KDevelop
While KDevelop (www.kdevelop.org) is certainly not the premiere Integrated Development Environment, yet it is certainly a powerful and reliable piece of software. It contains functions to create Basic, C, C++, LISP, and many other types of programs. It also can integrate with gcc or any other Linux compiler and is a very fast piece of software.
Samba
No list of great Linux software would be complete without mention of Samba (www.samba.org). Samba is basically a special type of server that allows a Linux computer to browse and access Windows resources – and to share resources on the network so that Windows users can access them. Although there are some occasional frustrations with Samba, I have found it to be very reliable and also, strangely enough, a faster file-sharer than legacy Windows is!
nmap and Nessus
Have you seen The Matrix Reloaded, the scene where Trinity hacks into the power grid? She does so using an exploit that works on an application discovered by her nmap software. nmap (www.insecure.org) is essentially a port-scanning tool that can find all of the open “holes and doors” into a computer system. You can use nmap on any network or Internet host, and it is regarded as the fastest port scanner available. Also, nmap offers OS detection, application mapping (guessing what application is accepting the “holes and doors”) and many other features. Nessus (www.nessus.org), on the other hand, is an open-source security scanner that can actually pinpoint security threats, warnings, and even holes. In some cases (don’t even think about it) you can even exploit these directly from Nessus. Both of these tools are useful for securing a home or small business network from the latest threats.
Gaim
Who doesn’t love instant messaging? Gaim (gaim.sourceforge.net) is an IM client that can login to many different networks at once, such as AIM, MSN, Yahoo, and many others. It is stable and secure and is included on most major distros. It is somewhat plain at first, but it actually offers many more features than traditional IM does.
X-CD-Roast
The name says it all. X-CD-Roast (www.xcdroast.org) is the premiere CD recording application for Linux. It offers the ability to burn ISO files, standard “data/audio” CD’s, as well as record special formats, such as Video CD. It also includes a pretty front-end, as many Linux CD burning apps do not have a GUI (which is ultimately frustrating).
Audacity
Audacity (audacity.sourceforge.net) is a lesser-known but still very powerful sound (wave) editing program for Linux. It offers multitrack recording and editing that is comparable, though not as powerful as, CoolEdit Pro. It is also a very good MIDI tool as well.
…And Beyond
This is just some of the great software available for Linux. There are many, many other Linux apps out there for all purposes. One of the best places to check first is the SourceForge site (www.sourceforge.net). Search for anything, and you should find it. Have a great time with Linux!
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