If you wish to run a Windows application on your Linux or POSIX compatible operating system, then Wine might be your answer.

The Wine project was started way back in 1993 to support Windows 3.1 programs on Linux systems. However, it is still under testing stage and has not been released to the general public.

Some of Wine features are listed below:

Binary Compatibility 

• Wine is designed for POSIX compatible operatings systems (eg. Linux and FreeBSD)
• Wine loads on Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP, Windows 3.x and DOS programs and libraries
• “bug-for-bug” compatibility with Windows
• Win32 compatible memory layout, exception handling, threads and processes

Graphics

• Wine supports X11, TrueType (.ttf/.ttc) and Windows Bitmap (.fon) Fonts
• X11-based graphics allows remote display to any X terminal
• Support for OpenGL based games and applications have been added to Wine
• Printing via PostScript driver or legacy native Win16 printer drivers
• DirectX support for games (limited Direct3D support)
• Desktop-in-a-box or mixable windows
• Wine has enhanced Metafile (EMF) and Windows Metafile (WMF) driver
• Windows MultiMedia (WinMM) layer support with builtin codecs

Allows Windows program to interface with: 

• Multi-lingual keyboards and CJK input method support via XIM
• Modems, serial devices
• Sound devices via ALSA, OSS, ARTS, JACK, and libaudio etc
• Wine supports networks like TCP/IP and IPX
• Windows Tablets via XInput (eg. Wacom)
• ASPI Scanners

Wine API

• Wine is designed for source and binary compatibility with Win32 code
• Wine is compilable on a wide range of C compilers
• Permits mixing of Win32 and POSIX code
• Win32 API test suite to ensure compatibility
• Wine permits mixing of ELF (.so) and PE (.dll/.exe) binaries in one address space
• Win32 compatible header files
• Automatically generated API documentation
• Resource compiler 
• Message compiler
• IDL compiler
• Wine provides extensive Unicode support
• Internationalization — Wine supports 16 languages
• Built-in debugger and configurable trace messages
• External memory checker support using Valgrind
•  Sample programs

Linux MCE is a completely free, open source add-on to Ubuntu with a complete media solution. It is easy to install and powerful.

Some of the top features related to media and entertainment would include a 3D alpha-blended GUI optimized for video on television using a remote control. The LinuxMCE media browser presents the contents on al devices at home using a 3D rotating cube display. The MCE built-in NAS provides a complete media server and a centralized backup option. Plug-and-play detection and aggregation of the DMA and the networks are also possible.

Using the LinuxMCE, you can automatically control all exisiting video and audio devices like your stereo systems and television sets. There are a whole lot of other options for controlling webpads, phones, pda and mobile phones.

LinuxMCE helps achieve adapting a Smart Home with complete control on home, communication and security systems.

You can control lighting, security, climate and camera surveillance. What more, the MCE also helps auto attend phone systems, voice mails, call forwarding for VOIPs and lines on POTs.

The security feature allows using your existing home alarm systems, lights, phones, surveillance and other electronic devices to notify you right onto your mobile systems when you are at move or out of home.

You can buy a LinuxMCE DVD for just $3 on the Linuxmce.org site or download it using the following link.

LinuxMCE Download

Linux Mint has been one of the most surprising packages this year with the Open Source community. It has one of the most user-friendly distributions with complete customizable desktops, menus, a whole lot of unique configuration tools, a web-based package for installation interface and a wide number of editions.

Linux Mint is a Debian-based distribution and has a good package manager. Linux Mint also uses Ubuntu repositories and hence it’s compatible. This Ubuntu compatibility has given Linux Mint users more access to packages and software.

The core purpose for this development was to produce an elegant and upto date GNU/Linux desktop distribution which is also comfortable at the user end.

The first version of Linux Mint was Linux Mint 1.0 Ada. This was followed by Linux Mint 2.0 Barbara, Linux Mint 2.1 Bea, Linux Mint 2.2 Bianca, Linux Mint 3.0 Cassandra, Linux Mint 3.1 Celena, Linux Mint 4.0 Daryna and the latest release being Linux Mint 5 Elyssa.

You can download all these versions on their official website. Please click here to go to the website.

Find out how to install Ubuntu 

Ubuntu a community developed Linux based operating system has gained increasing popularity due to its ease of use and compatibility with laptops, servers and desktop computers. The application also contains a web browser, softwares for document writing, spreadsheets. You can also do instant messaging.This free software is easy to install if the steps are followed carefully. Read More »