day
now, right....) I prefer Poderosa to Putty because you can have multible tabs
in one window, allows you to easily change the screen colors, and allows
"windows-style" text cut and paste (but also has xterm-style cut and paste if
you prefer that).</p>
<p>Sounds like it's big in Japan, but not too well-known elsewhere. I think if
more people knew about it, Poderosa would dethrone Putty as the "standard"
Windows ssh client.</p>
<p>Hi js, thanks for the information, I have never heard of Poderosa either, but
the <a class="reference external" href="http://en.poderosa.org/present/screenshot.html">screenshots</a> look really good.</p>
<p>I know what you mean about the PuTTY Cut and Paste, that is one of those
things that bites you when not paying attention. You highlight the text, then
right click to press copy and and then accidentally paste a load of random
text back into the terminal!</p>
<p>VirtuaWin looks really cool too. The lack of workspaces is the second thing I
hate most about Windows' window manager, (my first is the lack of stay 'On
Top' function).</p>
<p>I mostly use OSS on Windows, and spend a lot of time documenting what I find.
I have <a class="reference external" href="http://www.schmid.dk/wiki/index.php/Wintools">a page summarizing my favourite Windows software</a>. Check it out...</p>
<p>I'v never used <a class="reference external" href="http://www.cygwin.com/">this</a> because I don't have a windows machine to try it on,
but it looks like it would be nice for when you are forced to use a windows
machine.</p>
<p>Thunderbird (A-), Firefox (B+), OpenOffice (A+), GIMP2 (B+), 7ZIP (A) are
stable staple open-source apps under Windows. As good as it is, Firefox still
has some basic performance issues it needs to overcome. Gimp2 is great, but
still lags Photoshop in features and ease-of-use.</p>
<p>I'm still looking for a tight, stable X/RDP remote solution to put Unix GUI
Apps on my Windows desktop. I believe the key to dismantling the predatory
Microsoft monopoly is to enable GUI-window access to networked <a href="#id1"><span class="problematic" id="id2">*</span></a>nix desktops
& applications. This would enable incremental adoption of open-source
applications without requiring Windows users (and I am one) to give up some
ease-of-use strengths of Windows, as well as hardware support and de-facto
standard capabilities which remain under Microsoft's control, like it or not.</p>
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<p>Another variation on this theme: as virtual machines become more reliable and
perform optimally, the prospect of encapsulating one or the other operating
system on the same physical machine will provide yet another way to
marginalize Microsoft proprietary (predatory) products and practices. (MPr4!)</p>
<p>Actually its just called GNU/Linux because GNU software is a dependency of
Linux. Day to day most users will never come in contact with anything GNU. So
the analogy doesn't quite hold. <img src="/static/forum/img/smilies/smile.png"></p>
<p>But I do believe we are entering an era where the OS will start mattering
less and less and less. Crossplatform and web apps will rule.</p>
<p>You point a cute question, and right in these days I'm going to prepare a
similar post on my blog. Free Software is named GNU/Linux and not Linux cause
with just the kernel you do not do nothing, you'll need, also if minimal, a
userspace which is GNU environment. So talking only about Linux do not make
sense at all. It makes sense if you talk about Debian or Slackware or
whatever distribution cause they both include customized GNU apps and the
Linux Kernel.</p>
<p>Coming back to your question, I believe, and maybe I'm too right, that
GNU/Win32 should not exists at all. It's really a totally nonsense. GPL
philosophy is the antithesis of proprietary software one, so I wonder why a
lot of GNU packages has a win32 port. It's still ethical to dirty hacks GPL
software to make it run on a proprietary system? I think it isn't.</p>
<p>You write about win32 kernel...mm..I discover now about the existence of a
kernel in windows<img src="/static/forum/img/smilies/smile.png">
Window's kernel isn't really a kernel but the idea that a retarded has about
a kernel.</p>
<p>A kernel should <em>serve</em> applications, nothing more, instead to be the
application(s) and GUI. I consider windows the worse OS in any directions, a
little toy with a obscure strategy market which substantially fefraud users.
In other fields it's comparable with McDonalds, Shell, Nike...all that bunch
of good angels with a devil's soul.</p>
<p>To finish, I didn't understand your question:
"Of course I did not install GCC, but then some GNU/Linux distributions come
without it too."
What do you want to say with that? GCC compiler on distribution based on
binary is useless instead you're a developer or you decide by your own to
compile applications...If you install gentoo you'll surely have it as you
will have it with other distributions based on source.</p>
<p>Regards
S.</p>
<p>I never used proprietary software (except to steal it, or a free version).
The reason I switched to linux this year is because I wanted to use
applications that were only out for linux. For years it was OpenOffice, the
Gimp etc. on windows. Sourceforge was my best friend. I've been jumping with
joy on a daily basis finding out that things I used to have to download are
all built in -- wget, for example. I used to have to use polyDown. And
they're all better and faster: Tunapie rocks Winamp. I only wish I could make
SWF's, then I'd never use windows again.</p>
<p>The C library in GNU/Linux is GNU's, but on your setup it's still Windows'.
All things in your userspace are dependant on Windows' C library (is it name
win32?), so I don't think GNU/Windows is accurate.</p>
<p>I had to give up ubuntu due to a driver issue, but I couldn't go cold turkey.
My entire windows os was ripped,hacked,maimed,twisted and tweaked I don't
even have the Player or Explorer installed any longer. Don't tell my computer
though, I tricked it into believing it's mom was a mac but his daddy was full
blooded linux! I had used themes, icons and sounds there was noway anybody
over my shoulder wouldn't think I was running Linux. I wrote a blog about
Open Sourcing Windows. <a class="reference external" href="http://madderhatters.blogspot.com/">http://madderhatters.blogspot.com/</a>
Freenode even has a OpenMicroSource IRC channel.</p>