Best Downloads for Linux

As a follower of the very popular productivity website Lifehacker.com, today I just stumbled on one of their most recent posts. The post, titled Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads lists and describes a number of free/open source software products that can be downloaded and installed on Linux. The post mentions that these are mostly for the Ubuntu distribution, but many of these applications have releases for other Linux distributions as well.

I personally find this list to be very useful, since it includes many applications that one would need in everyday's work/life, and many of them are not included by default with Linux. These include: web browser (Firefox, Chrome), email client (Thunderbird), office suite (OpenOffice.org), text editor (gedit), and many more. The list even provides direct links to download these applications or to directly install them in Ubuntu.

Embeded open source java repoting library

Have you ever need to create a report and want to change it's content or design or send it preameters then you export it as PDF, XLS or CSV from your java code, sure yes.

Open source java library it is now available from JasperSoft company which is the market leader in open source business intelligence tools, the reporting libraries are called 'Jasper Reports '.

Jasper Reports, it is the world's most widely used open source reporting engine. 

you can download its JAR from:

http://jasperforge.org/plugins/esp_frs/?group_id=102

then choose the required pakage version, and choose download.

after finishing download you will find jasperreports-version.jar file is located on your hard disk.

You can copy this JAR file under your lib folder under your java project,

Now, sure you need to create you first report using Jasper reports, there is a GUI designer for creating reports by only drag ad drop report components from toolbox.

This designer is called IReport, which simplifies the development of even the most complex reports. 

you can download it from this link:

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=64348&package_id=64215

and choose your suitable installation, also IReport is now available as a plugin for NetBeans IDE 

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=64348&package_id=263429

a tutorial for IReport to start creating reports using it, is avaliable for download from:

http://www.4shared.com/get/53621480/f3076340/ApressTheDefinitiveGuidetoiReport_2007_BBL1590599284.html

and starts to access it from your java code which will be available soon in a new post after you will finish creating your reports using IReport.

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Original Post By : Asmaa Mahmoud "http://www.new.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=6910&post=25848&uid=5425349500#post25848"

OpenBSD

OpenBSD is a free open source operating system based upon the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) for UNIX.

The OpenBSD project, coordinated by Theo de Raadt, is known in the programming community for its attention to security. His team is perhaps best known for developing OpenSSH, an open-source secure shell daemon for encrypting network packets.

The project is also known for introducing several important changes to the way the rest of the open source community works, including providing public access to content version control (CVC) repositories and commit (code change) logs. Because OpenBSD is both compact and secure, one of the most common reasons for implementing OpenBSD is as a firewall.

According to OpenBSD.org:

OpenBSD is developed by volunteers. The project funds development and releases by selling CDs and receiving donations from organizations and individuals. These finances ensure that OpenBSD will continue to exist, and will remain free for everyone to use and reuse as they see fit.

The OpenBSD logo and mascot is a pufferfish named "Puffy."

MORE INFO:
> OpenBSD may be downloaded from OpenBSD.org.
> The OpenBSD Foundation supports OpenBSD and related projects like OpenSSH, OpenBGPD, OpenNTPD, and OpenCVS.
> Wikipedia's entry for OpenBSD provides more technical information and history of the distribution.
> Get an executive summary of what's new in OpenBSD 4.1 at the Enterprise Linux Log.

OpenDisc - Free Software to Download

Are you a fan of free, open-source software?
If yes, then please continue reading. Otherwise...well...also continue reading, you might change your mind!!

A while ago, I was surfing the net, and I came across the OpenDisc project. This is basically an ongoing collection of high quality open-source software for Windows, classified into categories, such as: Design, Internet, Multimedia, Utilities, etc.

The programs in this collection include (click here for the complete list):

• Blender: an advanced 3D graphics modeling program


• The GIMP: the open-source alternative for Adobe Photoshop (although a bit hard to learn)


• Azureus: a powerful BitTorrent protocol client


• FileZilla: a fast and reliable FTP client and server


• Firefox: web browser


• Audacity: an audio editing program


• VLC: a media player that supports a lot of audio and video file-types


• OpenOffice.org: a full-featured office suite including a word processor, spreadsheet, web page editor and presentation program.


• and many more...

Of course all these programs can be downloaded from their corresponding websites, but I think it is a good idea to group them all into one collection that can be downloaded from one location. The whole package can be downloaded as an ISO image that can be easily written to a CD. Go to http://theopendisc.com/ for more information or to download the package.

Also, another related project is the OpenEducationDisc, which is similar to the main OpenDisc collection, except that it claims that it focuses on providing students with quick, easy and powerful tools specially selected to solve their educational needs. However, I personally don't see much difference between the two collections (except for 3 or 4 science and mathematics programs). The whole list of programs can be found here.

Still, I think it's a good idea, and I'm sure more and more programs will be added to the list in the future. The project team is open for suggestions, and users can suggest programs on the forum.

Qtopia

Yesterday, i was reading news through RSS feeds and as usual a word got my attention and also as usual i closed the main thread i was reading and began to search for it "Qtopia". I opened Google and began my usual trip :D ,and minutes later i became more interested to read more about it,i think that you want to know what is it : so let me tell you what i have got and you complete the job by yourselves.
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Qtopia is Trolltech's application platform for Embedded Linux-based PDAs, mobile phones, web pads, and other mobile computing devices.

Qtopia features:

• Windowing system
• Synchronization framework
• Development environment
• Internationalization and localization support
• Games and multimedia
• PIM applications
• Full screen handwriting
• Input methods
• Personalization options
• Productivity applications
• Internet applications
• Java integration
• Wireless support

Qtopia is dual licensed under the GPL and proprietary licenses.

Qtopia is shipped on over 45 handheld devices including the Sharp Corporation Zaurus line of Linux handhelds, the Sony mylo and the Archos Portable Media Assistant (PMA430), a multimedia device. Qtopia Phone Edition is expected to start shipping on various smartphones. Qtopia has also been ported to run on the Gamepark Holdings GP2X.

As of 2006, there were 11 different models of mobile phone, and 30 other devices, with several million devices running this software. [1]

Qtopia is used as the software platform for the Greenphone, an open phone initiative. Qtopia also runs on the OpenMoko open phone, the FIC Neo 1973. An unofficial hack has also allowed it's use on the Archos wifi series of PMPs (604, 605, 705).

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Source : http://trolltech.com/products/qtopia/qtopia-overview

Qtopia is unrivaled as the application platform and user interface for Linux, allowing efficient creation of mobile and embedded devices.

The Qtopia 4 Series is the latest generation of Trolltech's Qtopia product family. It provides a robust and proven development environment inherited from Trolltech’s leading application framework, Qt.

Continuous & Efficient Innovation
Qtopia's rich toolkit, intuitive API and comprehensive documentation reduce time to market. With Qtopia and Linux, development accelerates across device types.

Freedom to Customize
With full source code and documentation available, developers can easily modify Qtopia and integrate other technologies to create distinctive devices.

Proven Technology
Qtopia inherits the proven strengths of Qt, Trolltech's industry-leading cross-platform application framework. Qtopia is the preferred application development platform for embedded Linux devices.

Qtopia 4 Series

• Qtopia Core
  Qtopia Core provides the foundation for the entire Qtopia product family. It is the leading application frame-work for single-purpose devices powered by embedded Linux.

• Qtopia Platform
  Building on Qtopia Core, Qtopia Platform enables the productive creation of Linux devices with a rich multi-application user experience. It is designed to benefit from the highly optimized and memory efficient capabilities of embedded Linux.

• Qtopia Phone Edition
  Qtopia Phone Edition is a comprehensive application platform and user interface for Linux-based mobile phones. It is enhanced with pre-integrated applications allowing manufacturers and designers to build feature-packed phones.

ONE PLATFORM. NO LIMITS.

Qtopia is successfully working in a wide range of products including mobile phones, media players and other consumer electronic devices. In addition, Qtopia powers automotive, medical and industrial electronic equipment. See what Qtopia-based devices are in the market today.

Here i came to the end of my passion to know more about that, but you may find your way on.

Good Luck and best regards

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What is OpenID?

First let me start with a little advertisement...well, not really!! Just in case you're interested in other technical topics that I have previously written, please feel free to check my other two blogs: Brain Blizzard (various topics) and Database Land (database specific - just started).

Now, to the main subject of this post. Recently, the term OpenID has started to gain much attention, especially among bloggers. But what is OpenID? As mentioned in the OpenID website:

OpenID is an open, decentralized, free framework for user-centric digital identity. OpenID eliminates the need for multiple user names across different websites, simplifying your online experience.

So what does this mean? Each one of us has different accounts on different websites, and we need to maintain a list of different identities to use with each of these websites. Sometimes, however, it's better to have something that tells you that user jsmith who commented on your blogger blog, is the same as the user john_s who writes in blog "X Y Z!" on WordPress.com, and he is even the same j_s who owns a particular Flickr photo album. So how do we do that??

This is where OpenID comes into play. More and more websites (especially blogging websites) are adopting OpenID. Anyone can sign up for a new OpenID for free. Now, let's say you want to post a comment to a certain blog post. In many cases you can choose to sign in using your OpenID, which will link back to your OpenID profile, in which you can link to all your other identities (blogs, photostreams, profile pages, etc.). Actually it is even easier than this. If you have an account with some particular providers, then you might already have an OpenID. For example, if you have a blog on WordPress.com or LiveJournal, then your username is already your OpenID.

However, I do recommend that you sign up for an independent OpenID (at OpenID.net) that you can link with your other identities. The reason is as follows. Let's say you use your OpenID that you obtained from LiveJournal, then you decided that you don't want your LiveJournal account anymore. In this case, you have two options: You either have to keep the account, since you already used the OpenID to comment on other people's blogs and so on, OR you can delete the account, and therefore all those comments will not be traceable back to you. On the other hand, having an independent OpenID means that you can keep it regardless of what other accounts you have.

So, do you have an OpenID? What do you think about it? Which provider do you use?