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Software Included
Your Linux Laptops computer comes with hundreds of
software packages installed and ready to go, and with thousands
more easily installed from the included CD. Even more packages
are available via the internet, most equally easy to install.
Every package knows how to uninstall itself, so you can try anything
without fear of overloading your system with "leftover" files. The
Debian package system automatically prevents the sort of "resource
conflict" you may be used to. "Registry corruption" is somebody
else's nightmare.
On this page we note a few of the more-interesting packages
we install, and point out where you can find out more about
the huge range of software available for Linux.
Software Packages Installed
Here are a few of the software packages that come ready to run
on your computer.
Linux Kernel 2.2
You get the most up-to-date Linux kernel on your computer.
We have enabled support for PC-Card and APM (Advanced Power
Management) devices, to make the most of your computer's
portability. In addition, we have enabled support for the
experimental USB (Universal Serial Bus) and IrDA (Infrared port)
devices. You can also plug many different devices, such as
Zip drives, into your computer's parallel port. We make it
easy upgrade to the latest kernel, any time.
Web, E-mail, Net news,
Web Page Editing: Netscape Communicator
The premier web browser works best on Linux. The Web data format
is now the world-wide standard for documents. Netscape also
includes solid e-mail- and news-reader components. Many other
mail and news readers are also here to choose from.
Multimedia: Xanim, XFreeCD, and lots of audio players
Of course you get a complete set of players for movie, CD, sound
formats, including all the standard formats and many proprietary
ones. Write CDs. Rip CD tracks and convert to MP3.
Graphical Desktop: GNOME, Midnight Commander
This graphical desktop environment and control panel makes it easy
to do most tasks without using a command line. It includes a powerful
file manager, all the standard productivity aids, and is endlessly
configurable.
One-button Dial-up Internet Access: Xisp
With Xisp it is easy to switch to various internet dialup servers
as you carry your laptop from one place to another. It always
shows you how your connection is doing, so that it is easy to
diagnose problems at a new site.
Image Editing: GIMP
The GIMP is among the proudest accomplishments of the Free Software
movement. It is a graphics editor essentially equivalent to Adobe
Photoshop, but with extensions that make it easy to create effects
that you would need to attend months of classes to learn to do in
Photoshop.
Document Processing: LyX and LaTeX, Word2Html
The LyX graphical typesetting system is powerful enough
for writing, previewing, and typesetting whole books.
Word2Html converts ".doc" files to standard Web format.
VNC: Virtual Network Computing
With VNC you can operate your laptop from any computer on the
network, or operate your desktop computer from your laptop, and
see just what you would see on the other screen.
Palm Pilot Utilities: Sync & Emulator
You get utilities to copy programs and data to and from
your Palm Pilot, and even to run Palm programs in a window
on your laptop display. On the CD are software development
tools
Emulators: DOSEmu, WINE, XCopilot, XMame, SNES
Run software intended for other systems, including DOS,
Apple][, ZX81, Atari 800, Nintendo, Palm Pilot, and many others.
ICQ & AOL Instant Messaging, IRC Chat: GnomeICU, TiK
Choose among a variety of ICQ and AOL message clients and
IRC "internet relay chat" clients.
Internet Phone: Speak Freely
Use Speak Freely as an encrypted internet voice communications
system, using the "sound card" built into your computer.
Encryption: SSH, SSL, PGP
Use military-grade encryption when moving sensitive or private
information over the internet. (Many people use these even for
ordinary data so that nobody can tell whether they are sending
something secret.)
Web Server: Apache
A web server in a laptop? You can develop and test your own active
web pages locally, and take it all with you, and serve pages when
you're plugged into the net. The local system documentation and
even some administration tasks are set up as local web pages.
Script Languages: Bash, Perl, Python, Tcl/Tk, more
The script languages that hold the Internet together are all
on your computer, ready to use or to learn.
Networking: Routing, Firewall, Encryption
You get a full complement of networking utilities, enough to
act as a router and firewall for your home network. Use infrared
networking to "beam" data to other laptops or even your Palm Pilot.
You can mount your Windows "shares" and Netware volumes, too, or
talk "Appletalk" to your Macintosh.
Software Development Tools: Compilers, Debuggers, GUI Builders
You get all the essential tools for developing software, enough to
build new kernels and source packages, and even to develop programs
for your Palm Pilot.
Other References
Explore the Debian archive of thousands of
"stable" packages,
and even more
"unstable" packages.
("Unstable", in this case, means they are not as well-tested as those
in the "stable" archive, but may be more up-to-date.)
Other pages are kept up to date on the latest releases of free
software packages. Of these, the most comprehensive and up-to-date
is Freshmeat.
Its search engine is a good way to find which packages address
a specific need.
A friendlier, but less comprehensive, free-software page
is Linuxberg. If you
find your local LinuxBerg server overloaded, don't hesitate to
use one further away.
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