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After the top ten

John R Hudson
Posted on November 11, 2010
( 2 minute read )

Following the publication of the top ten free and open source software programs last issue, we had a request for 11-40.

In fact 42 had originally been nominated. So here are 11-42 sorted by operating system; we did not vote on those that were not considered for the top ten. Linux users can get these programs from their distribution’s repositories. The Web addresses are for Mac and Windows users.

Two programs were considered for the final top ten but eventually missed out:
Firefox – web browser http://www.mozilla-europe.org/en/firefox/
Inkscape – vector graphics program http://inkscape.org/download/

The remainder consisted of the Android mobile ‘phone operating system, fourteen cross-platform (i.e. BSD (Apple), Linux, Unix, Windows) programs:

Calibre – eBook reader http://calibre-ebook.com/download
Eclipse – integrated development environment for programmers http://www.eclipse.org/
ImageMagick – image manipulation program http://www.imagemagick.org/script/binary-releases.php?ImageMagick=hp8c1s549fi8p652qojn2mnt64#windows
KeePassX/KeePass – password manager http://keepass.info/download.html
Konqueror – integrated file manager/web browser http://windows.kde.org/download.php
LyX – typesetting/publishing GUI for LaTeX http://www.lyx.org/Download
Mame – arcade games emulator http://mamedev.org/release.html
Okular – document reader http://windows.kde.org/download.php
Pan Newsreader – newsreader http://pan.rebelbase.com/download/
Pidgin – instant messaging client http://www.pidgin.im/download/
Quantum GIS – geographic information system http://www.qgis.org/wiki/Download
Terminator – terminal emulator http://software.jessies.org/terminator/#downloads
Thunderbird – email and news client http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/download/
TrueCrypt – encryption software http://www.truecrypt.org/downloads

One non-Linux program:
Picasa – digital photo organiser http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/

Two non-Windows programs:
F-spot – digital photo organiser
MythTV – digital multi-media system

One Windows only program:
Ground control – video game http://www.massive.se/gcdownload/

And eleven mainly Linux/Unix programs:

Acire – programming snippets for Python
Avant Windows Navigator – application launcher
cron – job scheduler
Elementary – desktop environment based on Gnome
Geany – text editor
Gnome-Do – Gnome application launcher
gscan2pdf – PDF creator
Guake – terminal emulator
locate – file locator (runs under Linux/Unix but will locate Windows files on the same computer)
Transmission – BitTorrent client
xfig – vector graphics program