50 Open Source Desktop Projects: Good Downloads

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Behold the vast and sprawling feast of open source downloads. Incredible, ain’t it? Armed with little more than an Internet connection and some extra space on your hard drive, a rich cornucopia awaits you.

And so, with no further ado…let’s dig in!

1) FilezillaA popular FTP client that is powerful, simple to use and cross platform. It’s been said that the UI is quite intuitive.

2) aMSNA near exact open source duplicate of the ever-popular MSN client now replaced by Live Messenger on the Windows OS. aMSN is available for both Windows and Linux operating systems.

3) OpenFirewallTwo firewalls in one, OpenFire wall provides firewall security at both the kernel and application layers.

4) MultiGetA GUI downloader application for those in need of an app that will allow for multiple download management. Simple to use, easy to configure.

5) osCommerceA powerful, easy to setup product manager for eCommerce needs. In essence, it’s a virtual store with unlimited categories a reliable shopping cart and the ability to be configured as needed.

6) Remote AnywhereSoftware that can provide you with access to your home computer from practically any Internet appliance. Application is provided in MSI file format as it’s for Windows only.

7) JBidWatcherBuilt on Java technology so that it would be platform independent, this auction management tool is generally used for what is called ‘auction sniping’, although it provides advanced auction management options in addition to this.

8) InfernoDeleting your most private files with the assurance that they cannot be recovered, this DoD-quality deletion tool provides file removal at AES 256-bit encryption.

9) BottomFeederDespite the strange name, this RSS aggregator provides support for both RSS and Atom, and is completely cross platform.

10) CamStudioScreen capture to an AVI wrapper or to SWF for Flash media inclusion. It’s fairly straightforward to use and provides a viable training tool for demonstrations or training.

11) Tux PaintVery useful for educational environments on a budget, Tux Paint is a simple-to-use drawing program designed for kids 3-12 years of age.

12) PDFCreatorCreate PDF files without the need for Adobe’s software, using this open source alternative. Encrypt, auto-save and even create images with this software.

13) GrisbiCreate, update and manage a number of personal accounts using the Grisbi software for Windows and Linux. Software is provided for free with a complete manual.

14) EvolutionPerhaps the single most complete PIM since Outlook for Windows, Evolution provides full access to a calendar, email and personal tasks. Another consideration is its solid support for Microsoft Exchange server connectivity.

15) FreeMindSimilar in many aspects to other closed source ‘Mind Mapping’ software, FreeMind allows the user to write with more of a ‘whiteboard feel’ than other applications. Perfect for tracking the flow of thoughts as they come to you.

16) Open WorkbenchOpen Workbench offers featured-filled scheduling and other project management tools. Free to use, even for commercial use.

17) GIMPShopBuilt out of frustration with the cost of Photoshop and the existing UI provided by GIMP, GIMPShop enables graphic editing comparable to a Photoshop feature layout.

18) DiaDiagram creation similar to what you might find with Visio, but at zero cost to the end user. While it remains in active development and may turn up some bugs along the way, the application is strong enough for everyday use.

19) SynfigGenerally described as an industrial strength vector-based animation utility, Synfig provides powerful features to those in animation using vector graphics.

20) Blender3D modeling software providing the user with professional results. Wire-framing, texturing, Blender will do practically anything needed for 3D modeling.

21) OpenVPNDesigned for customized VPN configurations, OpenVPN is a full-fledged alternative to many of the closed source options for VPN pass though solutions.

22) RSSOwlA RSS aggregator designed for users who want to keep up with large amounts of RSS feeds.

23) OpenWengoVoice over IP for everyone, built on open standards, OpenWengo provides a solid alternative to other closed source options like Skpye and Google Talk (despite Gtalk’s use of the Jabber protocol).

24) Miranda IMAn open source, multiple protocol instant messenger built for the casual Windows user.

25) PuTTYA free and open source utility for accessing files remotely on Unix/Linux and Windows machines. Supports both Telenet and SSH options.

26) OpenSTASoftware testing architecture with open source standards in place. Measures performance and provides for software stress testing. Designed for Windows.

27) Quanta PlusA powerful, open source alternative to closed source web development tools such as DreamWeaver.

28) AmarokA jukebox type music player for Linux, Amarok has been compared to iTunes, without the access to the mainstream music store.

29) Second LifeIns simplest terms, Second Life is a 3D virtual world built and maintained by its participants. The software that allows interaction in this world is built on open source software technology.

30) ArdourA digital audio workstation designed for audio professionals or those who would like to have access to this level of professional functionality. Mix, edit and create multi-track audio files, using a large number of features and abilities not found in most audio editing applications.

31) AudacityFree, simple to use and understand, providing a full featured audio editing utility for those needing maximum control over the target file to be edited.

32) BB4Win An emulator of sorts for the windowing environment known as the Blackbox windows manager. Like windows managers in Linux, BB4Win allows users to tryout Blackbox on their Win32 machines.

33) Asterisk-Win32This application creates a full featured PBX system that rivals anything found elsewhere. Voicemail, call-waiting, music on hold – you name it.

34) Notepad++Comparable to Notepad found in Windows, this advanced text editor not only replaces Notepad, but provides a powerful web programming language support.

35) GPartedA partition manager that can be run from within an existing Linux installation or via a Live Linux CD to delete, create or resize existing partitions.

36) Bookmark-ManagerOpen source bookmark management made simple. Designed to help the end user deal with and organize bookmark lists of all shapes and sizes.

37) RadeontweakerThis is aTI Radeon Card settings manipulator for the Radeon line of video cards.

38) ClamAV/SOSDGDescribed as a port of the well known ClamAV for Linux, this Windows port will provide users with anti-virus protection on open source terms.

39) KeePassPassword manager for the Windows platform. Easy to navigate UI and semi-frequent updates to the software itself.

40) PloneAn open source content management system. Described as easy to setup, manage and flexible for most content management needs.

41) Magic Mail MonitorAllows control of email accounts from a single application. Remove spam before ever opening your email client with this application at the server level.

42) POPFileMore than a junk mail filter, POPFile is an email classifier, allowing the end user to manage their incoming mail based on user-trained classification.

43) SeaMonkeyOnce known as the Mozilla Suite, today SeaMonkey is the combination of Firefox browsing technology bundled with the email client known as Thunderbird.

44) FreePOPsCreated so that users of various web-based email services could have access to their email without needing to rely on the browser-only email retrieval method.

45) SpamBayesSaid to be superior to most other Bayesian email classification tools, SpamBayes provides support for numerous email clients, although it’s best used with Outlook on Windows.

46) SongBirdA desktop music player similar to iTunes, but built on Mozilla Firefox technology. Includes iPod and playlist support, in addition to streaming of MP3s.

47) VideoLANA very strong video player for viewing and even re-encoding video files on your computer. VideoLAN supports most all of the popular video codecs on all three platforms.

48) SnackAMPPerhaps the closest thing to XMMS you’ll ever see on the Window side of the fence, SnackAMP is a WinAMP clone that still maintains a solid user base for music playback despite its lack of current release scheduling.

49) Blueberry 3D-desktopDescribed as an OPENGL replacement for the Windows desktop, Blueberry provides a very unusual 3D view of your existing desktop. While it might not be incredibly practical, it provides a unique base for development of a new windowing environment.

50) 7-ZipAn open source alternative to Winzip and WinRAR, 7- zip can decompress just about any file or folder.