User:Aries97/Package Selection

Purpose
Under the Xfce philosophy, applications are lightweight when they are low on memory usage and do not require heavy dependencies (such as KDE or Gnome). Most applications suggested in this article will conform to this philosophy.

Choosing fonts
Many users feel that un-antialiased fonts look "cleaner", especially on LCD monitors. After having read and understood this legal note, consider enabling TrueType's Byte Code Interpreter (BCI) in FreeType. Documentation: X.Org/Fonts.


 * Bitstream Vera -- Bitstream Vera font family
 * Usage: User interface, display
 * Usage: User interface, display


 * DejaVu -- Bitstream Vera with ISO-8859-2 characters
 * Usage: User interface, display
 * Usage: User interface, display


 * Liberation -- Beautiful serif, sans serif, and fixed-width fonts
 * Usage: User interface, display, printed output
 * Usage: User interface, display, printed output


 * Terminus -- Clean fixed-width font for the console
 * Usage: Console, virtual terminal
 * Usage: Console, virtual terminal


 * Computer Modern -- Default LaTeX font, with mathematics support
 * Usage: High-resolution printed output
 * Documentation: The LaTeX font catalogue
 * Documentation: The LaTeX font catalogue


 * Palatino -- High-quality font for LaTeX/LyX
 * Usage: Printed output
 * Documentation: The LaTeX font catalogue
 * Documentation: The LaTeX font catalogue


 * Corefonts -- Microsoft's TrueType core fonts
 * Usage: Compatibility with .doc-like documents
 * Remarks: the fonts installed by the Corefonts ebuild are somewhat out-dated (in my experience). You'll be better off installing them manually from your Windows installation.
 * Remarks: the fonts installed by the Corefonts ebuild are somewhat out-dated (in my experience). You'll be better off installing them manually from your Windows installation.

Setting up the Desktop Environment

 * X.Org -- An X11 implementation maintained by the X.Org Foundation (meta package)
 * Documentation: X.Org
 * Remarks: Cross-platform (on Windows via Cygwin)
 * Remarks: Cross-platform (on Windows via Cygwin)


 * SLiM -- Simple Login Manager
 * Documentation: SLiM
 * Alternatives: Xfce/Installation
 * Remarks: Cleanest theme seems `debian-moreblue'.
 * Remarks: Cleanest theme seems `debian-moreblue'.


 * Xfce -- Meta package for the Xfce4 desktop
 * Documentation: The Xfce Configuration Guide (Gentoo official documentation), Xfce, Toolkit Beautification, Locales, Synchronise time, Xfce 4.4: The best lightweight desktop environment, New Xfce beta focuses on usability
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Alternatives: Enlightenment DR17, LXDE, Fluxbox, Desktop Customization, Building a highly functional desktop with lightweight software
 * Alternatives: Enlightenment DR17, LXDE, Fluxbox, Desktop Customization, Building a highly functional desktop with lightweight software

File management

 * Catfish -- A versatile file searching tool
 * (ebuild; HOWTO Installing 3rd Party Ebuilds)
 * Homepage: http://software.twotoasts.de/index.php?/pages/catfish_summary.html
 * Toolkit: GTK+2

Office tools

 * OpenOffice -- A full office productivity suite
 * Documentation: OpenOffice.org 3.0 is an incremental improvement
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Alternatives: (gkt+2),  (gkt+2),  (motif)
 * Remarks: Cross-platform.
 * Remarks: Cross-platform.


 * LyX -- The Document Processor
 * Documentation: Compatibility with MS Word, LyX vs other software, LyX with R through Sweave, Legal Documents the LyX Way
 * Toolkit: QT4
 * Remarks: Cross-platform. LyX is an WYSIWYM frontend to LaTeX. It can be used to create structured documents and presentations, professionally typeset mathematical formulae, and to insert diagrams in its documents (as images, and created by an external application, such as Dia). For compatibility reasons you might enable most USE flags.
 * Remarks: Cross-platform. LyX is an WYSIWYM frontend to LaTeX. It can be used to create structured documents and presentations, professionally typeset mathematical formulae, and to insert diagrams in its documents (as images, and created by an external application, such as Dia). For compatibility reasons you might enable most USE flags.


 * TeX Live -- Complete TeX distribution
 * Alternatives:
 * Remarks: Cross-platform. Check the USE flags; there are plenty. As the backend used by LyX, you will probably prefer the modern TeX Live to the no longer maintained teTeX.
 * Remarks: Cross-platform. Check the USE flags; there are plenty. As the backend used by LyX, you will probably prefer the modern TeX Live to the no longer maintained teTeX.


 * Beamer -- LaTeX class for creating presentations using a video projector
 * Remarks: Cross-platform. Beamer presentations can be created using LyX. As usual with LyX documents, start with a template. For examples of professional-looking presentations created with this LaTeX class, please check the project's home page. For special cases of the resulting .pdf presentation, be aware of the `handout' and `article' class-options that can be specified within LyX.
 * Remarks: Cross-platform. Beamer presentations can be created using LyX. As usual with LyX documents, start with a template. For examples of professional-looking presentations created with this LaTeX class, please check the project's home page. For special cases of the resulting .pdf presentation, be aware of the `handout' and `article' class-options that can be specified within LyX.


 * Eqe -- LaTeX equation editor that produces images interactively
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Alternatives: Ekee (qt4)
 * Remarks: Perfect if you want to use beautifully typeset LaTeX equations in conventional word-processors. The application also has support for drag-and-drop. Ekee is in fact the successor of Eqe, and an ebuild is available. The latter has many more features and seems to be more robust. Note, however, that similar functionality is integrated within AbiWord, "Insert > Equation > from LaTeX".
 * Remarks: Perfect if you want to use beautifully typeset LaTeX equations in conventional word-processors. The application also has support for drag-and-drop. Ekee is in fact the successor of Eqe, and an ebuild is available. The latter has many more features and seems to be more robust. Note, however, that similar functionality is integrated within AbiWord, "Insert > Equation > from LaTeX".


 * Scribus -- Desktop Publishing (DTP) and Layout program for Linux
 * Toolkit: QT3
 * Toolkit: QT3


 * Evince* -- Simple document viewer for Gnome
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Alternatives: (gtk+2),  (gtk+2),  (motif)
 * Remarks: Beginning with the acroread-8* editions, Adobe's Reader gives the feel of a "normal" GTK+2 application, which loads relatively fast. However Evince* is proposed as a main choice mostly because it is quicker than acroread, and that it is a mature project; for more robust features you will need acroread. If you prefer lightweight open-source programs, consider ePDFView or Xpdf, both free lightweight PDF document viewers.
 * Remarks: Beginning with the acroread-8* editions, Adobe's Reader gives the feel of a "normal" GTK+2 application, which loads relatively fast. However Evince* is proposed as a main choice mostly because it is quicker than acroread, and that it is a mature project; for more robust features you will need acroread. If you prefer lightweight open-source programs, consider ePDFView or Xpdf, both free lightweight PDF document viewers.


 * PDFedit -- Editor for manipulating PDF documents
 * Homepage: http://pdfedit.petricek.net/index_e.html
 * Toolkit: QT3
 * Remarks: Ebuild available on the Sunrise overlay.
 * Remarks: Ebuild available on the Sunrise overlay.


 * Osmo -- Handy personal organizer
 * Documentation: Osmo: A daily organizer
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Alternatives: gfa (gtk+2)
 * Remarks: Alternative to Orage. Osmo and Orage functionality overlap, but each is good at what it does best. You would use Osmo as an Address book and as a Date calculator. It also allows you to easily keep track of your contacts' birthdays, store encrypted notes and learn "kool" stuff like, say, the current moon phase. Orage would be better suited when used as DE easy-to-access calendar and as a time organiser. It even allows you keep a private journal. The good news is that both are in active devlopment, so expect new features and closed bugs. At last, gfa is hardly an alternative to either Orage or Osmo, but can come in handy for an Address book. If in gfa you input your contacts "internally" only, and may not export them, Osmo supports importing from and exporting to CSV.
 * Remarks: Alternative to Orage. Osmo and Orage functionality overlap, but each is good at what it does best. You would use Osmo as an Address book and as a Date calculator. It also allows you to easily keep track of your contacts' birthdays, store encrypted notes and learn "kool" stuff like, say, the current moon phase. Orage would be better suited when used as DE easy-to-access calendar and as a time organiser. It even allows you keep a private journal. The good news is that both are in active devlopment, so expect new features and closed bugs. At last, gfa is hardly an alternative to either Orage or Osmo, but can come in handy for an Address book. If in gfa you input your contacts "internally" only, and may not export them, Osmo supports importing from and exporting to CSV.


 * Qalculate! -- A modern multi-purpose calculator
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Alternatives: (gtk+2)
 * Alternatives: (gtk+2)


 * Leafpad -- Simple Notepad-like text editor
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Remarks: Alternative to Mousepad, its successor.
 * Remarks: Alternative to Mousepad, its successor.

Network related applications

 * -- Gnome based FTP Client
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Toolkit: GTK+2


 * -- GTK Instant messaging client
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Toolkit: GTK+2

Graphics applications

 * -- Fast and simple image viewer
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Alternatives:
 * Alternatives:


 * -- GNU Image Manipulation Program
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Toolkit: GTK+2

Multimedia applications

 * -- Application to burn CD/DVD for the Gnome Desktop
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Toolkit: GTK+2

GnomeBaker*
 * -- Graphical scanning frontend
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Toolkit: GTK+2


 * -- An elegant music client for the Music Player Daemon
 * Documentation: MPD
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Remarks: This is a (partial) alternative to Xfmedia. Sonata is an excellent "music player", with a highly clean and intuitive interface. It uses MPD as a backend for playing audio files and for the library support. The "kool" thing about MPD is that at boot-time it will resume playing before X is initialized and at halt-time will stop playing after X was shut down.
 * Remarks: This is a (partial) alternative to Xfmedia. Sonata is an excellent "music player", with a highly clean and intuitive interface. It uses MPD as a backend for playing audio files and for the library support. The "kool" thing about MPD is that at boot-time it will resume playing before X is initialized and at halt-time will stop playing after X was shut down.


 * -- A lightweight audio/video player using Gstreamer
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Alternatives: VLC
 * Alternatives: VLC


 * -- A simple GUI for MPlayer
 * Documentation: MPlayer
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Remarks: GNOME MPlayer pulls in only the base Gnome libraries, and provides a clean and intuitive interface to MPlayer. It is also well suited for playing audio disks. Gecko Media Player makes GNOME MPlayer available as a browser plugin.
 * Remarks: GNOME MPlayer pulls in only the base Gnome libraries, and provides a clean and intuitive interface to MPlayer. It is also well suited for playing audio disks. Gecko Media Player makes GNOME MPlayer available as a browser plugin.


 * -- Audio CD Player/Ripper
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Toolkit: GTK+2


 * -- Utility for editing MP2, MP3, MP4, FLAC, Ogg and other media tags
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Remarks: Beginning with version 2.1.1, EasyTAG uses libid3tag. Thus, it fully supports writing UTF-8 tags to mp3 files, tags that are - among others - compatible with at least Winamp >=5.5.
 * Remarks: Beginning with version 2.1.1, EasyTAG uses libid3tag. Thus, it fully supports writing UTF-8 tags to mp3 files, tags that are - among others - compatible with at least Winamp >=5.5.


 * -- Free crossplatform audio editor
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Toolkit: GTK+2

Miscellaneous utilities

 * XPP -- The X Printing Panel
 * Toolkit: FLTK
 * Toolkit: FLTK


 * StarDict -- An international dictionary supporting fuzzy and glob style matching
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Alternatives: (tcl/tk)
 * Remarks: Alternative to Xfce4 Dictionary. Unfortunately StarDict cannot connect to the Internet through a proxy server. The WordNet Browser is a Princeton dictionary browser.
 * Remarks: Alternative to Xfce4 Dictionary. Unfortunately StarDict cannot connect to the Internet through a proxy server. The WordNet Browser is a Princeton dictionary browser.


 * Revelation Password Manager -- A simple password manager. Unfortunately not very lightweight, many Gnome dependencies. (gtk+2)
 * -- A frontend for gPhoto 2
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Toolkit: GTK+2


 * -- An application to help you manage your book collection
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Toolkit: GTK+2

Miscellaneous system-related utilities

 * -- System Profiler and Benchmark
 * Manual installation. (ebuild; HOWTO Installing 3rd Party Ebuilds)
 * Homepage: http://hardinfo.berlios.de
 * Toolkit: GTK+2


 * -- Launcher box with bash style auto completion
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Toolkit: GTK+2


 * -- Graphical version of su
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Toolkit: GTK+2


 * -- A keyboard layout configuration tool
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Remarks: The application was initially written to complement xfce4-xkb. Recently, however, XfKC functionality was integrated into xfce4-xkb. The application can still prove useful to non-Xfce users.
 * Remarks: The application was initially written to complement xfce4-xkb. Recently, however, XfKC functionality was integrated into xfce4-xkb. The application can still prove useful to non-Xfce users.


 * -- Graphically select wireless networks
 * Toolkit: QT4
 * Toolkit: QT4


 * -- A Partition Editor
 * Documentation: HOWTO Manipulate (move, resize) hard disk partitions
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Toolkit: GTK+2

Developer's tools

 * Geany -- A fast and lightweight IDE
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Remarks: The application resembles Xfce applications: "intuitive behaviour" and scarce demands on dependencies and resources. It also supports many file types, including .tex, .R, .po and .diff.
 * Remarks: The application resembles Xfce applications: "intuitive behaviour" and scarce demands on dependencies and resources. It also supports many file types, including .tex, .R, .po and .diff.


 * -- An HTML editor for the experienced web designer or programmer
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Remarks: Bluefish is more than an HTML editor: "Bluefish is a powerful editor targeted towards programmers and webdesigners, with many options to write websites, scripts and programming code."
 * Remarks: Bluefish is more than an HTML editor: "Bluefish is a powerful editor targeted towards programmers and webdesigners, with many options to write websites, scripts and programming code."


 * -- A graphical diff and merge tool
 * Toolkit: GTK+2
 * Toolkit: GTK+2


 * -- Calculate and verify CRC and MD5 checksums
 * Toolkit: wxGTK
 * Toolkit: wxGTK