Test Driving Linux

Chapter 12. Great Programs That Aren't on the CD

When you test-drive a car, your only option is to drive one on the dealer's lot. This car may not have the leather seats you want or may be the wrong color, but that's okay. You just want to see how the car feels and how it drives, and to make sure it's comfortable for you.

Test-driving Linux with the Move CD is the same thing. This CD doesn't include every available Linux program—there wouldn't be enough space for it. But it's still a good way to test-drive Linux because it gives you 90 percent of the features that you will have once you install a Linux distribution to your hard drive.

Still, there are a few programs of note that Move is missing, so I'll cover them here. These are by no means all of the programs Linux has to offer; they are just a few popular alternatives to the software covered earlier, as well as some useful programs that have no counterparts on the Move CD. My intent here is simply to inform you of other good open source programs, not to tell you how to use them.

Finding more programs

There are thousands of open source programs you can try. Some distributions include multiple CDs or even DVDs to give you a convenient way to install these programs. Many more can be searched for at web sites such as http://freshmeat.net.

In a couple of instances I make note of alternative live CDs that will let you try out the feature described. You can also test-drive programs such as Firefox, Thunderbird, Nvu, and Gaim on your Windows ...