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Free and Open Source Software |
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As part of our outreach service, the J.D. Boyd Library has compiled a list of freeware and open source software programs that users may download and use on their computers. All the programs listed have been used, evaluated, and recommended for general use. Also, all programs listed are available for free. "Freeware" is defined as software that is free but the source code is not freely available. "Open source software" is defined as software that is almost always free and the source code is freely available. Each program listed will be specified as being either freeware or open source software.
Adobe Acrobat Reader allows users to read Adobe's Portable Document File. (PDF), a very common format for distributing documents across the Internet.
Firefox is an open source web browser base on Mozilla, which, in turn, is based on Netscape Navigator. Firefox features built-in popup blocking, tabbed browsing, live RSS bookmarks, and built-in Google search. There are also a large selection of extensions available to enhace Firefox's capabilities. Firefox is available for Windows, MacOS X and Linux.
The GIMP is a fully functional open source graphics program. The GIMP can be used to retouch or enhance digital photos, convert image file formats, manipulate image compositions, or even create new digital images. The GIMP is available for Windows, MacOS X and Linux.
Java allows web browsers to display Java applets, which are found on a large number of web sites. If you are using Firefox, you will need to download and install Java before viewing many web sites. If you are using another browser with Java already installed, you might want to check to see if you have the latest version running. Java is available for Windows, MacOS X and Linux.
OpenOffice.org is an open source office suite program started by StarDivision, later aquired by Sun Microsystems as StarOffice. Sun released the source code for development as OpenOffice.org among members of the Open Source Community. The suite of programs includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation manager, and drawing program. OpenOffice can read and save Microsoft Office formats: Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Additional resources, including tutorials, may be found at OOoForum.org and at The OpenOffice Documentation Project. OpenOffice is available for Windows, MacOS X and Linux.
POPFile is an open source e-mail classification system that can help users filter out spam. If you download your e-mail using the POP3 protocol, than POPFile can help you identify and tag unsolicited commercial e-mail, also known as spam, before it reaches your inbox. POPFile is available for Windows, MacOS X and Linux.
Spybot - Search and Destroy is a free program that can detect and remove most spyware and adware programs. If your computer is running slower than normal, or you have popup ads showing up on a regular basis, you may have either spyware or adware. Not only can this be an annoyance, it is a possible security risk. By using Spybot, you can identify and remove unwanted spyware and adware programs easily and safely. Spybot is only available for Windows.
Thunderbird is an open source e-mail client and the perfect companion to Firefox. Thunderbird provides better security against email worms than Outlook or Outlook Express. Like Firefox, Thunderbird allows the use of extensions to expand and enhance its capabilities. Thunderbird is available for Windows, MacOS X and Linux.