Software List

The new computer is back. I've shrunk some partitions to leave room for linux. I've set up AVG (I need to use Trend for work purposes, but don't have the serial number yet, so I'll use AVG until I do), and I'm using Google Pack to install a batch of stuff.

I think I'll use this blog entry as a record of significant software that I want to be able to reinstall. It therefore counts as a recommendation, although your needs might not be the same as mine.

• AVG Free Antivirus
  
• Google Pack provides Google toolbar, Google desktop, photo screensaver, Picasa, Firefox, Spyware doctor, RealPlayer, Skype, Acrobat Reader, and StarOffice
• Google Earth for when Google Maps aren't good enough
• Java (latest JDK, plus tutorial, source, and API docs)
  
• MyEclipse Software development environment, with the following plugins:
• Subclipse plugin for Eclipse (not forgetting to include the Mylyn and Buckminster things in the Europa discovery site)
  
• FormatOnSave plugin
• MiKTeX - Windows LaTeX distribution
• Texclipse - makes LaTeX so much easier to use.
• Checkstyle plugin - not essential, but good for industrial strength collaborative projects.
• MySQL database
  
• CutePDF Free PDFWriterPublish Post
• 7-Zip Decompresser/archiver (Why does windows take 5 hours to decompress java source Zip file, when 7-Zip only takes a minute or so?)
• The latest flash player - probably easiest to go to YouTube to have the browser load it automatically.
• Hugin and Autopano for image stitching
• Audacity for audio recording and editing
• Putty for ssh.
• Workrave for preventing RSI
• WinMerge for comparing and merging text-ish files
• PDFSAM for splitting and merging PDF files.
  
• GIMP - especially for making backgrounds transparent
• Inkscape for filling in PDF forms and other vector graphics