LINUX NEWBIE ADMINISTRATOR GUIDE

ver. 0.36 1999-04-27

Part 6: Some Essential Linux Applications (proprietary or not)

by Peter,  Stan,  Barbara and Marie Klimas

Answers to Some Frequently Asked Linux Questions
Distributed under the General Public Licence http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html. Your feedback, comments, corrections, and improvements are appreciated. Send them to either bklimas@magma.ca or bw641@freenet.carleton.ca



Quick site navigation:

Start:   Linux Newbie Administrator Guide
Part 0: For the Undecided (Linux Benefits)
Part 1: Before Linux Installation
Part 2: Linux Resources, Help and Some Links
Part 3: Basic Operations FAQ
Part 4: Linux Newbie Administrator FAQ
Part 5: How to Upgrade the Kernel
Part 6: Linux Shortcuts and Commands
Part 7: >Essential Linux applications (proprietary or not)<


Contents of this page:

7. Some essential Linux applicatons (propietary or not):

7.1 Word Perfect 8 for Linux
7.2 Star Office Suite
7.3 Applixware
7.4 Spreadsheet
7.5 Databases
7.6 CAD
7.7 Netscape

7. Some essential Linux applications (proprietary or not):

This is not a complete coverage of Linux applications. Selection criteria were:
o  The application is not installed during RedHat 5.2 installation--the user must take active steps to find / install it.
o  We particularily like this application, or a reputable source led us to believe that it is a really worth it recommendation.

There are thousands of Linux programs. If you are unsatisfied with our lean choice, try:  http://www.linuxapps.com/ or   http://stommel.tamu.edu/~baum/linuxlist/linuxlist/linuxlist.html  or  http://www.boutell.com/lsm/  or  http://www.linuxlinks.com/Software/

7.1 Word Perfect 8 for Linux
This is a very good and powerful word processor.  A free version is available for personal use. Try: http://linux.corel.com/linux8/download.htm (free registration is required). The free version lacks the equation editor,  built-in graphics editor, chart editor and the "art text",  but it is otherwise a fully functional version of the best word processor in the world. The full version costs about $50.

File-level compatibility with MS Word is very good (I encountered cases that suggest WP8 may actually be more compatibile with the different "sub-versions" of MS Word fileformat than MS Word itself).

WP8 is normally launched through an icon or from the K-menu but you have to add these yourself after the installation.  The main executabe is /usr/local/wp8/wpbin/xwp, but the location may vary, depending where you installed it. Use the command
locate xwp
or
find / -name "xwp"
if you cannot find it.

To "manually"  launch WP8, try in X-terminal:
/usr/local/wp8/wpbin/xwp

7.2 Star Office Suite
Star Office is a complete office suite: word processor, spreadsheet and presentation program. Full version is free for personal use--it can be downloaded over the Internet:  try http://www.stardivision.com/freeoffice/  (large, 60-80 MB download, probably not practical with a modem).

Star Office looks and acts very much like MS Office for Windows (this includes that it is big and slow) and may not be worth the trouble without at least 32 MB of physical memory.  It also  has a good file-level compatibility with MS Office (read and write MS Word, MS Excel and MS PowerPoint file formats).

Star Office requires registration after which you obtain a "registration key". The registration key is based on your e-mail which you give to Star Office Corp., so make sure you remember which e-mail you gave them and enter the same to the program when it pops the registration box, together with the key.

7.3 Applixware
Applixware is another office suite. It contains a word processor, spreadsheet, graphics, presentation, mail, html authoring, and a few more applications.  Many say it's the best. I don't know because no free edition is available. See http://www.applix.com/appware/linux/index.htm for more information. If you are really desparate for Aplixware, you can download the demo at:  http://www.download.com/, but do you really want to?  [Sorry, I have to say this: why do copyright layers keep killing perfectly good software?]
7.4 Spreadsheet
Besides the spreadsheet applications in the suites above, you may want to have a look at xess:

http://www.ais.com/linux_corner.html

They have also a slightly scaled down shareware xess-lite version  which can be downloaded from their site.  We love the general design of xess (simple and almost self-explanatory). It seems to have really good power for engineering applications.

7.5 Databases
If you are a database person, you will be pleased to see that Linux is very well covered in this area.

postgreSQL is a high-powered database available on your RH5.2 CD (free, unrestrictive licence).

mySQL http://www.tcx.se/ is free for non-commercial use.

Sybase for Linux (edited for space):

From:  Rumy Driver <rdriver@sybase.com>  Organization:  Sybase Inc.
[...] I do work for Sybase and we have a full-featured Y2K database for GNU/Linux which is free of cost for unlimited use. Available on the RedHat 5.2 distribution (on the 3rd CD).  Rumy Driver
Check: http://www.sybase.com:80/sqlserver/linux/aselinux_install.html for more information.

Interbase for Linux can be downloaded free for personal use: http://www.interbase.com/downloads/products.html .

There is also Oracle for Linux:  http://platforms.oracle.com/linux/index_lin.htm. For an Oracle-Linux howto, see:  http://jordan.fortwayne.com/oracle/index.html
 

7.6 CAD
OCTREE (free for non-commercial):  http://www.octree.de/html/frames/eng/f_octree.htm
VariCAD (proprietary commercial):  http://www.varicad.com/
VARKON (LGPL): http://www.varkon.com/
Microstation (prorpietary): http://www.microstation.com/academic/products/linux.htm--the academic edition of Microstation includes the Linux version of their excellent CAD system (better than AutoCad).
7.7  Netscape
You may have installed a 4.xx version of Netscape during your RH5.2 installation. To run it, try (in X-terminal):

netscape

If you didn't install Netscape, you may want to put your RedHat CD into the CDROM, mount it using, for example (as root):

mount -t auto /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom

and then start, from X-terminal:

glint

to browse the available packages and  perhaps install netscape from your RedHat CD.  If you prefer to do the installation from from the command line, try, after mounting the CDROM:

cd /mnt/cdrom
cd RedHat/RPMS
rpm -i netsca*

Netscape is a very good browser, with the same look, feel, and power as Netscape for MS Windows, so you will have no problems navigating it. On the dark side, Netscape sometimes crashes  (just disappears from the screen, no damage done, you have to restart it)  and does not like to be be run without connection to the Internet (depending on  your configuration, it can take it up to a couple of minutes to figure out that there is no connection).  Any Netscape version 4.xx seem to have similar problems, so upgrading to a slightly higher version does not seem justified. Take your heart, once tuned-up, Netscape runs quite well, and is quite definitely perfectly usable (I use it all the time).  Gecko (the already famous, revolutionary offspring of Netscape) is under way so hold your breath :-)  .

If  your ISP connection is really slow, you may prefer a text-based browser:

lynx

which is a real piece of art and does not have any problems whatsoever.

Another choice of a Internet browser is your KDE help utility (click on the "book with the lightbulb" button on you K-bar). This is really a html browser so if you are connected to the Internet (e.g. using your kppp), you can browse almost anything using this simple utility.


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