connect.ie

How to - Services

Last Update - 30/05/2013

This page is mostly about how to do certain operations on your computer.

We have also listed a number of the more popular, mostly free to use - open source software applications. The programs listed under the Windows section are avaialble for you to try out on your Windows PC. This will enable you to identify, try and use programs to do the tasks you need to do at no or low cost.

This will allow you, if you wish to move to a Linux operating system quickly as you will know the programming that you need to use with free, open source computer systems, reducing your costs and removing the legal risks that you may currently be open to by using unregistered software.

Many packages are free, some may have restrictions, or low cost licencing,for use by business.

Most of the links we provide will give you all the information you need.

The list we provide is only a selection of what is available. Please let us know if you have any favourite that you would like to add.

Linux - Operating Systems

They come in different distributions, known as flavors or platforms.

Ubuntu Very good to start with and indeed go on with

Fedora is free for anyone to use, modify and distribute.

Knoppix Bootable live system on CD / DVD, Use as a Linux system for the desktop, educational CD, rescue system. Not necessary to install on hard disk, due to on-the-fly decompression.CD can have up to 2 GB of executable software installed or over 8GB on the DVD "Maxi" edition.

Debian We use Debian for a range of our machines.

OpenSUSE a free and Linux-based operating system for your PC, Laptop or Server.

Programs for Linux, Windows, Mac and others

Create your free Office or Home computer and choose all the FREE software you need!

Browsers

Firefox

Opera

Konqueror - Part of K desktop - more than a browser

Lynx- for command line users

Mail clients

Thunderbird: Good email program
Evolution: provides mail, addressbook/calendaring functionality to GNOME desktop users.

Office Suites

Open Office - This consists of the following:

Writer: A word processor similar to Word/WordPerfect. Can export PDF files with no additional software, and basic WYSIWYG editor for creating/ editing web pages.

Calc: A spreadsheet similar to Microsoft Excel or Lotus 1-2-3 with equivalent range of features. Calc provides features not present in Excel,including a system to auto define series for graphing, based on the layout of the user's data. Calc can write spreadsheets in PDF format.

Impress: Presentation program similar to PowerPoint. Can export presentations to Flash (SWF) files, to be played on any computer with Flash player installed. Can create PDF files, and PowerPoint's .ppt format. Lacks ready-made designs but templates are readily available on the 'net.

Base: A database management program similar to Microsoft Access. Base allows the creation and manipulation of databases, and the building of forms and reports to provide easy access to data for end-users. As with Access, Base may be used as a front-end to a number of different database systems, including Access databases (JET), ODBC data sources and MySQL/PostgreSQL. Base became part of the suite starting with version 2.0. Native to the OpenOffice.org suite is an adaptation of HSQL. While Base can be a front-end for any of the databases listed, there is no need for any of them to be installed.

Draw: A vector graphics editor and diagramming tool, similar to Microsoft Visio and comparable in features to early versions of CorelDRAW. It features versatile "connectors" between shapes, which are available in a range of line styles and facilitate building drawings such as flowcharts. Has similar features to Desktop publishing software such as Scribus and Microsoft Publisher.

Math: Tool creates and edits math formulae, similar to MS Equation Editor.Formulae can be embedded into other OpenOffice.org documents, eg those created by Writer. Supports multiple fonts and can export to PDF.

Want to do more with Open Office then go to:

Open Office Addons for Linux

KOffice 2.0The KOffice project was seemingly shut down permanently in September 2012 without any official announcement

GNOME Office - includes AbiWord, Gnumeric and GNOME-DB data access components. It is a part of the GNOME environment for X Window (on Linux, the BSDs, and other Unix emulating operating systems).

Star Office: Is Sun Microsystems' proprietary office suite software package and includes:

StarWriter word processor

StarCalc - spreadsheet .sdc

StarImpress - presentation program

StarDraw - drawing tool

StarBase - database

StarMath - formula generator

Text Editor Notepad++

Graphic Packages:

Gimp A good graphics editor

GimpShop GIMPshop is available for many different operating systems, including Mac OS X, Windows 98+, Linux, and Solaris.

ArtRage: Starter Edition: bitmap graphics editor for digital painting for Windows

Artweaver: freeware raster graphics editor for Windows

Brush Strokes Image Editor: freeware bitmap graphics editor for Windows.

FastStone Image Viewer: image viewer and image organizer for Microsoft Windows,

Helicon Filter Free: Edit and improve existing photos, not graphics creation

IrfanView; freeware image viewer for Win - view, edit, convert image files/play video/audio

Paint.NET: a raster graphics editing program for Windows

Picasa: software to organise/edit digital photos, now owned by Google

Pixia: freeware bitmap graphics editor program for Windows,

Project Dogwaffle 1.2 Free Version: raster graphics editor with simple animation capabilities

Xnview: free cross-platform: viewing, converting, organising editing graphical & video files

CinePaint: open source program for painting/retouching bitmap frames of movie film

KolourPaint: free, easy-to-use raster graphics editor for the K Desktop Environment

KOffice Krita: bitmap graphics editor included in KOffice suite. Painting and photo editor.

mtPaint: graphic editor geared to create indexed palette images/pixel art easy to use.

Pixen: interface similar to Adobe Photoshop. ses a unique left/right tool system.

Seashore: image editor for Mac OS X, influenced by the GIMP

Tile Studio: editor for graphics of tile-based games

Tux Paint: free/open source bitmap editor create/process raster graphics) aimed at children.

3D Graphics

Blender (3d design software ) - many of people compare this to 3D Studio Max

Maya (3d design software) - a computer program for creating 3D graphics

POV-Ray Persistence of Vision Raytracer high-quality, free tool for creating 3D graphics

Media Programs:

Players / Editors

VLC media player: an open source player, encoder and streamer, supports a wide variety of audio / video codecs in addition to DVD support.

Amarok: - an audio player

Audacity: free, open source software for recording and editing sounds.

Avidemux is a free video editor designed for simple cutting, filtering and encoding tasks. It supports many file types, including AVI, DVD compatible MPEG files, MP4 and ASF, using a variety of codecs

Jahshaka is a video and film compositing, editing and special fx system

Screen capture

TO be added

Calendar / Appointment Manager

Mozilla Sunbird cross-platform calendar application, built on Mozilla Toolkit.

DTP

Scribus an open-source program giving professional page layout to Linux, MacOS X, Windows, etc.

FTP

Filezilla

PDF

PDF read (Foxit)
PDF write/edit

Project Management

OpenProj: free, open source project management solution replacement of MS Project etc.

File Compression

ZIP (7-zip)

Anti Virus / Security

ClamWin is a Free Antivirus program for Microsoft Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003 and Vista

Security desktop tools

Instant Messaging

Jabber is an open instant messaging (IM) technology that anyone can use
Pidgin - Instant Messaging client to use all your IM accounts at once. Runs on a number of platforms
Finch is a text-based version of Pidgin supports same IM networks, can run in console window. You can use it on Linux, BSD,and other Unixes.

HTML editors

Komposer - The latest edit to this page used this program.

NVU - Fore runner of Komposer

There are other programs to add to this list. If you know of a program you wish to recommend for new Linux users, please use this FORM.

Macintosh

DUN Set Up

E-Mail Setup for Mac Outlook 5

Mac OS 7.5.1 Setup

Mac OS 7.5.1 TCP

MacOS 7.5.1 FreePPP

Mac OS 7.5.1 Open Transport PPP

Mac OS 8 Dialer Configuration

Internet Setup Assistant for Mac OS 8.5

Mac OS 9 Dial-Up Networking Setup - (text only)

Dial-Up Networking Setup for Mac OSX

Mac OS X and Mail Setup - (text only)

Mac Remote Access Configuration

Eudora - get mail headers for MAC

To delete mail from the server in MAC OSX mail

Mac Mail - OSX

Delete mail from server, once retrieved

Show mail headers

MS Explorer for Mac

Latest MS Explorer for MAC

Windows

Anti Virus - AVG

AVG's Anti-Virus Rescue Disks - (text only)

AVG- Free for personal use anti virus software

AVG- Free for personal use anti spyware software

Aviva

Dial-Up Networking Setup

Dial-Up Networking Setup for Windows 95/98

Dial-Up Networking Setup for Windows 2000

Dial-Up Networking Setup for Windows ME

Dial-Up Networking Setup for Windows CE

Dial-Up Networking Setup for Windows XP

email issues

Dealing with winmail.dat files

Domain "catch-all"_email_addresses.html

Security bulletin in your mail really is from Microsoft?

Eudora

Eudora Light Setup E-mail

Eudora Light 5.1 Setup

Eudora multiple mails

Eudora - get mail headers for PC

Explorer

Make Internet Explorer Favourites Available Offline

Remove Content Advisor Password in Internet Explorer

Reset Supervisor Password in Internet Explorer

Configuring MSN Explorer (Windows XP)

Setting Up a DUN Connection in Windows NT4

Dial-Up Networking Setup for Windows NT

Reinstall Dial-Up Networking in Windows NT

Reinstall RAS in Windows NT

Reinstall TCP/IP in Windows NT

Software for Windows:

Office suites

Ability Office: Low cost alternative: Consists of Write, Presentation, Database, Photoalbum, Spreadsheet,Photopaint,Draw and Launcher and support MS file imports
Celframe Office Low cost supports MS Office and OpenOffice file formats, Not simply an office suite, but a productivity suit
EasyOffice free for non-commercial personal use
Framework historical but still supported for Windows by the present developer.
Gobe Productive Originally written for BeOS by developers of the original ClarisWorks, A lightweight integrated Works-like office suite with generous "Hassle-Free License."
IBM Lotus SmartSuite - Includes Lotus 123 spreadsheet and renamed word processor and recently IBM Lotus Symphony (freeware word, spreadsheet and presentation suite).
Microsoft Office well known commercial product
Microsoft Works
Open Office Free Office Suite of programs. We use this for our own work.
StarOffice includes:
- StarWriter‚ word processor .
- StarCalc‚ spreadsheet
- StarImpress‚ presentation program
- StarDraw‚ drawing tool
- StarBase‚ database
- StarMath‚ formula generator

Want to do more with Open Office then go to:

Open Office Addons for Windows

Art/Graphic Packages for Windows:

ArtRage: Starter Edition: bitmap graphics editor for digital painting for Windows
Artweaver: freeware raster graphics editor for Windows
Brush Strokes Image Editor: freeware bitmap graphics editor for Windows.
FastStone Image Viewer: image viewer and image organizer for Microsoft Windows,
Helicon Filter Free: Edit and improve existing photos, not graphics creation
IrfanView; freeware image viewer for Win - view, edit, convert image files/play video/audio
Paint.NET: a raster graphics editing program for Windows
Picasa: software to organise/edit digital photos, now owned by Google
Pixia: freeware bitmap graphics editor program for Windows,
Project Dogwaffle 1.2 Free Version: raster graphics editor with simple animation capabilities
Xnview: free cross-platform viewing, converting, organising editing graphical & video files