Having freshly installed Windows 7 on my laptop (I usually run Linux) I’ve had to get hold of all the editors, tools and libraries I need again, and figured I would share here. Everything here is open source, free for non-commercial use or has a free trial version.

Programming

• Visual Studio 2010 for C, C# and C++ programming. If you’re a student you can get the professional edition from Dreamspark.
• XNA – nice to work with but distributing the game is awkward.
• Python 2.6 because I’m living (happily) in the past, along with Pyglet and PyGame (I haven’t actually used PyGame yet so will be avoiding it if possible).
• LÖVE, a multiplatform 2d game engine written in Lua.
• Unity. I really like the Unity engine and used it last year, but limitations in using source control and sharing projects with the free version are a massive hinderance.
• Flash in Flashdevelop with Flixel. I’ve only worked with flixel over the past couple of days but overall was really impressed.
• Notepad++, a great little text editor.

Art

I’m not an artist but it’s useful to be able to re-export a model, make your own cubes and create some disgusting coder art. Don’t forget: the more hideous you make your coder art, the faster the artist will replace it. Unless they stop to strangle you first. Sorry artists.

• Paint.Net, a huge step up from Paint.
• The Gimp, for the scary times when I need to do something more complicated than can be achieved in Paint.Net.
• Blender, for messing with the 3rd dimension and converting models.

Audio

• LMMS, an easy to use application for composition if we get so desperate I need to do that. Cover your ears if that actually happens.
• SFXR, a sound effect generator, and the online AS version.
• Audacity, for tampering or recording audio files.

Storage and Sharing

• Tortoise SVN and Tortoise Git – easy to use shell integration for source control.
• Dropbox – quick and easy backups and a simple way to transfer assets.

Recording

• Chronolaspe – a tool to record timelapses videos from screenshots or webcam captures.
• Fraps for recording the game itself.

I’ve probably forgotten a few things here, leave your own suggestions in the comments.

If anyone is interested, I’ve uploaded the slides from my talk on Free Software for Students which I was intending to present. They probably don’t make much sense without me talking over the top, and there are a few applications I would like to have mentioned but cut out for timing reasons, so I’ll try to write up a blog post on the topic.

The aim was to cover the types of software I find helpful, for example personal wikis and to do checklists that other students might not make use of yet, as well as suggesting open source alternatives for common applications such as Office. The one thing I really struggled to find was a good referencing tool – everything I tested was either limited to one platform, hard to use, or so difficult to get hold of and install that I wouldn’t have felt comfortable recommending it to anyone else. If you have any suggestions on that front, I’d love to hear it.

Anyway, apologies again for missing the day; I hope that everyone that took part had a really great time.

Photo thanks to AGoK on flickr.

The event, which takes place on Saturday the 19th of September in the Hannah Maclure Center, will feature a range of talks and ongoing demonstrations and is a great opportunity to celebrate and learn more about software freedom.

Personally, I’ll be talking about software for students – discussing the benefits of choosing free software and sharing some great organisation, study and entertainment packages.

If you’re in Dundee, please stop by and say hello!

Software Freedom Day Dundee Homepage (there’s also a swish information hotline if you call 01382 848 950)

SFD Dundee Twitter Feed

Software Freedom Day Homepage

Umbrello is a pretty simple UML editor though it does support a range of different views and diagrams. It makes it as easy as possible to draw a simple diagram, then lets you alter and add to it as your design is refined. Everything seems to work fine under Linux with the exception of exporting to an image.

The instructions you need to follow to install Umbrello – and a range of other KDE 4 applications such as my favourite text editor Kate – under Windows can be found on this wiki page.

If you give it a try let me know whether the install works for you. I hate having to learn to use a different piece of software for each platform I work on.

That said, the area where I’m really struggling is finding a decent UML editor. Under Linux the best solution I’ve found is Umbrello: it’s easy to use, and has a lot of great functionality. However, it isn’t altogether stable – I’ve found it can’t cope with complex diagrams and crashes every hour or so – and since QT4 for Windows isn’t quite up to scratch, it isn’t much use when I need to to Windows/Direct X development work.

Recently I’ve been using ArgoUML. As a Java application it will run on practically any platform, so I can share diagrams between my Windows and Linux installs. It has a good range of features such as critiquing your designs and a clear and simple graphical user interface, however it also has its stability issues. Occasionally it uses up a huge amount of memory before grinding to a complete halt, requiring the application to be restarted in order to continue. Changes to the application’s settings seem to only take effect as and when they feel like it. Also, layouts seem to change when a diagram is saved, losing a lot of formatting information.

Overall, ArgoUML is usable. The user interface is great, and the feature set is definitely heading in the right direction. At the same time though, for applications relating to my coursework I’d take stability over an increased features set in a heartbeat.

Does anyone have any recommendations for an open source (or, if necessary, freeware) UML Editor?
How do you design your projects and software?

The Text Editor

You weren’t planning on writing code in Notepad were you? When a full featured IDE is too much for the task at hand, these text editors will give you all the features you need without too much bulk. Each of them lets you have multiple files open at once, has syntax highlighting and search and replace functions, and a whole lot more.

Kate (Linux)

gEdit (Linux)

Notepad++ (Windows)

The IDE

Asside from being expensive, Microsoft Visual Studio is closed source, and only runs under Windows. Whether you want something a little lighter, something tailored to your language or just something free, there’s an open source option available. Here are some great choices for a range of platforms.

Eclipse (Cross-Platform)

KDevelop (Linux)

Anjuta (Linux)

Dev-C++ (Windows)

The UML Editor

I’ve looked before at the importance of planning. UML modelling tools make it easy to put together a visual representation of a solution, and to modify it as you work.

Gaphor (Multi Platform)

ArgoUML (Multi Platform)

Umbrello (Linux)

StarUML (Windows

The Mind Mapper

Some times you need do some planning without the constraints of something formal like UML. When you just need to get ideas onto paper (or screen as the case may be), mind mapping can be ideal. These applications help you make maps quickly and easily, and unlike writing them in a notepad, they’re easy to edit later on.

Freemind (Multi Plaform)

Whilst not open source, this online tool can also be useful:

Bubbl.us (Online)

The Source Manager

Whether you’re working alone or as part of a group, losing all of your work is never fun. Source code repositories make it easy to store your code in a seperate location, access it from multiple computers, and revert to older versions when something goes wrong. Several of the IDEs I listed above have support for repositories either natively or through plugins, plus I have listed some stand alone tools below.

CVS

Tortoise CVS (Windows)

Cervisia (Linux)

Subversion

Tortoise SVN (Windows)

KDE SVN (Linux)

Git

The LiveCD

This might seem like an odd choice if you’re not normally a Linux user, however it can be a lifesaver if you experience computer problems. A Live CD can be great for rescuing data before a reinstall if Windows messes up, testing problematic hardware and of course trying out Linux without installing it to your harddrive.
Whilst these distributions might not be the most suitable for long term use, they come with great tools for emergencies.

gParted (Partitioning)

Knoppix (General Purpose)

Backtrack (Security/Pen Testing)

Over To You…

I hope you find some of the items on this list useful. If you have any other great pieces of Open Source software computing students might find beneficial, please share it in a comment below.
If you enjoyed this post, I’d encourage you to check out http://blog.padowi.se, which features an expansive overview of software which could be useful to any developer, an in particular to students.

“Linux has a less than 2% market share – why would you be surprised about how few people use it?”

Well, for the general public I wouldn’t be. Be we’re talking about computing students in particular – people who could get a lot of benefit from using Open Source software and running the Linux operating system.

Why Care About Open Source Software?

1. It gives you access to hundreds of free applications.

If you’re a student, software probably isn’t something you’ll want to spend limited funds on. Although open source software can be sold, many applications are completely free. Most people have probably heard of the big names in the open source world – the likes of Open Office, The Gimp and Firefox, but if you care to search you’ll find there is much more on offer. Whilst there are plenty of open source applications you can run under Windows and Mac, if you choose to install Linux there’s even more on offer and getting hold of them is easy too.

2. More contributers mean better software.

Since the source code of applications is available for other developers to review and modify, programs tend to become secure and high quality. Whilst some may be buggy, software tends to be updated regularly and fixes quickly become available. You can help by reporting bugs to the application’s maintainer if you come across them, or helping to fix them.
As Eric S. Raymond said in his highly recommended book The Cathedral and The Bazaar:

“Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow.”

3. Find out how things work.

With a proprietary program, if you want to make a change or see why the application works, you’re out of luck. With a piece of open source software the source code is always available to you, and you’re free to modify it.

4. You can afford to contribute for free.

As a student, you’re in a great position which you might never be in again in your lifetime – you have found a way to get to university or college and hopefully have funding for the next few years. Whether you have scholarships, work part time, or have taken out a loan, you probably aren’t working full time and can afford to do something for free. If that something also helps you with the subject you are studying – all the better. While you are a student is a great time to develop for and contribute to a relevant open source project, and perhaps even apply to Google Summer of Code.

5. You can boost your coursework.

Depending on your course and your lecturer, you might be able to integrate open source software to boost your coursework. Obviously I’m not talking about plagiarism or using someone elses work as your own, but if you are allowed and declare them properly in your references, open source software and libraries can save you re-writing a working piece of code, and let you focus on more exciting parts of your project. If you can contribute and give something back in the process, even better.

6. Get experience of working with other people.

Whether you are simply getting an application working, submitting bug reports, or actually helping develop it, you’re going to have to work with other people. When much of your time at university will be spent working on your own, contributing to a project can be a great way to get some experience of developing software as part of a group. As well as aiding your communication skills and letting you learn from more experienced developers, you’ll also gain an understanding of the importance of vital resources such as source code repositories.

7. Become part of the community.

Open source has a huge community surrounding it, from end users to developers. Communicating with other people though forums, mailing lists and IRC channels is easy, letting you share help and support with others. It can also give you some great recommendations for other software to try, and aid you in finding some inspiration for your next project.

Over to you…

To what extent do you make use of open source software?
Do you have any other reasons why it’s great, or perhaps a tip for computing students (including myself)?
Check back in the next few days or subscribe to the site RSS feed to learn why computing students should consider running Linux, and for a list of recommened open source software.

Office Suite

1. Open Office

Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac.
Open Office contains all the functionality of Microsoft Office and then some: document and spreadsheet editors, drawing, database functionality and even powerpoint-style presentation creation. It is also fully compatible with Microsoft Office documents so there are no problems opening .ppt files or saving your documents as a .doc to hand in. You can also export work as PDF – ensuring it will look exactly the same no matter who opens it.

 

Web Browser

2. Mozilla Firefox

Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac.
If you aren’t using Firefox already, why not? Now in its third reincarnation Firefox is faster and more secure than ever. Although Internet Explorer may now support tabbed browsing, nothing offers the level of customisability now available with Firefox. Aside from theming the browser to get it looking just how you want, you can easily download and install extensions which add even more functionality, such as add blockers and social networking plugins.

 

3. Opera

Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac
If you’re looking for something a little lighter in weight or easier to use than Firefox, Opera is also a great choice. It has several great features already built in such as speed dial: images of your favourite bookmarks to select from when you start up your browser, as well as email and newsfeed readers. However, it is also easy to skin the browser for a new look or add widgets, mini applications to sit on your desktop.

 

Email reader, RSS reader and Organiser

4. Mozilla Thunderbird with Lightning

Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac.
Whilst webmail makes it easy to check your email from any computer, it can still be useful to be able to download and view all your mail from one central location. Thunderbird makes it easy to get hold of your mail from several accounts and sort it automatically.
As well as this, Thunderbird works as an RSS reader. This means you can subscribe to news feeds from websites and have the latest content delivered straight to your PC as they are updated. If you haven’t used RSS feeds before they can be a great way to save time hunting the web for your favourite sites – if the site you want has a feed look for a ‘Subscribe’ button on the page or see if there is a little orange icon in the address bar in Firefox.
Like Firefox, Thunderbird allows you add functionality by installing extensions. A fantastic one to look at is Lightning. It adds a calender and to-do list to the email client, making it easy to manage your time from one location. If you don’t want to use Thunderbird, you can also download Lightning as a standalone application.

 

Graphics Editing

5. The Gimp

Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac
At some point, most people are going to need to edit an image, or produce some sort of graphic. The Gimp is an application with far more power than the simple Paint program that comes with your OS, without the price tag of Photoshop. Whilst it is a flexible and advanced tool, bear in mind that the Gimp is not meant to be Photoshop, it is just an alternative. It has it’s own user interface and way of doing things which can take some time to learn, although it isn’t hard for a novice to find the key features.

 

6. Picasa

Platform: Windows, Linux and Mac
The Gimp can be a little bit bulky and confusing if you just want to organise and alter your photos – that’s where Picasa comes in. Picasa was released by Google and allows you to sort your photos on your hard disk, as well as making it easy to share them on the web. You can also crop and resize them, alter the colours and contrast and play with a few simple effects. The application is incredibly easy to use but also offers a good range of options, and you can perform an action to a set of photos in just a couple of clicks.

 

Instant Messaging

7. Pidgin

Platform: Windows, Linux (check Adium if you’re using a Mac)
Whilst the Microsoft MSN client is free to download, it only has support for one chat protocol. Pidgin however, supports over a dozen different protocols, and you can be logged in on different accounts simultaneously. As well as the ability to use Yahoo!, AIM and MSN, Pidgin has support for useful services like Google Talk and IRC. Pidgin is lacking webcam and voice chat right now, however as it is constantly being developed that should be available in future.

 

8. Skype

Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac
Skype’s primary purpose is to allow you to make free calls across the internet to other people using the service. That is far from it’s only use though. It can also be used to make low cost phone calls to landlines and mobiles, send SMS messages, instant message other users, and make free video calls. Because Skype is designed for audio messaging, the sound quality can be higher than other services, and with many international users, it can be a great way to practice language skills. It is also easy to find users who meet certain criteria and want to talk in order to make new friends.

 

CD and DVD Burning

9. Infrarecorder

Platform: Windows
A lot of courses are going to need you to submit coursework on a CD at some point. If you need something with more features than the default Windows burner but without the high cost of buying Nero, Infrarecorder is a good, lightweight choice. It integrates with Windows Explorer and burns a range of different media, including dual layer DVDs and multisession disks. It also allows you to record disk image files such as .isos.

 

Security

10. AVG

Platform: Windows
If you are running Windows, connecting to the internet without some sort of anti-virus software is putting your data at risk. AVG is a free virus and spyware scanner which allows you to run a regular, unintrusive scan of your computer. The program is regularly updated (just make sure you allow it to download updates) to stay on top of the latest threats. For the paranoid, there are also low-cost premium versions available with even more protection.

 

11. PeerGuardian

Platform: Windows, Mac, (Linux users check MoBlock)
If you’ve even so much as considered using Peer to Peer software (such as bittorrent) you’ll want to get hold of PeerGuardian right away. The application allows you to cease communications with certain IPs and maintains lists of those you might wish to block, such as government addresses, those releated with spyware and those who might compromise your privacy using P2P. Bear in mind that whilst PeerGuardian does make it safer to use bittorrent for copyright infringement, many people use the protocol for legal downloads and this application will help to protect their privacy.

 

12. Comodo Products

Platform: Windows
Comodo offers a range of free products to help your security. Their firewall is fairly unintrusive and is easy to use and update, and easily one of the best available for free. Another interesting utility is Comodo Backup, which allows you to make automatic backups of your data on your PC, accross a network or to CD/DVD. Comodo also offers a range of premium security products however I’ve found their free software to be more than sufficient.

 

Over To You…

Hopefully you’ll find some of these pieces of software useful and save some money on buying costly alternatives. If you have any other pieces of freeware or open source software which you think others might like please feel free to share it in a comment below.

If you enjoyed this post, please also check out Mike’s List of Multimedia Software. He has added some great applications, particularly if you are interested in audio or video editing.