What good FREE software do you use?

[gte718p]

I have found two programs that I really love distributed under GNU public license (aka free). It has me wondering what I am missing?

My finds:
GIMP - an extremely powerful graphic program. It is up the with Photoshop for available features. It doesn't have all of the available Photoshop tools out of the box, but users have developed add on scripts to do most everything I've seen in Photoshop. Mind you I'm not an expert photo editor.

FreeCAD - Is a very nice parametric based 3D modeling package. It has some quirks, but does an excellent job modelling. It also has a FEA package and a rendering package.

 

[CarsonConcepts]

I use GNU Public Licence Software whenever I can. Here's a list of what's on my computer

Dia- Diagram Editor
FreeCAD - CAD Suite
GnuCash - Money Program
Hugin - Panorama Picture Stitching
Inkscape - Vector Graphics
IrfanView - Picture Viewer
LibreOffice - Office Suite
Scribus - Page Layout (akin to Adobe Indesign)
GIMP - Image Editing
UfRaw - Raw Image Editor
VLC - Media Player
7-Zip - File compression/extraction
CutePDF - PDF Printer
Audacity - Audio Editing Software
ConvertAll - Unit Conversion
FreeMind - Brainstorming Software

I think that's about it. I'm not sure if all are truly GNU Public Licences, but all are free for personal use.

~ Carson

 

[GuyllFyre]

My main system at home is a Linux Mint x64 box.
The programs I find most useful are GIMP and LibreOffice.
I run the OS that came with the computer (Vista x86) in a VirtualBox. It will run seamless on the desktop and is as fast as Windows will ever be.
I can connect to the work SSL VPN and prefer KRDC for my remote desktop client.
I then manage a variety of Windows and "Other" boxes.

On my Windows 7 Pro x64 laptop and Windows 7 Pro x64 Bench system, I use a lot of FOSS. Easiest way to load it is through ninite.com
GIMP, LibreOffice, 7-Zip, etc. Some FOSS, some "Free" but proprietary.

 

[Wamsutta]

AdBlock. Outstanding!

 

[rshadd]

Belarc Advisor
DBan
WinDirStat
VLC
7-zip
Quikpar2
CCleaner
Notepad++
Filehippo Update Checker

 

[ambenz]

Savetube

 

[dr_clyde]

For sure DraftSight. It's a 2D CAD program that is essentially identical to AutoCAD. It's made by Dassault Systemes who make Solidworks.

I use it for all my misc brackets and stuff that I need to send to the laser that don't warrant a 3D model.

 

[blackwire]

Media Player Classic HC - http://mpc-hc.org/
Smokin' Guns - Open Source Western Shooter Game - http://www.smokin-guns.org/

 

[PCustoms]

convert

openoffice

cute pdf

 

[theoldwizard1]

Free AVG
ImgBurn
JoinMe


others that have already been named

 

[Westly]

What good FREE software do you use?

Linux! Heave Bill Gates' mess into the dustbin of history!

 

[Horror Business]

AVG
CCleaner
Cute PDF
Sketch Up

 

[Joe B.]

More of a browser add-in and a freestanding piece of software:

iMacros: http://imacros.net/overview
You can use it to automate tasks on the web. Very helpful if you ever have repetitive web tasks. I have used it in the past to monitor websites and make sure they are working properly. You can also use it to mine data off of the web.

 

[btbsandman]

I run Linux Mint.

GIMP
K3b
LibreOffice
SciDavis
Brassero
Thunderbird
Mozilla

 

[StillTooManyHobbies]

Hi folks, I have found two free programs that perfectly fit the "old iron" mentality some of us have. One is DOSBOX that allows older DOS programs to run in a Windows 7 environment. The other is an Excel addin called Ubitmenu that provides the pre-2007 Microsoft Office menus in the newer versions. I also use Avira antivirus, Irfanview picture viewer and CutePDF PDF writer. Enjoy!

 

[smitty33]

Strange that sketchup was only mentioned once. That's my favorite free software.

 

[Burgerkong]

Everything is free!

 

[Flatintoone]

Aggravated Windows 8 user. No computer expert, but I'm amazed at what's available if you're willing to put in the effort to learn it.

Evernote
Paint.net
Inkscape

 

[dirtydogintex]

Everything is free!

+1....

 

[HairMetal]

VLC media player, Paint.net, Free Percentage Calculator, Avast free

 

[node105]

For anyone wanting to escape from microsloth office, particularly word, then LibreOffice is an excellent open source (free) option. The menu hierarchy is organised almost identically to Word, plus everything actually works. If you use tables a lot, and have ever been frustrated by ms cell merges/splits etc, then you will love LibreOffice. It is available for mac/win/lnx

Historically LO goes back to Sun Microsystems OpenOffice ( and Star Office before that. When Oracle took over Sun, the OO dev community initiated the LibreOffice version.

Personally I am predominantly Mac, and have been since earliest days in the 80's. I have not had ms office on my system(s) in 5 years.

https://www.libreoffice.org

There is a 3d modelling application: SweetHome3d that is definitely worth a look if google sketch up does not does not do it for you.

 

[oldtools]

Spybot
Ccleaner
Adobe reader

 

[bczygan]

Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013

Not free, but close.

$9.95 to download and $13.95 for a disc.

Available to my wife since she works for a big corporation.

Check out your company for a similar program.

For Microsoft products it's called the home use program.

 

[hackwelder]

VLC, Gimp, Libre Office like many others.
XLD for CD ripping and Audacity for audio editing.
VirtualBox for running one OS within another, in my case I run Xubuntu Linux within OS X.
StreamRipStar for recording internet radio

 

[tarbellb]

Mac user-

SKETCHUP, so good, and constantly updated and debugged by Google.

 

[tarbellb]

Question:

Anybody using a Mac (and not a dual boot operator ie running OS and MS/linux/etc..)

that can recommend a good, simple 2D program
for CAD and converting files to .dxf or .dwg files?

 

[smitty33]

Mac user-

SKETCHUP, so good, and constantly updated and debugged by Google.

Google sold sketchup a couple years ago. Still great software though.

 

[dale500]

Firefox

Thunderbird

MozBackup - Backs up all your Firefox settings and favorites. Backs up all your Thunderbird emails and settings

AutoVer - File copy program. I use it to instantly copy anything saved in my documents to a second hard drive.

CDBurnerXP - Best freeware disk burning program I have found.

Karen's Replicator - Fast backup program for copying files to a second drive for backup. It's old but it still works and works well.

I have never had a drive crash but I like being ready just in case. I use Autover to backup up my files to a second drive in real time. Then I use Karen's Replicator and MozBackup once a week to copy my files and emails to a third drive that I store in a fire safe.

 

[stonesfan68]

Question:

Anybody using a Mac (and not a dual boot operator ie running OS and MS/linux/etc..)

that can recommend a good, simple 2D program
for CAD and converting files to .dxf or .dwg files?

Try Draftsight.

http://www.3ds.com/products-services/draftsight/overview/


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Troutsqueezer]

DVD Decrypter
Handbrake

 

[smokeysevin]

I am a fan of paint.net but serif also offers the free version of a lot of their software.

Sean

Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk

 

[gte718p]

I'll update this thread. I have two new cad programs I'm currently enthralled with Autodesk Fusion 360 and On Shape. On Shape is browser only, but has some cool features including FEA. Fusion also has some really cool tools, but is limited to 2.5 axis CNC in the free version.

 

[highland_hunter]

Anyone that struggles with passwords and wants something more secure than post its under the keyboard should check out Password Safe, a version for Mac and Andriod too..

 

[UncleJoe]

I am a network engineer with more than 30 years in the business and I have to say that without a doubt the best free software for me is OneNote. Yes it comes from that "Evil" micro$oft but it is now free and hands down the best software in the world. Period.

If you don't know what it is or how to use it check out some youtube videos like this:

I have a tab for each client with everything about that client in the notebook for that tab and I have a section for my workshop with all the things I do in my shop.

Just one of the many crazy things it does well is instant OCR. If for example I place a photo in onenote and that photo has text on it I can search onenote for that text. I uses screen captures to grab important details off of the servers I work on and I can search those images for text. How cool and useful is that.

 

[cludwin]

I program for a living.

I use Linux as my OS.

VIM as my text editor
Screen as my terminal multiplexer (although I've hear good things about tmux)
Chrome as my browser of choice
Gimp on the rare occasion I need to manipulate images

90% of what I do is either in ssh'd into a shell on a remote server or working out of a browser on my machine.

 

[The Cobbler]

audiograbber for ripping cd's into mp3

 

[kramarj]

Not sure if these are useful, but I used to use these for 3D modeling for gaming and just building random things.

Blender
3DS Max (student version)
Maya (student version)

I have also found a free version of Photoshop, although it was an old version, but still free.

 

[brianh]

Not sure if these are useful, but I used to use these for 3D modeling for gaming and just building random things.

Blender
3DS Max (student version)
Maya (student version)

I have also found a free version of Photoshop, although it was an old version, but still free.

These programs I use for models on my cnc router they are used by gamers too

http://www.makehuman.org/

http://pixologic.com/sculptris/

 

[MrJason]

I am a network engineer with more than 30 years in the business and I have to say that without a doubt the best free software for me is OneNote. Yes it comes from that "Evil" micro$oft but it is now free and hands down the best software in the world. Period.

If you don't know what it is or how to use it check out some youtube videos like this:

I have a tab for each client with everything about that client in the notebook for that tab and I have a section for my workshop with all the things I do in my shop.

Just one of the many crazy things it does well is instant OCR. If for example I place a photo in onenote and that photo has text on it I can search onenote for that text. I uses screen captures to grab important details off of the servers I work on and I can search those images for text. How cool and useful is that.

No offense, but the fact that you are using this on the job - using client screen captures is a little scary.

The practice is frightening, simply based on the fact that the IT industry doesn't have anything to really provide in lieu of OneNote, that can do the same thing.

It's comparable to hearing a doctor tell me that their PHI is located in their consumer grade Dropbox. Yikes!

You're a seasoned professional, so you know what you can and can't save offsite. HIPAA and PCI compliance issues could abound in someone less cognizant, as I'm sure you could imagine.

Clever? Yes. Scary, yep, just a little.

Jason

 

[code4pay]

Ubuntu Linux for all our p.c's including my work mac book. Inkscape for drawing, chrome or Firefox for Internet, Libre office for spreadsheet and letters, thunderbird for work email.