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CHAPTER 5:CHAPTER 5
Applications
Linux enthusiasts are often told that Linux will never take off
on the desktop until there are more applications that run on
it. Although I understand what these critics mean, I often
wonder if they are truly aware of the diversity and usefulness
of Linux programs that are already available. If you can iden-
tify the narrow range of functionality you really need from a
computer, whether for business or personal use, you may
find that Linux and open source software can meet your
needs.
The problem is finding which programs, among the thou-
sands available, best meet your requirements. Though there
is no replacement for doing actual program testing yourself, I
can help you get started by showing you many of the most
popular programs available. If your needs extend beyond the
types of programs presented here, I suggest you start your
search at the Freshmeat (http://www.freshmeat.net) and
Sourceforge (http://www.sourceforge.net) web sites; both are
searchable archives for thousands of open source programs,
and they are valuable resources when looking for a task-
specific program. In addition, there are also GNOME and
KDE web sites that have extensive lists of software favored
by these desktop environments. Here are a few of these sites:
http://www.gnomefiles.org
http://www.kde-apps.org
http://www.kde-files.org
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