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The nice thing about using Linux is that there are software applications available for just about anything you can think of. Most of your proprietary Windows-based software isn't available on Linux but there are usually alternative programmes that are just as good and often better! Even better they're free! And legally free too! No need to pirate your friend's brother's cousin's copy of a copy of a copy of "Whizbang 5.0".

Many software applications are "cross-platform", i.e. they work on Windows, MacOSX, Unix and Linux. So if you've gotten used to using a free and open source application on Windows, it'll be there for you on Linux.

In many cases the software applications will come with your distro.   If they don't, you can usually get them through your distro's package management system (i.e. "Yum" on Fedora Core, "Yast" on Suse, "urpmi" on Mandriva, "apt-get" or "Synaptic" on Debian-based distros).

Some applications are designed for use on the "KDE" desktop, while other are designed for the "Gnome" desktop.   However, it doesn't matter which desktop you use. You can install "KDE" software on a machine using "Gnome" and Gnome software on a machine that uses KDE.

If you install using your Linux systems package management system, it will look after any dependencies you might have.

If you want some software that isn't included in your distro's package management system, that's where you'll run into the occasional "geeky" install using the command line.   But about 90% of the time, your package management system will do the trick!

OFFICE SOFTWARE

Open Office.org - The "default" office suite on most Linux distros.
Star Office - A proprietary implementation of Star Office from Sun Microsystems
Abiword - Lightweight word processing programme
KOffice - The office suite included in the KDE graphical user interface.   If you use a KDE based distro, KOffice will likely be included.
Gnumeric - Spreadsheet programme included in the "Gnome" graphical user interface.

PERSONAL FINANCE

GnuCash - A financial programme for either personal money management or small business accounting

PDF VIEWERS

Adobe Acrobat - (is also available for Linux!)
Ghostview
XPDF

WEB BROWSERS

Mozilla Firefox - The "number two" web browser in the world today. It eats Internet Explorer's lunch!
Mozilla Websuite - The "open source" version of Netscape. In the process of being replaced by the much faster "Sea Monkey" websuite (see below).
SeaMonkey Websuite - The "new and improved" Mozilla Websuite!
Opera - Opera is a proprietary web browser, but they put out a Linux version of their software and keep it as up-to-date as the Windows version.   Opera includes a mail programme, an RSS feed reader and as of version 9.0 includes a Bittorrent programme.   It now passes the "acid2 test" for rendering web pages.
Flock - A new "social" web browser based on the code used in Mozilla Firefox.   It's designed to simplify things like sharing photos, blogging, web searching and handling RSS feeds.
Konqueror - The default web browser/file manager on many KDE based distros. Passes the "acid2 test" for rendering web pages.
Epiphany - Gnome desktop web browser based on the "Gecko" engine used in Mozilla Firefox.
Galeon - Another Gnome/Gecko based web browser
Dillo - A very lightweight web browser and therefore extremely fast!   Suitable for use on older slower machines.   The drawback being that you will have difficulty viewing sites with Flash, java and all kinds of other "special effects".
Kazehakase - An open source web browser for Linux from Japan.

E-MAIL

Mozilla Thunderbird - A replacement for Microsoft Outlook Express only much better!
Mozilla Mail/Sea Monkey Mail - The mail programme included in the Mozilla Web Suite/Sea Monkey Web Suite
Evolution - A replacement for Microsoft Outlook. If you're in an office with a Microsoft Exchange server there is an "Exchange plug-in" available.
K-Mail - The e-mail programme included as part of the "KOffice" suite that's part of the KDE desktop.
Sylpheed - A very simple e-mail programme without a whole lot of "bells and whistles".

CALENDAR & SCHEDULER

Mozilla Sunbird - A "stand alone" personal calendar and scheduling programme from the Mozilla Foundation.

RSS (Real Simple Syndication) READERS

Akregator - A "stand alone" RSS reader for the KDE desktop
RSS Owl - Another "stand alone" RSS reader not only for Linux, but for Solaris, Windows and MacOSX.

IMAGE EDITING

The Gimp - A cross-platform photo and image editor much like "Photoshop", minus the big price tag.

DESKTOP PUBLISHING

Scribus - A free and open source cross-platform desktop publishing programme. It's a great little tool if your stuck with the task of writing newsletters. You can easily export your document to .pdf format.

VECTOR GRAPHICS

Inkscape - A free and open source vector drawing programme, somewhat similar to programmes like "Corel Draw".

Xara Extreme - This is the GNU/Linux and Free BSD version of Xara Extreme which is open source and free. (Xara for Windows will cost you money!)    It's still a little on the beta side and isn't available yet in any Linux package management system so you'll have to do a somewhat "geeky" command line installation (instructions are on the website.) The developers are also working on a version for the Mac, but this is going to take longer.

WYSIWYG WEB EDITORS

Nvu - Nvu is a "What You See Is What You Get" website creation tool.   It doesn't have the "bells and whistles" of programmes like Microsoft Frontpage or Dreamweaver, but it may be just what you need if you're fairly new at doing websites.    Nvu is based on Mozilla Composer and/or SeaMonkey Composer but with a few more features added.

KompoZer - is basically a "bug fix release" of Nvu.

Mozilla Composer/Sea Monkey Composer -   The webpage creation tool built into the Mozilla Web Suite and/or the Sea Monkey web suite.

STEAMING AUDIO/VIDEO/MUSIC/VIDEO PLAYERS

Xine - Plays your CD's, VCD's, DVD's and most streaming audio/video formats.
Kaffeine - Multimedia Player for the KDE desktop based on the Xine engine.
Totem - Multimedia Player for the Gnome desktop based on the Xine engine
MPlayer - Video player that will play VCD's, DVD's and many video formats.
KMPlayer - Video player for the KDE desktop based on MPlayer
XMMS - If you've used "Winamp" on Windows, you'll find XMMS quite similar.
Noatun - Audio player for the KDE desktop
Kaboodle - A simple media player for the KDE desktop
Real Player for Linux - Real Player has always had a version of their streaming media player for Linux.   The one nice thing about the Linux version is that it comes minus all the advertising crud and the "phoning home to Mama".
Helixplayer - Helix Player is an open source version of Real Player for Linux and Unix computers.
Amarok - A music player for the KDE desktop with some incredible tools for organizing the music files on your machine.
VLC Media Player - All purpose audio/video player that gives you the ability to setup your own streaming server.
Democracy Player -   The new "Swiss Army Knife" of video players

CD/DVD BURNING

K3b - K3b is a CD and/or DVD burning application that's part of the KDE desktop.   Unlike proprietary CD burning software like "Roxio's Easy CD-Creator" and "Nero", it doesn't put itself into your startup and take over your machine.   If you've downloaded an "ISO Image" file and you have the "MD5 checksum" file, it'll even do a check to make sure that your file is okay before burning the CD/DVD.

DIGITAL CAMERA SOFTWARE

digiKAM -
gPhoto -

AUDIO EDITING

Audacity - A terrific audio editing programme.   Add on the "lame" encoder and you can easily "rip" your CD's to mp3.   "Out of the box" though you can rip to the much better open source "ogg vorbis" format.   By the way, there are some "mp3 players" that support the ogg vorbis format.   Most of them are made by either iRiver or Samsung.

VIDEO EDITING

Cinellerra - I'm not a video editor, but I understand from the reviews that "Cinellera" is quite a good video editing programme.   Its supposed to work best on "Fedora Core", but it's also available in the Debian respositories if you're using a Debian-based distro.
Jahshaka - Cross platform video and animation editor
Kino - Video editing programme for the KDE desktop environment

3D MODELLING AND ANIMATION

Blender - I'm no expert on this stuff, but I understand this is a pretty damned good piece of software.

VOIP (Voice Over IP Telephony)

Skype - Skype puts out a version of their VOIP software for Linux.   Skype is proprietary and uses proprietary VOIP protocols.   Unfortunately Skype has chosen not to keep their Linux software as up-to-date as their Window$ software.   Unlike the Window$ version, on Skype for Linux you can't use a web camera. It also uses the "Open Sound System" (OSS) for Linux instead of the newer "Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA).
OpenWengo - Open Wengo is open source VOIP software. It's still in beta and there are bugs to work out of the system, but the Linux version is kept as up-to-date as the Windows version.   For instance you can use a web cam with the Linux version of Open Wengo.    Unlike Skype it supports ALSA.

BUILD YOUR OWN PBX!

Asterisk - Feeling ambitious?   Does your small business or organization need a "PBX" but can't afford it?   Now you can build your own PBX box!   The Asterix software runs on Linux, Unix and MacOSX. (Sorry it doesn't run on Window$).

RUNNING WINDOWS SOFTWARE ON LINUX

The Wine Project - This is a free and open source implementation of the Windows application interface that will allow you to run Windows software on Linux and Unix computers.   It can be a little on the "geeky" side.
Codeweavers "Crossover Office" - This is a proprietary implementation of the Wine Project and greatly simplifies running Windows software on Linux and Unix computers. Codeweavers programmers are major contributors to the "Wine Project". Crossover Office isn't free, but its not that expensive. The "paid" versions of Xandros Linux for example include Crossover Office as part of the package.
Win4Lin - Win4Lin isn't free, but it allows you to run Windows on your Linux operating system just as another piece of software on your system.
Cedega - "Cedega" is put out by Toronto-based "TransGaming Technologies".    It isn't free, but allows you to run your Windows games on Linux computers.

LINUX SOFTWARE FOR AMATEUR RADIO

If you are using a "Debian-based" Linux distro, there is a great deal of amateur radio software available in the Debian repositories!

Linux Hamsoft Database
Linux Amateur Radio Software List by XE1BEF

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