Linux Equivalents To Things You Do In Windows

by on Nov 14, 2008 | 17 comments

You’ve heard time and time again from Linux fans that "Linux can do anything Windows can do". Is this true? Yes. However what the Linux fans usually don’t mention is how to do the stuff you do in Windows in Linux.

Bear in mind that "equivalent" in this context is a subjective term, because more often than not the apps you use in Linux to do what you do in Windows usually have more features.

Also bear in mind that the apps listed here are all available from Add/Remove in Ubuntu if you use that particular distro, so they’re really easy to get and install.

MSN / Windows Live Messenger

The Windows way: Windows Live Messenger

The Linux way: aMSN

aMSN does just about everything the standard Windows Live Messenger does. And yes it’s also a really good Hotmail notifier (for notification of new e-mails). In addition, aMSN has a Windows version so if you want to try it out on Windows, you can. And when you use it in Linux, it looks and acts exactly the same as the Windows version.

Multi-protocol instant messaging

The Windows way: Trillian, Miranda, Pidgin

The Linux way: Pidgin

Pidgin is available for both Windows and Linux, but strictly speaking of Linux it’s the best IM client they have. It connects to just about every IM service on the planet – including AIM, Yahoo!, MSN, Google Talk (Jabber) and lots more.

The other IM clients for Linux (aside from aMSN) really aren’t that great. Yes, they do the job but Pidgin is the best of the lot.

IRC (chatting)

The Windows way: mIRC (for most people)

The Linux way: XChat (for most people)

I put "for most people" at the tail of each listed above because there are actually many IRC clients – however the two listed above are arguably the most used.

mIRC is the best IRC client for Windows. It’s been around a really, really long time and is very well established – but it’s only for Windows. And it’s not free either.

XChat is free for Linux. There is also a Windows version of it but you can only use it free for 30 days, after which you have to pay for $19.99 for it. But the Linux version is 100% free.

E-Mail Client

The Windows way: Microsoft Outlook Express, Windows Live Mail, Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird

The Linux way: Evolution, Mozilla Thunderbird

Outlook Express and Windows Live Mail are free but Microsoft Outlook isn’t.

Evolution is free and is usually bundled with most Linux distributions with the GNOME desktop as the standard mail client so you ordinarily don’t even have to download it.

The Evolution mail client is a powerhouse. Overall it’s arguably the most feature-packed mail app next to Microsoft Outlook itself.

Mozilla Thunderbird has been around for a while, is available for both Windows and Linux but is really showing its age. Chances are you’d probably like Evolution better.

Do you use Linux? What do you use to do the stuff you (used) to do in Windows?

Feel free to post commentary about the Linux apps that do the same (or beyond) stuff you do in Windows. People are more than happy to read about this stuff so they know what to expect.

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  • http://howtoubuntu.wordpress.com eli

    OpenOffice, Gnumeric, & Abiword replace MS Office obviously.
    Gimp takes place of Photoshop Elements, though it’s available for Windows too. gLabels makes label making super-easy, it can be used with just about any type of Avery label.

  • Mike

    I’ve found that this site gives a good matrix and allows you to download Linux equivalent apps directly from it. http://www.linuxappfinder.com/alternatives

  • Mauricio

    Even when Evolution is better than Thunderbirb I have to say this last can be used from both (Linux and Windows) with the same accounts and messages so you can send and receive messages using either one and you will be able to have them right there in the other OS. You have to have Thunderbird installed in both OS of course. This is very handy if for some reason you have to go into Windows once in a while as I have to.

  • Miguel

    The apps you’ve mentioned are great. Sure, though I don’t agree thery are the best we have in Linux. Being a KDE users I use:

    - IM: Kopete: supports MSM, Yahoo!, AIM, ICQ, QQ, Gtalk and all Jabbers, Gadu-Gadu and Groupwise; multiple identities! with chat window themes… Great IM. I like Psi as well, though is only Jabber; Kmess is a perfect MSN substitute!!. there’s otheres. BTW, aMSN themes are ugly (personal opinion)

    - IRC: A must have is Konversation, and next Quassel (still in development)

    - Mail…: KDEPIM; a superb piece of software. Hundred of years better than Evolution. Does mail, contact managment, calendar, to-do manager, feed agregator, diary, notes, and note taking manager, and task manager. Groupware!, important this and lots of other stuff.

  • Mike

    Don’t forget the Lightning plugin for Thunderbird to add in all of the calendar functionality.

  • http://www.darknet-fusion.co.cc Vertimyst

    I use:

    Kopete for IM.

    Firefox for web browsing, though it is a Windows app as well, of course.

    XChat for IRC, though I’m always switching (Kopete does IRC fairly well as well).

    I use Gmail’s web interface for email.

    SMPlayer for video, but if I have to play a DVD with menu support I use Kaffeine.

    Amarok for music. I can’t wait until I can manage to install it in Windows, it’s my favorite media player.

    Openoffice Writer for writing. Another cross-platform app.

    I have yet to find a good Linux twitter client I like. I’d use TweetDeck (what I use in Windows), but Adobe AIR doesn’t have a package for my distro (Arch Linux).

    I run all of this under KDE4.

  • Pingback: Boycott Novell » Links 15/11/2008: San Marcos University Moves to GNU/Linux, Spread Thunderbird is Launched

  • http://gnuski.blogspot.com lefty.crupps

    KDE apps all the way, not for any reason other than that they’re all so good:

    chat – Kopete (multi protocol)
    email – KMail and the Kontact suite (KDEPIM)
    IRC – Konversation
    music – Amarok
    dvd backups – K9copy
    movie watching – Kaffeine
    web – Firefox, sometimes Konqueror
    graphics – Gimp, Inkscape, Krita
    downloads – KTorrent

  • http://linuxcanuck.wordpress.com LinuxCanuck

    Unfortunately, the Linux side is biased in favour of Gnome applications.

    For KDE, substitute Kopete for Pidgin and Konversation for Xchat.

    I don’t use Windows, so don’t care about equivalents.

    Here are some open source applications that rock:

    Amarok (media player, KDE)
    K3b (burner, KDE)
    Vlc (movie player, also has a Windows version)
    gParted (Gnome) or Qtparted (KDE, partition managers)
    Griffith (DVD database manager)
    Deluge (bittorrent manager)
    Pan (newsreader)
    Akregator (RSS feed reader)
    Gimp (both Linux and Windows, graphics editor)
    Rawstudio (raw image converter)
    Compiz Fusion (eye candy/ compositor)
    Screenlets (gadgets)
    Avant Window Navigator (OS/X style bar)

  • David Chard

    Where is the Power Point program??
    (Open Office Presentation comes with too much baggage)

  • http://www.darknet-fusion.co.cc Vertimyst

    Mm, I should also add that I use KTorrent for torrents in Linux, uTorrent in Windows.

  • Joseph Barr

    I use Amarok and K3b for all my musical listening and copying;also,
    Serpentine and Sound Juicer to listen to my CD collection,etc.

  • Tolga BALCI

    Can we count

    [1] Hugin in place of Microsoft ICE [http://research.microsoft.com/IVM/ICE/]

    [2] Kivio in place of Visio

    [3] Digikam in place of ACDSee

    …sorry if any duplicates…

  • http://slasherbbs.com John Riley

    I used Linux for the last couple of years. Then my computer crashed. I had to buy a new one, and due to the warranty I’m stuck on Windows until January of 2011. When I was on Linux I was a KDE user and I used:

    Firefox = Web Browser
    Thunderbird = EMail
    Kopete = Instant Messenger
    Konversation = IRC
    FileZilla = FTP

    Now that I’m stuck with Windows (Thank God it’s Windows XP Professional and not Windows Vista or Windows XP Home Edition!) I use:

    Firefox = Web Browser
    Thunderbird = EMail
    Pidgin = Instant Messenger (There is no native Kopete for Windows)
    X-Chat = IRC (There is no native Koversation for Windows)
    FileZilla = FTP

    That’s all I can remember… Because even under Linux I used Microsoft Office 2003… I mean, I paid for it, I might as well use the bitch.

    • http://www.darknet-fusion.co.cc Vertimyst

      Actually, Kopete (and maybe Konversation), as well as Amarok and several other KDE apps are available for Windows. They’re not 100% stable yet, but you can still try.

      http://windows.kde.org/

      • http://slasherbbs.com John Riley

        Yeah, I know. Konversation on KDE for Windows crashes when trying to setup network configurations.

  • http://slasherbbs.com John Riley

    I used Linux for the last couple of years. Then my computer crashed. I had to buy a new one, and due to the warranty I’m stuck on Windows until January of 2011. I kinda forgot some when I originally posted this list. When I was on Linux I was a KDE user and I used:

    Firefox = Web Browser
    Thunderbird = EMail
    Kopete = Instant Messenger
    Konversation = IRC
    FileZilla = FTP
    GEdit = Text and HTML creation.
    KTorrent = Torrents

    Now that I’m stuck with Windows (Thank God it’s Windows XP Professional and not Windows Vista or Windows XP Home Edition!) I use:

    Firefox = Web Browser
    Thunderbird = EMail
    Pidgin = Instant Messenger (There is no native Kopete for Windows)
    X-Chat = IRC (There is no native Koversation for Windows)
    FileZilla = FTP
    GEdit = Text and HTML creation.
    BitTorrent = Torrents

    That’s all I can remember… Because even under Linux I used Microsoft Office 2003… I mean, I paid for it, I might as well use the bitch.

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