'Desktop stuff' What do you all use? I need to know! Mostly I just do web browsing (mozilla), email (pine), irc (xchat), listen to music (xmms), and work on various web pages (joe :). I've also played with openoffice but I don't really do the kind of stuff that requires it (and the fbsd version is pants). -- zcat
Would it not make more sense to consider tasks instead of specific Windows applications? For example, my parents only ever used their copy of Microsoft Office to view Word documents they had been sent via e-mail. When they switched to Linux, they did not need clones of MicrosoftExcel, Word, !PowerPoint?, and Access. All they needed was an application that allows them to view Word documents. See 
http://newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=03/07/09/1934259 for an example of a task-oriented table. -- MatthiasDallmeier
|^Windows Equivalent|^Linux Software|^Notes
|vvvvv Internet Explorer|Mozilla|MozillaNotes and 1?
| MozillaFirefox |
| Opera |
| Konqueror | 3?
| links | 4?
| lynx | 4?
|vvvvvv Microsoft OutlookExpress|MozillaMail|1?
| Evolution |2?
| Pine | 4?
| Mutt | 4?
| KMail | 3?
| Sylpheed | 2?
| MozillaThunderbird |
|vvv mIRC | XChat | 2?
| epic | 4?
| BitchX | 4?
| irssi | 4?
|v Winamp | xmms |
| zinf | Zinf is not Freeamp
|vvvvvv Microsoft Word | AbiWord | 2?
| OpenOffice Writer |
| LyX | 6?
| Kate | 3?
| vim / gvim | 5?
| GNU / X emacs | 5?
| LaTeX | 6?
|vv Microsoft Powerpoint | OpenOffice Impress |
| MagicPoint |
| Prosper (LaTeX) | 6?
|v MicrosoftExcel | Gnumeric | 2? Gnumeric doesn't support VBA, you can use Python/Perl/TCL etc for scripting if required. It does however support all the spreadsheet functions that MicrosoftExcel has, as well as a hundred or so more.
|OpenOffice calc | OpenOffice has a VBA style reimplementation
|vvv Microsoft SQL Server | PostgreSQL | 1?
| MySQL | 1?
| FireBird | 1?
| SQLite | 1?
| Adobe Photoshop | TheGIMP | 2?
| Macromedia Freehand | Sodipodi |
| Sound editor | Audacity | 2?
| VisualBasic
VisualC++
C# | GnuEnterprise?
Python
Perl
Java
C/C++
Scheme
TCL/Tk | See 
Category:ProgrammingLanguages
|vvvvv VisualStudio | GCC | gcc(1) is a compiler, not an IDE
| EMACS | Emacs is an IDE not a compiler
| IDLE, Eric | IDLE and Eric are Python IDEs
| Make | make(1) provides a project/building framework for applications
| KDevelop |
| Anjuta |
|vv MicroSoftDeveloperNetwork | ManPages? | For documentation on commands, library calls and system calls
| Google | To find web pages which talk about specific problems
| UseNet | To ask specific questions
|v Dos Box | xterm(1) |
| konsole |
|vv Command.com / CMD.exe | bash(1)
| tcsh(1) | CshProgrammingConsideredHarmful
| BusyBox
|vv MSN | Gaim | 2?
| Gabber
| kopete| 3?
| IIS | Apache | 1?
| Firewalling / NAT | iptables(8) |
| Microsoft Access / FileMaker? Pro or similar | OpenOffice base | OpenOffice 2.0 has database front end.
| Family Tree Maker / Legacy| Gramps| Genealogy software
|v Frontpage / Dreamweaver | Quanta | 3?
| Screem| 2?
1? The Linux software is generally considered much more secure. 2? This is a GNOME/GTK application 3? This is a KDE/Qt application 4? This is a command line or terminal program 5? They may not be WYSIWYG editors but they are still perfectly fine for most things 6? LaTeX is a typesetting language, not an editor. It produces the desired result (in many cases better than the MS equivalent), but in most cases you need to use a text editor (like gvim) to 'write' the document. You can use LyX to write documents in a near WYSIWYG style -- Perry Lorier
I'm very tempted to add a [7? This application is almost good enough to do basic tasks that you can do in the MS equivalent. But I'd be applying it to almost everything... Implying that linux apps still have a long way to go? There are plenty of things listed above that are feature-equivalent to the MS equivalent, if not better
OK, going through the list, there's Mozilla, which is better than IE. Evolution is better than OE but not better than Outlook+Exchange when you consider the calendaring feature. Otherwise, there is nothing on there that is as complete and polished and part-of-the-framework as in Windows. Even cutting and pasting between two Gnome2 apps (admittedly ones in development, but isn't it always?) didn't work. Ease of use is a feature. However, crashing isn't.
Also, gcc+Emacs does NOT an IDE make! (Even if you add make)
You went through about two items in the list and then declared that to be complete? SQL servers? shells? scripting languages? IM clients? IRC clients? XMMS? 'complete and polished and part-of-the-framework' is also VERY different to 'almost good enough to basic tasks'. Please make level comparisons! --
DanielLawson
Shells exceed the flexibility of the command prompt under windows. Python/TclTK/Perl exceed the power and flexibility of VisualBasic. XMMS is fine. Sawfish allows far more customability than whatever you consider to be the windows window manager. I think the idea of saying that linux isn't as good at doing what windows does, is missing the point IMHO. -- PerryLorier
Joe Windows User, who, as far as I am aware, this page and discussion is aimed it, does not use a shell, a scripting language, an SQL server, etc. If they're using command.com then your application is wrong.
XMMS doesn't have half the visualisation features of Winamp, and is bound by interface problems in the (older) version of GTK it uses for things like file loading. Plus the font support is terrible. They are not going to port XMMS to GTK2, but Rhythmbox (an iTunes clone), built on GStreamer, seems the way of the future.
IM clients - well, nothing will ever offer the same amount of features as the IM Client from the provider in question. I use Jabber, JAJC or Rhymbox on Windows, and most of the jabber clients are either multi-IM clients that have added basic Jabber functionality (gaim) or not really 'integrated with the environment'. I'd like to see gabber 1.9 but there are no binaries and compiling it was going to need a serious overhaul of what I had installed.
IRC clients, well, depends what you like... Xchat is as good as mIRC but they are both different. Personally I use irssi anyway because I like screen.
Almost good enough for basic tasks: any of the word processors (I couldn't put a graphic into a text box, nor could I cut and paste a graphic into a document.)
I realise that some people prefer emacs/vim to Visual Studio, but if you're going to compare apples with apples then the demands have to be a bit higher.
(quick stream of thought, lunch breaks are only so long) -- CraigBox
---
Python/TclTK?/Perl exceed the power and flexibility of VisualBasic. Lies. the power and flexibility of Visual Basic is dropping controls on a form and having a gui application (or proof of concept, say) built in no time at all.
XMMS is fine. Would you put up with a program that looked like Windows 3.1 on your Windows XP desktop? You might (you dont care for UI as much as I do) - I wouldnt. Though in saying that Totem is a good Gnome2 media player.
Sawfish allows far more customability than whatever you consider to be the windows window manager - there are add ons for things like multiple desktops and focus follows mouse; if you want them. I don't use the functionality so I never look deeply. the windows paradigm doesnt make them as necessary.
Accentuate the bits of Linux that are good: Free, free, libre, stable on servers, whatever; dont go trying to claim that its the perfect thing for every task because although it's heading that way, it's not there yet.
Go read phils TheGIMP vs Photoshop for example. Theres
-- a bit missing ?
I wasn't aware this page was at all trying to say that linux was perfect. However I really dont like seemingly off-the-cuff comments like 'this application is almost good enough to do basic tasks that you can do in the MS equivalent' being applied to just about everything. I do NOT feel limited in ANY way by using linux as my primary desktop. I know there are probably plenty of things that definitely worse under linux, but there are also a LOT of things that suit me a lot better under linux. (Native) Multiple Desktops, better shells, and better scripting support are three off the top of my head. You keep claiming this is about some mysterious Joe Windows User, who I might point out doesn't use an IDE, nor Photoshop (unless they pirated it) and will almost certainly be happy with XMMS' interface. Again, make a level comparison please! If you are going to start going on about 'Joe Windows User' then make sure you are making realistic comparisons. -- DanielLawson
This comes back to matthias's point earlier that perhaps the question should be "how do you do this?" instead of "what is the same as this?" -- PerryLorier
When writing a large application VB has issues, even simple things like no inheritance make it nearly impossible to do anything of any size. I don't use the xmms load gui I admit. however it's interface looks the same as any other gnome app. I was thinking more about the scriptability of sawfish (binding keys to scripts etc) than the simple features like focus follows mouse. And, uh, are you going to finish your sentance? -- PerryLorier
"Go read phils TheGIMP vs Photoshop for example. Theres"
hmmm, i too would like to know how that one ended, or, if i'm missing the point, just what said missed point might be.
about that table, when did Kwrite and Openoffice become GTK/GNOME apps? i would go ahead and edit, but i don't want to break that spectacular table.
--PhilHarper
