Open Source Alternative News

Clonezilla added to osalt.com

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:02:23 GMT

Clonezilla is an open source solution to computer backup, restoration and "ghosting". It is based on partition imaging and allows you to backup and recover your system should it be taken out by a virus or a hard drive crash. Two types are available, the Clonezilla Server Edition (SE) and Clonezilla Live.

Clonezilla Live is intended for use with a single computer while Clonezilla SE can clone more than forty computers at once and is suitable for use in an office setting where many users share a server. Both versions are very efficient due to the fact that they restore and save only those blocks in the hard disk that are actually used. And both versions are surprisingly quick; the SE version can clone a 5.6 GB system to forty computers via multicasting in only ten minutes.

Since both versions of Clonezilla support many types of file systems, they can clone MS Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems. The SE version uses multicast to restore many computers at once as well as having the ability to remotely do the same thing if Wake-on-LAN and PXE are supported. In addition, this free software can restore or save an entire disk, not just partitions.

Whether you have just one computer or you're IT support for a company with several dozen on a network, Clonezilla is an easy to use and cost effective solution to backup and recovery.

Komodo Edit added to osalt.com

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 07:29:09 GMT

Komodo Edit is an open source editor by ActiveState that is different from your run-of-the-mill editor in that it has many features that are usually absent in editors, but you might find in IDEs (integrated-development-environment). Actually Komodo Edit could easily be considered a lightweight IDE.

The user interface is very organized, using four main areas and a menu and toolbar. Some editors have a few buttons in the toolbar that you need and a couple dozen more that you might use once in a lifetime - if you live for a couple of centuries! Komodo Edit has the buttons you need and very little else. Simplicity is always a good thing!

Komodo Edit lets you edit multiple documents simultaneously so it does have tabs, just like the best editor you can buy. You can also have Komodo open up the files from the last session which saves time.

This editor comes with all the features that you would expect in a high-end editor including block selection, reflow paragraph, code commenting and much more. If you've ever tried other editors, you'll see everything they have in Komodo Edit, and more. It supports many programming languages and recognizes most of the more common ones but can also recognize framework-specific syntaxes such as Django, Smarty and RHTML. It has great HTML multi-highlights that let you put all your CSS, server-side programming (e.g. PHP) and Javascript into the same file.

One of the best features of Komodo Edit is its autocompletion capabilities. It supports Perl, PHP, XML, Python, Tcl and more. If you normally use an IDE, you'll find that Komodo Edit fills all your requirements and even more.

You can create a toolbox for the tools you're using in your current project and have them available in a toolbar or menu. That's just about the ultimate in convenience and very, very nice to be able to work with!

Greenshot added to osalt.com

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 07:36:32 GMT

Greenshot is a screenshot tool, supports several image formats as well as saving part or all of a screen into a file within one second's time.

This program takes only a small amount of memory, a real plus over similar software that are memory hogs. Three hotkeys keep it simple and you can access an options menu with a right click of the mouse. You can choose to capture just the visible window, a section of it or the entire screen. Once you capture the shot the editor will almost immediately open and allow you to add textboxes or shapes such as boxes, arrows and others to your shot. You can then save it in one of several image formats to be placed in a file, on the clipboard or send it directly to your printer.

It's easy to be sure you're capturing the correct image with Greenshot, as the area to be captured turns green. You can then proceed or adjust your areas. Once you have Greenshot capture the image, you'll hear a sound similar to that a camera's shutter makes.

The hotkeys also feature a capture and share option which makes it easy to distribute your screenshot. Once you've saved it, it's simple to send it to a friend or colleague quickly and easily. Greenshot is also very user friendly, allowing you to choose among several options to gear it to your preferences.

Greenshot is a small program, quick to download and efficient without unnecessary bells and whistles. It also does its job well without making demands on your computer's resources. If you need an image capture application for documentation at your job, blogging, emailing or other reasons, Greenshot is highly recommended.

Chrome added to osalt.com

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 08:06:55 GMT

Chrome, the new browser by Google, uses refreshingly minimal design and combines it with advanced technology to make surfing the internet safer, faster and simpler than ever before.

One of the things that users find so attractive about Chrome is avoiding crashes. Since each tab is isolated from the others, they aren't able to crash each other as with other browsers. The windows are simple and streamlined, getting you where you want to go with a minimum of fuss.

Chrome has many great features, including the automatic importation of all the passwords, settings and bookmarks you were using in Internet Explorer or Firefox. It will also populate username and password fields for you, saving you time and aggravation. The browser will also let you make a QuickLaunch shortcut to any Web application or page, again saving you the time it takes to open your bookmarks or "favorites" and sorting through them for the right one.

Of course, searching is an important part of Chrome and Google has added several things that make it easier than ever. As well as searching the web, Chrome will automatically search the browser history as well.

Chrome is unique, exciting and fresh but still in the beta stage. Google seems to have a winner here, and will be making improvements and innovations on a regular basis.

WikidPad added to osalt.com

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:10:48 GMT

If you've ever been frustrated in finding the ideal application for organizing all your ideas, lists, contacts or notes, you'll be glad you tried WikidPad.

The concept of "wiki" comes from the Hawaiian word for "quick" and is a fast way to cross-link information by using WikiWords, a mixed case word entered into an editor. HoneyDoList is one example. Wikidpad makes use of WikiWords in a standalone notepad-type application. All your random pieces of information, all your notes you have hanging in your cubicle, your office or on your fridge can be organized in WikidPad. Managing all the information you have lying around, roaming about in your head or lost in the depths of your computer is a job that WikidPad does flawlessly.

A user new to WikidPad has to learn only a few new ideas in order to use it to its optimum potential. It's particularly invaluable to creative people who need a way to organize all the different ideas and concepts that occur to them. Having your information right at hand is important and WikidPad will definitely fill the bill. For example, if you entered your notes from the last office meeting into WikidPad and wondered what in the world the boss was talking about when he referenced last week's meeting, the wiki will have linked his remarks to that past meeting. It will take just a couple of seconds to refresh your memory and make you look capable and efficient!

WikidPad is particularly popular with writers and other people who have many compartmentalized information banks that are linked to each other and yet also need to stand alone. Best of all, WikidPad gives you what you need when you want it, in a very uncomplicated design.

If you want a basic desktop organizer that does everything you need without throwing a million options at you, you'll love WikidPad.

PostBooks added to osalt.com

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:55:56 GMT

PostBooks is an open source business software package that offers a total solution for managing your business, including fully-integrated accounting, CRM and ERP modules. Designed for businesses looking for an alternative to - or a growth path from - commercial desktop accounting packages such as Quickbooks and Peachtree, PostBooks rivals sophisticated commercial ERP platforms, offering higher quality at a much lower cost.

PostBooks, like most ERP applications, is organized by functional areas, or modules, described below. These modules are highly interconnected and integrated, but you can customize which modules - even which individual tasks - each of your staff is authorized to use.

The heart of any business system is Accounting, and the PostBooks Accounting module features a powerful General Ledger, which is tightly integrated in real time with the other modules of the system. You may define an unlimited number of Accounting Periods within each fiscal year. Financial Reports are completely user-definable, and the system's open architecture facilitates simple interfaces to third party applications such as spreadsheets, payroll, and fixed asset depreciation.

Order entry in the Sales module is where it all begins. Sales reps have complete visibility into real-time inventory availability and the production schedule. The system also allows for a rich array of pricing options, by Customer, Groups, Types, and Categories - as well as special promotions and sales, and the ability to throttle customer buying power by credit rating. Deep and rich historical sales data is available for detailed analysis across multiple time periods, using multiple variables.

The CRM (Customer Relationship Management) module adds more dimensions to the Customer picture - with a Universal Address Book that allows multiple Contacts and Addresses per Account, and allows Accounts to be Prospects, Customers, Vendors, Partners, even Competitors. Incident Management and To-Do List subsystems enable rich history and tracking of customer issues and communications. Opportunity Management tracks pre-sales prospecting and is tightly integrated with other CRM subsystems, as is Project Management, allowing you to associate Quotes, Sales Orders, Work Orders, and Purchase Orders with a particular Project - and track progress and individual Tasks within the Project.

Modules for managing Purchasing, Product Definition, Light Manufacturing, and Inventory are also included.

PostBooks uses the OpenRPT report writer and renderer as its embedded reporting engine. OpenRPT is an LGPL licensed open source project also administered by xTuple and hosted on Source Forge.

Emesene added to osalt.com

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:08:53 GMT

Emesene is a MSN Messenger clone, which primary goal is to support all features of the Windows Live Messenger Network (WLM). However, it does have a few extra features - besides trying to be user-friendlier using a cleaner interface, it is also cross platform. This means that is will run on Windows as well as Linux, and other platforms are also supported.

Another important feature of Emesene is that it also comes in a portable version. In this version the entire application is contained in a single executable file, which allows you to run it directly off a USB memory stick. So there is no need to use disk space or bother installing it on the machine you wish to use it.

It has all the important options of MSN Messenger in a simple to use, clear interface. You can organize your contacts, set an autoreply for when you're away from the computer, select an avatar and select music to accompany a personal message. You can transfer files, insert smilies and personal audio and select themes.

Emesene has tabbed chat and custom emoticons. It is multilingual and customizable. You can select a color scheme, use multiple windows, and enjoy other similar Microsoft features in Emesene. It will even remember you between sessions. You can send formatted messages and do nearly everything you can do in MSN Messenger.

Currently Emesene does not support audio or video chat, but the community around it is working on these features. So you better keep an eye on the projects blog.

Typo3 added to osalt.com

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:11:03 GMT

Typo3, a content management system (CMS), is feature rich and yet is one of the easiest systems to learn. With new functions being created by more than 300 registered developers on a frequent basis, Typo3 gives you over eight hundred available extensions with new ones being constantly developed. When choosing a CMS, all to often you're forced to choose between functionality and ease of use but Typo3 gives you both.

Administrators will like the wizard that allows them to create a site with one of several HTML templates. Typo3 uses Typoscript, a scripting that offers many tools to access data easily and quickly. It also has a tool to make your own extensions called Extension Kickstarter. While it may take awhile to learn all the aspects and uses of Typo3, making a basic site is simple and there are many tutorials available to help. This CMS allows restricting and limiting usage to certain users and groups very easy and is rich in security features.

Content editors can learn to use Typo3 in as little as 30 minutes! It can run on Windows, Linux or Mac and is compatible with most browsers. Text editing is done using familiar Office icons; Typo3 features a rich text editor and WYSIWYG editors as well as the ability to add or remove buttons and styles. There is a spell checker built in and help icons beside most of the functions. Typo3 also displays file management functions in a directory-tree format so that content editors can locate pages and files easily and quickly. The intuitive user interface saves time and aggravation as well.

Typo3 rivals most commercial systems in quality and ease of use. With so many CMSs available, it can be difficult to choose among them but Typo3 will quickly convince you that you've made the right choice.

Osalt.com now in Spanish

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:16:53 GMT

(read this announcement in Spanish below)

The popular Open source directory Osalt.com (Open Source as Alternative) is now available in Spanish

- How do you avoid paying for a Final Cut or Visio license and support the open source community all at once? Find a free open source alternative to expensive commercial software at Osalt.com, Lifehacker.com suggested its readers on 23 May last year.

Open source versus commercial software
Osalt.com is a quick guide to the best open source software. Hundreds of open source products are systematically listed in categories ranging from business to development, education and databases. Each product description contains pros and cons compared to similar commercial software as well as user ratings.

More than 200,000 visitors per month
- Since the launch of Osalt.com back in March 2006, approximately 2.8 million users have visited the site; 40% of these from the US, states Anders Ingeman Rasmussen, owner of Osalt.com. - This makes the site one of the world's most well-known open source sites, he continues, - and by translating the site into Spanish, we expect a factor two increase in the numbers of Spanish-speaking visitors.

Why open source?
By choosing an open source product, the user obtains a number of advantages compared to commercial products. Besides the fact that open source is always available for free, it is a transparent application, in that you are invited exclusively behind the scenes to view all source code and thereby to suggest improvements to the product. Furthermore, every product is covered by a large dedicated network, or community, who is more than willing to answer any questions, you may have.

Visit Osalt.com in Spanish

Osalt.com ahora en español

El popular directorio de software de código abierto Osalt.com (Código Abierto como Alternativa) está ahora disponible en español.

¿Cómo puedes evitar pagar una licencia de Final Cut o de Visio y apoyar a la comunidad de código abierto de inmediato? Busca una opción gratuita de código abierto en Osalt.com como alternativa a los caros software comerciales, Lifehacker.com les sugirió a sus lectores el 23 de mayo del año pasado.

Código abierto versus software comercial
Osalt.com es una guía rápida hacia el mejor software de código abierto. Cientos de productos de código abierto se encuentran sistemáticamente incluidos en nuestros listados, en categorías que comprenden desde el campo comercial hasta los de desarrollo, educación y bases de datos. Cada descripción del producto contiene sus pros y contras en comparación con el software comercial similar, como así también el puntaje de los usuarios.

Más de 200.000 visitas por mes
Desde el lanzamiento de Osalt.com, en marzo de 2006, han visitado el sitio aproximadamente 2.8 millones de usuarios. El 40 por ciento de ellos son de los Estados Unidos -comenta Anders Ingeman Rasmussen, propietario de Osalt.com-. Este dato hace que nuestro sitio sea uno de los más conocidos de código abierto del mundo –agrega-, y al traducirlo al español, esperamos duplicar ese número en la cantidad de visitas de hispano hablantes.

Por qué optar por el código abierto?
Al elegir un producto de código abierto, el usuario obtiene una serie de ventajas respecto de los productos comerciales. Además del hecho de que el código abierto siempre está disponible en forma gratuita, se trata de una aplicación transparente, en el sentido de que eres invitado a revisar entre bambalinas toda la codificación de la fuente y por lo tanto puedes sugerir mejoras al producto. Además, cada producto está respaldado por una red virtual de gran dedicación, cuyos miembros están dispuestos a contestar todas tus preguntas.

Visita Osalt.com/es

Sage added to osalt.com

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:47:34 GMT

SAGE is open source mathematics software that can be used to studying elementary to advanced number theory, algebra, cryptography, group theory and so much more. It includes interfaces to many other software applications, both commercial and open source, enabling you to use them together. Mathematica, GAP, Octave and MATLAB are just a few of the interfaces that SAGE provides its users.

The use of Python scripting instead of a less common language allows for the writing of programs that can combine mathematics with other elements limited only by the creativity and needs of the user. Therefore, anyone using SAGE should have knowledge of Python to fully appreciate all the functions and abilities of the software. New users who don't know Python can still use SAGE but will spend a little more time learning all the attributes and tools.

SAGE can be used from a web browser connected to a program on your computer or one running elsewhere and works with Windows, Mac and Linux with Mozilla Firefox as the optimum browser. The SAGE notebook can create mathematical formulae, embedded graphics and more. Visualizing formulas and other calculations is easy with SAGE.

Two very active email lists provide support should you need it. There is documentation and manuals to download and even a manual for newbies. SAGE is both simple to use and versatile, providing an open source product that equals the quality of commercial offerings such as Magma and Mathematica.

Please note that the Windows version is actually a VMWare image.