103 lines
5.7 KiB
HTML
103 lines
5.7 KiB
HTML
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<!Converted with LaTeX2HTML 95.1 (Fri Jan 20 1995) by Nikos Drakos (nikos@cbl.leeds.ac.uk), CBLU, University of Leeds >
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<HEAD>
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<TITLE>1.4.8 Other applications</TITLE>
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<meta name="description" value="1.4.8 Other applications">
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<meta name="keywords" value="gs">
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<meta name="resource-type" value="document">
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<meta name="distribution" value="global">
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<P>
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<BR> <HR><A NAME=tex2html1904 HREF="node21.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="next" SRC="next_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1902 HREF="node12.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="up" SRC="up_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1898 HREF="node19.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="previous" SRC="previous_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1906 HREF="node1.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="contents" SRC="contents_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1907 HREF="node250.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="index" SRC="index_motif.gif"></A> <BR>
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<B> Next:</B> <A NAME=tex2html1905 HREF="node21.html">1.5 About Linux's Copyright</A>
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<B>Up:</B> <A NAME=tex2html1903 HREF="node12.html">1.4 Software Features</A>
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<B> Previous:</B> <A NAME=tex2html1899 HREF="node19.html">1.4.7 Interfacing with MS-DOS</A>
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<BR> <HR> <P>
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<H2><A NAME=SECTION00348000000000000000>1.4.8 Other applications</A></H2>
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<P>
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A host of miscellany is available for Linux, as one would expect from
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such a hodgepodge operating system.
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Linux's primary focus is currently for personal UNIX computing, but
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this is rapidly changing. Business and scientific software is expanding,
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and commercial software vendors are beginning to contribute to the growing
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pool of applications.
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<P>
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Several relational databases are available for Linux, including Postgres,
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Ingres, and Mbase. These are full-featured, professional client/server
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database applications similar to those found on other UNIX platforms.
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<tt>/rdb</tt>, a commercial database system, is available as well.
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<A NAME=402> </A>
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<A NAME=403> </A><A NAME=404> </A><A NAME=405> </A>
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<P>
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Scientific computing applications
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<A NAME=406> </A>
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include FELT (a finite element analysis
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tool); <tt>gnuplot</tt> (a plotting and data analysis application);
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Octave (a symbolic mathematics package, similar to MATLAB);
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<tt>xspread</tt> (a spreadsheet calculator); <tt>xfractint</tt>, an X-based
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port of the popular Fractint fractal generator; <tt>xlispstat</tt>
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(a statistics package), and more. Other applications include Spice
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(a circuit design and analysis tool) and Khoros (an image/digital signal
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processing and visualization system).
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<P>
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Of course, there are many more such applications which have been, and
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can be, ported to run on Linux. Whatever your field, porting UNIX-based
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applications to Linux should be quite straightforward. Linux provides
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a complete UNIX programming interface, sufficient to serve as the
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base for any scientific application.
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<P>
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As with any operating system, Linux has its share of games.
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<A NAME=411> </A>
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These include
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classic text-based dungeon games such as Nethack and Moria; MUDs
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(multi-user dungeons, which allow many users to interact in a text-based
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adventure) such as DikuMUD and TinyMUD; as well as a slew of X games
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such as <tt>xtetris</tt>, <tt>netrek</tt>, and <tt>Xboard</tt> (the X11 version
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of <tt>gnuchess</tt>). The popular shoot-em-up arcade-style <em>Doom</em>
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has also been ported to Linux.
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<A NAME=417> </A>
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<A NAME=418> </A>
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<P>
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For audiophiles, Linux has support for various sound cards and related
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<A NAME=419> </A>
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software, such as CDplayer (a program which can control a CD-ROM drive
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as a conventional CD player, surprisingly enough),
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MIDI sequencers and editors (allowing you
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to compose music for playback through a synthesizer or other MIDI-controlled
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instrument), and sound editors for digitized sounds.
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<P>
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Can't find the application you're looking for? The Linux Software Map,
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<A NAME=420> </A><A NAME=421> </A>
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described in Appendix <A HREF="node225.html#appsourcesnum">A</A>, contains a list of many
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software packages which have been written and ported to Linux. While this
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list is far from complete, it contains a great deal of software.
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Another way to find Linux applications is to look at the <tt>INDEX</tt> files
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found on Linux FTP sites, if you have Internet access. Just by poking
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around you'll find a great deal of software just waiting to be played with.
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<P>
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If you absolutely can't find what you need, you can always attempt to
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port the application from another platform to Linux. Most freely
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distributable UNIX-based software will compile on Linux with few problems.
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Or, if all else fails, you can write the application yourself. If it's
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a commercial application you're looking for, there may be a free
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``clone'' available. Or, you can encourage the software company to
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consider releasing a Linux binary version. Several
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individuals have contacted software companies, asking them to port
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their applications to Linux, and have met with various degrees of
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success.
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<P>
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<A NAME=424> </A>
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<P>
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<BR> <HR><A NAME=tex2html1904 HREF="node21.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="next" SRC="next_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1902 HREF="node12.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="up" SRC="up_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1898 HREF="node19.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="previous" SRC="previous_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1906 HREF="node1.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="contents" SRC="contents_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1907 HREF="node250.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="index" SRC="index_motif.gif"></A> <BR>
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<B> Next:</B> <A NAME=tex2html1905 HREF="node21.html">1.5 About Linux's Copyright</A>
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<B>Up:</B> <A NAME=tex2html1903 HREF="node12.html">1.4 Software Features</A>
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<B> Previous:</B> <A NAME=tex2html1899 HREF="node19.html">1.4.7 Interfacing with MS-DOS</A>
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<BR> <HR> <P>
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<BR> <HR>
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<P><ADDRESS>
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<I>Matt Welsh <BR>
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mdw@sunsite.unc.edu</I>
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</ADDRESS>
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</BODY>
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