Best Open-Source Software, they say...

Completely stolen from this post

http://lifehacker.biz/articles/best-open-source-software/

I present to you this list, below. Unfortunately, I take issue with those Open Source, GPL'ed apps which are only for Windows (or only have a GUI for Windows). What a crock! But its still Free software so I kinda forgive them. Kinda. You know, forgive the sin but not the sinner, right?

Handbrake I'm looking at YOU. But, congrats on your impending release...

Best Open Source Software

July 30th, 2007 by Editor OpenSource, Top, Software

Address Book

• Corvalis - is a free, open source address management system .Export to/import from other popular e-mail programs such as Outlook and free e-mail service. Improved search features and group management .
• Rubrica - is an addressbook manager for the GNOME Environment. It allows you to add personal data (name, surname, address, etc.), web links, irc and email addresses, telephone numbers, job information (company where contact works, company infos, contact’s assigment, etc.) and notes.

Audio Tools

• MediaCoder - is a free universal batch media transcoder, which nicely integrates most popular audio/video codecs and tools into an all-in-one solution. It converts file formats, giving you a great deal of control over the output. It can also save you plenty of hard disk space by shrinking media files. There are also lots of extensions you can download that expand the programma’s capabilities, such as make it easy to transcode files for specific media players.
• Audacity - is a free, easy-to-use audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. It allows users to record live audio, convert tapes and records to digital formats, or mix pre-existing digital audio tracks. Supported formats include Ogg Vorbis, MP3, and WAV sound files. Operating system: Windows, Linux/Unix, OS X, Classic Mac.
• HandBrake - is an open-source, GPL-licensed, multiplatform, multithreaded DVD to MPEG-4 converter, available for MacOS X, Linux and Windows. It grabs video from a variety of sources, including a DVD and a DVD image, and grabs audio from sources as well, including MPEG audio tracks. You’ll then be able to output a digital file in a variety of formats, including MPEG-4, AVI, OGM for video, or AAC, MP3, and Ogg Vorbis for audio.
• LAME -is one of the best MP3 encoders in the world, producing excellent quality MP3s. It is used by many CD rippers, combopacks and so on and its popularity is increasing almost daily. Also, in great quality DivX encoding, people tend to use LAME over other MP3 encoders.
• AC3Filter - is an open source AC3 decoding filter that allows you to watch videos with AC3-encoded surround audio. After you install the filter, all video players, including Microsoft’s Windows Media Player, that use DirectShow, should be able to play AC3 audio correctly. Filter also supports ProLogicII audio as well.
• MP3Gain -analyzes and adjusts mp3 files so that they have the same volume. It does not just do peak normalization, as many normalizers do. Instead, it does some statistical analysis to determine how loud the file actually sounds to the human ear. With MP3Gain you can adjust your songs per file, which makes them all play at the same loudness (radio gain), or per album, which keeps the volume differences within an album but makes the albums play at similar loudness.
• Moosic - is a music player for Unix systems. It focuses on convenient and powerful playlist management. The key feature of this music player is its playlist management/queuing abilities. By default, Moosic supports MP3, Ogg, MIDI, MOD, and WAV files, but it can be configured to support other file formats as well. Operating system: Unix.
• StreamRipper - allows you to record and save Shoutcast streams and other Internet audio. Its key feature is the ability to find silences and mark them as possible points of track separation. Operating system: Windows, Linux/Unix.
• EasyTAG - is a utility for viewing and editing tags for MP3, MP2, MP4/AAC, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MusePack, Monkey’s Audio and WavPack files. Its simple and nice GTK+ interface makes tagging easier under GNU/Linux or Windows.

Bulletin Board

• phpBB -is a high powered, fully scalable, and highly customisable open-source bulletin board package. phpBB has a user-friendly interface, simple and straightforward administration panel, and helpful FAQ. Based on the powerful PHP server language and your choice of MySQL, MS-SQL, PostgreSQL or Access/ODBC database servers, phpBB is the ideal free community solution for all web sites. Features include: Unlimited forums and posts; Multiple language interface; Private or public forums; Powerful search utility; Private messaging system; Templates.

Databases

• Firebird -is a relational database offering many ANSI SQL standard features that runs on Linux, Windows, and a variety of Unix platforms.
• PostgreSQL -is an advanced PostgreSQL-based search engine that provides online indexing of data and relevance ranking for database searching. Close integration with database allows use of metadata to restrict search results.Operating system: Windows, Linux/Unix, OS X, Solaris.

Content Managers

• XOOPS -is an extensible, OO (Object Oriented), easy to use dynamic web content management system written in PHP. XOOPS is the ideal tool for developing small to large dynamic community websites, intra company portals, corporate portals, weblogs and much more. Read the All about XOOPS page for more details.
• Opencms - is a professional, easy to use website content management system. It is based on Java and XML technology. It can be deployed in an open source environment (e.g. Linux, Apache, Tomcat, MySQL) as well as on commercial components (e.g. Windows NT, IIS, BEA Weblogic, Oracle).
• WebGUI - is a web application framework and web content management system that puts the publishing power in the hands of the people who create the content, rather than the IT staff. Join the thousands of businesses, universities, and schools that have found out just how easy web can be.
• PHP-Nuke -is a powerful Open Source portal application. It can be used as a weblog or as a CMS. PhpNuke allows webmasters and editors to easily post new content and comment existing articles. PHPNuke is much for game clan and guild sites. It is free software, released under the GNU License.

Developer Tools

• phpMyAdmin - handles theadministration of MySQL over the Web. phpMyAdmin performs many databaseadministration tasks like running SQL statements, adding and dropping databases,and adding, editing or deleting tables or fields. Operating system: OSIndependent.
• Dev-C++ gives you afull-featured Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for the C/C++ programminglanguage. It uses Mingw port of GCC (GNU CompilerCollection) as it’s compiler. Dev-C++ can also be used in combination withCygwin or any other GCC based compiler.
• EasyPHP - is a complete softwarepackage allowing to use all the power and the flexibility that offers thedynamic language PHP and the effecient use of databases under Windows. Packageincludes an Apache server, a MySQL database, a fully PHP execution, as well aseasy development tools for your web site or your applications.
• XAMPP - is an easy toinstall Apache distribution containing MySQL, PHP and Perl. XAMPP is really veryeasy to install and to use - just download, extract and start. Operating system:Windows, Linux, OS/X, Solaris.
• Notepad++is a free source code editor which supports severalprogramming languages running under the M$ Windows environment.Notepad++ isdesigned to be a freeware replacement for Notepad. Supported languages : C, C++,Java, C#, XML, HTML, PHP, Javascript, RC resource file, makefile, ASCII art file(extension .nfo, doxygen, ini file, batch file, ASP, VB/VBS source files, SQL,Objective-C, CSS, Pascal, Perl, Python and Lua.
• jEdit - is a text editor written in Java.It supports auto indent and syntax highlighting for 130 different codinglanguages, as well as dozens of independently developed plug-ins and macros thatmake programming easier. Operating system: OS Independent.
• TortoiseSVN - is a really easyto use Revision control / version control / source control software for Windows.It works directly from Windows Explorer and you can use it with virtually anydevelopment tools. Operating system: Windows.
• DotNetNuke - is a powerful opensource framework that creates and deploys robust modules on the ASP.NETplatform. Written by its core team of developers, this book will provide youwith the tools and insight you’ll need to install, configure, and develop yourown stunning
• AppServ - is an Apache/PHP/MySQLdistribution designed to be completely installed and configured in less than oneminute. While it works on Windows, the developers recommend Linux for Web ordatabase servers that will be used heavily. Operating system: Windows,Linux/Unix.
• SharpDevelop -is a free IDE for C#, VB.NET and Boo projects on Microsoft’s. It includes aforms designer, code completer, an integrated debugger, and many other features.Operating system: Windows.
• wxWidgets - lets developers createapplications for Win32, Mac OS X, GTK+, X11, Motif, WinCE, and more using onecodebase. It can be used from languages such as C++, Python, Perl, and C#/.NET.
• Hibernate - is a powerful, highperformance object/relational persistence and query service. Hibernate allowsyou to express queries in its own portable SQL extension (HQL), as well as innative SQL, or with an object-oriented Criteria and Example API.
• Ultimate++ is a C++ cross-platformrapid application development suite focused on programmers productivity. Itincludes a set of libraries (GUI, SQL, etc..), and an integrated developmentenvironment.
• DeskWeb - applies theiconography and usability of a common Windows desktop system to Webapplications. It is familiar and user-friendly and lets users easily learn howto exploit all of the software’s features. It can be used in various ways, suchas a content management system, a company groupware, a wiki, or more. Operatingsystem: OS Independent.
• Zile - is a small Emacs clone. Zileis a customizable, self-documenting real-time open-source display editor. Zilewas written to be as similar as possible to Emacs; every Emacs user should feelat home. Operating system: Linux/Unix.
• WAMP5 - installsautomatically Apache, PHP, MySQL, PHPmyadmin and SQLitemanager on any Windowssystem. It was created in order to make it easy to use the latest version of PHP—PHP5Operating system: Windows.
• MiKTeX - is an up-to-date TeX implementationfor the Windows operating system. It is a typesetting program with a completeset of fonts, utilities, and macros.
• TEA - is a GTK+-basedtext editor that supports a number of different coding languages, but itis especially helpful for writing HTML. It’s very small but includes a filemanager, spellchecker, search function, and more. Operating system: Linux/Unix,OS X, Solaris.
• SiSU -is an information structuring,transforming, publishing and search framework. Supported formats includeplain-text, HTML, XHTML, XML, ODF, LaTeX, and PDF. Operating system: Linux/Unix.
• PDFCreator -is a freetool to create PDF files from nearly any Windows application. It allows users tocreate PDF files from any printable Windows document. As an added bonus, it canalso create PNG, JPG, TIFF, BMP, PCX, PS, or EPS files. Operating system:Windows.
• Ghostscript -allows users toconvert, view, and print PostScript and PDF files. Different versions of thesoftware are available either as open-source or as commercial distributions.Operating system: Windows, Linux/Unix, OS X, Classic Mac.

Emulators

• DOSBox - isa long gone from Windows–the command prompt inside Windows isn’t trulyDOS anymore. Many old games simply won’t run from the Windows command prompt.They need true blue DOS. You can get the free DOSBox, which does a great job ofemulating it. Install and run the program, then run any DOS game–or DOSapplication, for that matter–inside it. When you run DOSBox, it automaticallysets any sound-system related variables, so that your sound system will workproperly with your old games.
• ZNES - is a Super Nintendo emulatorprogrammed by zsKnight and _Demo_. It lets you play your Super Nintendogames on your PC. Some games work better than others, and it’s very much a workin progress. Operating system: Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, and DOS.
• eMule -is one of the biggest and mostreliable peer-to-peer file sharing clients around the world. Many developerscontribute to the project, so the network gets more and more efficient withevery new version. Operating system: Windows.
• Ares - is a P2P file-sharingprogram. It’s easier to figure out how to search for files and download them,and it also will download files using BitTorrent, which is probably the mostpopular file-sharing protocol today. Also useful is that the program includes abuilt-in media player, as well as chat capabilities and a built-in Web browser.
• Wine - is an Open Source implementationof the Windows API on top of X, OpenGL, and Unix. It lets you run Windowsprograms on x86-based Unix systems. Operating system: Linux/Unix, OS X, Solaris.
• BitTorrent - is the global standard for delivering high-quality files over the Internet. Our new site,BitTorrent.com, has been launched to provide a better digital entertainmentexperience for the community of over 150 million users who use our software.BitTorrent even enables you to publish your own content. If you are a filmmaker,musician, or even a comedian, it’s the perfect place to showcase your work to aworldwide audience.Operating system: Windows, Linux/Unix.DC++ is an open sourceclient for Windows for the Direct Connect network. Direct Connect allows you toshare files over the Internet without restrictions or limits. The client iscompletely free of advertisements and has a nice, easy to use interface.Firewall and router support is integrated and it is easy and convenient to usefunctionality like multi-hub connections, auto-connections and resuming ofdownloads.
• Burst! - is the BitTorrentclient that uses less memory and other resources than the original client. Keyfeatures include a torrents manager and super-seeding mode. Operating system:Windows.
• BT++ is an improved clientfor the BitTorrent peer-to-peer file distribution solution. It is written, likethe offical BitTorrent client, in Python and wxPython for maximum cross-platformcompatibility. It should work on any platform that wxPython is available for.
• Shareaza P2P - is known by its support for numerous P2P networks, including Gnutella2, Gnutella1, eDonkey2000/eMule,and BitTorrent. And its “Collections” feature allows users to preview albumcovers, song lists, and descriptions from a single screen. Operating system:Windows.
• ABC - is an improved clientfor the Bittorrent peer-to-peer file distribution solution. ABC is based onBitTornado which extended from from Original Bittorrent Core System , coded byBram Cohen. It offers some unique customization options. With this app,you can customize which information is displayed, prioritize the queuing system,and download multiple files simultaneously in the same window. Operating system:Windows.
• RevConnect - is a file sharing program based on DC++. It is fully compatible with the Direct Connect network. RevConnect is an free open-source, ad and spyware-free client, written in C++ for the Direct Connect protocol that allows you to share files over the internet with other users. Operating system: Windows.

File Transfer

• WinSCP - allows users to transferfiles securely via FTP and SFTP. It incorporates Secure Shell (SSH) technology.Operating system: Windows.
• cURL - is a command line tool fortransferring files with URL syntax, supporting FTP, FTPS, HTTP, HTTPS, SCP, SFTP,TFTP, TELNET, DICT, FILE and LDAP. curl supports SSL certificates, HTTP POST,HTTP PUT, FTP uploading, HTTP form based upload, proxies, cookies, user+passwordauthentication (Basic, Digest, NTLM, Negotiate, kerberos…), file transferresume, proxy tunneling and a busload of other useful tricks. Operating system:Windows, Linux/Unix, OS X, Solaris

Games

• ScummVM - allows you to port many classicpoint-and-click adventure games to nearly any platform you like. Supported gamesinclude Simon the Sorcerer 1 and 2, Flight of the Amazon Queen, Beneath A SteelSky, Day of the Tentacle, Broken Sword 1 and Broken Sword 2, Monkey Island, Samand Max, and dozens of others. Operating system: OS Portable.
• StepMania - can be played using thekeyboard or a sensor-laden “dance pad”. StepMania has game modes similar toKonami’s Dance Dance Revolution and Andamiro’s Pump It Up, Amuseworld’sEZ2Dancer, and Konami’s Para Para Paradise. Operating system: Windows,Linux/Unix, OS X, Xbox.

Mobility Tools

• BitPim - is a program that allows you toview and manipulate data on many CDMA phones from LG, Samsung, Sanyo and othermanufacturers. This includes the PhoneBook, Calendar, WallPapers, RingTones(functionality varies by phone) and the Filesystem for most Qualcomm CDMAchipset based phones. Operating system:Windows, Linux/Unix, OS X.
• PortableApps - aims to make all of your applicationsportable. It makes it easy to transfer software and data from your PC to a USBflash drive, iPod, portable hard drive, or other device. Operating system:Windows.

Photo Tools

• Gallery - is an open sourceproject with the goal to develop and support leading photo sharing webapplication solutions. It allow some basic photo manipulation, such as resizing,rotating, and altering image quality, but does not include advanced photoediting. Operating system: OS Independent.
• Coppermine Photo Gallery - is amulti-purpose fully-featured and integrated web picture gallery script writtenin PHP using GD or ImageMagick as image library with a MySQL backend. It offersa huge lineup of features including multiple languages, e-card creation,thumbnails, and many more. In order to use it, you need a Web server runningApache, PHP, MySQL, andeither GD or ImageMagick. Operating system: OS Independent.

Instant Messaging

• aMSN - is an open source MSNMessenger clone. It allows you to communicate with users on multiple networks.aMSN also allows you to display pictures and emoticons and add skins to yourchat window. Operating system: Windows, Linux/Unix, OS X.
• Miranda - is a small, fast and easyinstant messenger with support for multiple protocols. Miranda IM is designed tobe resource efficient and easy to use while still providing many featuresincluding support for AIM, Jabber, ICQ, IRC, MSN, Yahoo, and more. Operatingsystem: Windows.
• Pidgin - is a multi-platform instantmessaging client that allows you to connect with all your buddies from a singlemessenger, even if they are using different networks. It supports MSN, AIM,ICQ,Yahoo, IRC, Groupwise, QQ, SILC, SIMPLE, Sametime and XMPP. You can login tomultiple messenger accounts at one, allowing you to chat with your buddies onYahoo, ICQ and MSN (for example) at the same time.

Security

• PeerGuardian - protects your privacy while you’re using P2P filesharing networks.It supports multiple lists, list editing, automatic updates, and IPv4 blocking.Operating system: Windows, Linux, OS X.
• Eraser - is an advanced securitytool (for Windows), which allows you to completely remove sensitive data fromyour hard drive by overwriting it several times with carefully selectedpatterns. Works with Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Windows 2003 Server andDOS.
• ClamWin Free Antivirus - is a FreeAntivirus for Microsoft Windows 98/Me/2000/XP and 2003. With ClamWin you canscan individual files manually or you can use the Microsoft Outlook add-in tofind and remove infected attachments automatically.
• IPCop Firewall - provides a good option for home users and smalloffices. It’s stable, secure, and easy to configure and maintain. Operatingsystem: Linux.

Remote Desktop

• UltraVNC - is a powerful, easy to use andfree software that can display the screen of another computer (via internet ornetwork) on your own screen. The program allows you to use your mouse andkeyboard to control the other PC remotely.Key features app include FileTransfer, VideoDriver,optional EncryptionPlugins, MSLogon, TextChat, ViewerToolbar, and others.Although it’s designed primarily for Windows, the Embedded JavaViewer allows youto transfer files to and from other operating systems as well. Operating system:Windows.
• TightVNC - is a free remote control software package derived from the popularVNC software. With TightVNC, you can see the desktop of a remote machine andcontrol it with your local mouse and keyboard, just like you would do it sittingin the front of that computer. TightVNC offers additional features like filetransfers, video mirror drive support, scaling of the remote desktop, supportfor two passwords, and more.

System Administration Tools

• Webmin - is a web-based interface forsystem administration for Unix. Using any modern web browser, you can setup useraccounts, Apache, DNS, file sharing and much more. Webmin removes the need tomanually edit Unix configuration files like /etc/passwd, and lets you manage asystem from the console or remotely.
• Wireshark - is theworld’s foremost network protocol analyzer.It supports hundreds of differentprotocols, multiple platforms, and can analyze VoIP traffic. Operating system:Windows, Linux/Unix, OS X, Solaris, All BSD Platforms.
• Nmap -is a free open source utilityfor network exploration or security auditing. It was designed to rapidly scanlarge networks, although it works fine against single hosts. Nmap uses raw IPpackets in novel ways to determine what hosts are available on the network, whatservices (application name and version) those hosts are offering, what operatingsystems (and OS versions) they are running, what type of packetfilters/firewalls are in use, and dozens of other characteristics.
• TrueCrypt - is an open-source diskencryption software for Windows Vista/XP/2000 and Linux. Itis a software system for establishing and maintaining anon-the-fly-encrypted volume (data storage device). On-the-fly encryption meansthat data are automatically encrypted or decrypted right before they are loadedor saved, without any user intervention.
• GLPI - is theInformation Resource-Manager with an additional Administration- Interface. Youcan use it to build up a database with an inventory for your company (computer,software, printers…) Operatingsystem: OS Independent.
• ClameWin - is a Free Antivirus forMicrosoft Windows 98/Me/2000/XP and 2003. ClamWin Free Antivirus comes with aneasy installer and open source code. You may download and use it absolutely freeof charge

Video/Multi-Media Tools

• VirtualDub -is a videocapture/processing utility for 32-bit Windows platforms (95/98/ME/NT4/2000/XP).It’s useful for basic trimming and cleaning up footage, and also has batchprocessing capabilities.
• MediaCoder - is a freeuniversal batch media transcoder, which integrates most popular audio/videocodecs and tools into an all-in-one solution.
• FFDShow - is aDirectShow decoding filter for decompressing DivX, XviD, H.264, FLV1, WMV,MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, MPEG-4 movies.
• Xine - is a free multimedia player. It playsback CDs, DVDs, and VCDs. It also decodes multimedia files like AVI, MOV, WMV,and MP3 from local disk drives, and displays multimedia streamed over theInternet.
• MPlayer OS X - is binarydistribution of MPlayer (The Movie Player for Linux) and comes with native GUIin MacOSX. After installation you can simply (by Drag&Drop) play almost all3ivx, DivX 3,4,5 and other codecs files in the window or fullscreen mode.Rendering of very nice antialiased text-based subtitles is also supported.
• WDM - is a Video Capture driverfor Bt848, Bt849, Bt878 and Bt879 based video capture boards. It tries to takethe most of the hardware, using all the features the chipset has to offer. It isalso implemented as a WDM driver, so the same driver works under Win2000,Win98SE, WinXP and WinMe without modifications.
• MediaPortal - is an Open Sourceapplication ideal for turning your PC / TV into a very advanced Media Center.MediaPortal allows you to listen to your favorite music & radio, watch and storeyour videos and DVDs, view, schedule and record live TV as a digital videorecorder and much much more.
• LiVES - is a very flexibletool which can be used by both VJ’s and video editors - mix and switch clipsfrom the keyboard, trim and edit your clips, and bring them together using themultitrack timeline.
• VLC Media Player - is a highlyportable multimedia player for various audio and video formats (MPEG-1, MPEG-2,MPEG-4, DivX, mp3, ogg, …) as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streamingprotocols.

Wikis

• MediaWiki - is a freesoftware wiki package originally written for Wikipedia. It allows collaborative editing ondocuments within a familiar interface. It was designed to be run on a largeserver farm and requires Apache, PHP, and MySQL.

Window Manager

• Fluxbox - is based on and very similar to the Blackbox window manager. However, itadds several new features, including configurable window tabs, iconbar, wheelscroll changes workspace, configurable titlebar, kde support, and others.