Open Source. Good free Programs

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I just want to know what others think about opensource applications and what ones they think are good but not heard of by most people. I think Firefox is the most famous open source application but there are many others

My list

Gimp -- A program thats like Paint Shop Pro and is debatably as good as Paint Shop Pro

OpenShift -- Is a free MMORPG game that looks good to me. I want to try it one day. If you want to check this one out for your self to see there really is a good looking free MMORPG for your self here is the link http://www.planeshift.it/main_01.html

Gaim -- Instant messinger that can be used for every thing irc, msn, yahoo, icq, aol etc

FrozenBubble -- Just a kinda fun game well done. Nothin impressive good for a few hours fun bouncing the differen't colored bubbles around.

Abiword -- Good free program like Word

OpenOffice -- Just like Microsoft Office

Theres just some examples of good open source applications out there. I just hate people spending there hard earned cash when they don't have to.


Theres no nasty hidden surprises like Spyware or any thing. If you are parnoided enough you can check the source code your self and compile the programs your self to make sure theres not spyware. Because its OpenSource as in you can download the source code if you want. How ever you can't trust big companys as much. Who knows what they bundle secretly in with there programs. Windows XP comes out of the box with 4 spyware applications built in.

Open Source is like a stand againest the big wig monoply compainys that make heaps of money charging for things that could be free. So this thread is in the forum just because of my only personal feeling about wanting to stand againest the big software compainys that sell buggy software and people buy it because they don't know any better and because of propriaty rights to some formats and stuff.

Cor. I use quite a few OSS apps, but then again, I use OS X and Linux exclusively.

Stuff I use almost constantly (Oddly enough, there are more of these than closed-source stuff I use constantly):

Adium (Best IM client on any platform. OS X only, unfortunately.)
Camino (Best browser on any platform, IMO. Again, OS X only.)
X-Chat Aqua (IRC client)
Trebuchet (MU* Client)
Growl! (Notification system)

Stuff I use often:

MPlayer (Media player.)
VLC (For when MPlayer no worky.)
DTV (Awesome video podcast subscription/download app: http://participatoryculture.org/ )

Stuff I occasionally use:

Ubuntu Linux (Operating system. )
Numerous Linux applications
Freeciv (game based on Sid Mier's Civilization)
Battle for Wesnoth (one of the best free games out there)
The Ur-Quan Masters (open-source port of Star Control 2)

OSS is a pretty important source of good software, IMO. I also feel that anything that qualifies as a 'necessity' or 'standard' (Operating systems, media formats/players, browsers, IRC clients, IM clients, etc.) should be at least based on OSS software, as it tends to be a lot more consumer-friendly than closed-source sell-your-soul-for-this-software types of stuff.

GNOME-best DE in my opinion,used to be a KDE whore,GNOME is far more efficient.

GIMP-does nearly everything Adobe Photoshop does,personally prefer this to Photoshop as it slightly more condensed but it is easier to use because it is more domestic orientated,I have often heard in places like the DA forum; Photoshop users complain that it's GIMP that is harder to use,but they can always stop complaining and get the Photoshop alike GIMPShop instead.

There's a game I highly recommend-a flight shooter sim,that comes with SuSE,I forget what it's called but it's such a great game,in full 3D.