Packaging Windows apps for Linux Was: Picasa for Linux

[Dana Olson]

On Tue, 2006-05-30 at 00:48 -0400, Patrick McFarland wrote:
> On Tuesday 30 May 2006 00:35, Dana Olson wrote:
> > While we're discussing the issue of putting closed-source Windows
> > binaries with a dozen MB of Wine binaries each into Ubuntu's Multiverse,
> > I'd like to suggest a few additions that should be considered if Picasa
> > is approved and accepted.
> >
> > - DVD Shrink. The native Linux app K9Copy doesn't work quite right, and
> > I'm not aware of anything else that actually does what DVD Shrink can
> > do.
> 
> We already have better apps to do that. Mencoder.

What is the name of the GUI for Mencoder that shrinks an entire DVD to
fit perfectly onto a single 4.7GB DVD, and leaves all the menus in-tact,
while at the same time allowing you to remove audio languages and
subtitles that you don't want? And if there is no GUI, what is the
commandline to do this?

If you don't understand what DVD Shrink is, and can't be bothered to
Google it, then maybe you shouldn't just shout out the name of a
command-line utility that doesn't do the same task.

> > - uTorrent. A much better BitTorrent client than the one included by
> > default with Ubuntu.
>
> We already have better apps to do that. Bittorrent.

You didn't bother reading what I wrote.

> > - Winamp. None of the native Linux software can acceptably play Nullsoft
> > NSV files without having the audio severely lagged in comparison to
> > running Winamp in Wine.
> 
> We already have better apps to do that. Audacious.

dana at polly:~$ sudo apt-get install audacious
Password:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
E: Couldn't find package audacious
dana at polly:~$

Cool. How about you package it and put it into Ubuntu then?

Not that this would even matter, because I checked their site, it didn't
mention anything about playing NSV files - or wait, did you bother
reading about that part? The point of needing Winamp isn't to play music
like XMMS already does, and BMP, and Rhythmbox, and so on. NSV video
files do not work in those apps at all, and they barely work (not even
watchably) in Mplayer, Totem, or Xine.

> > - Buzz. It's a cool music-making software, with a native clone in the
> > works, but it's not anywhere nearly as advanced yet.
> 
> We already have better apps to do that. Ardour and Rosegarden4 combined with 
> Fluidsynth and Zynaddsubfx.

Clearly you don't even have a clue about music apps. None of these do
what Buzz does. The closest thing is Beast, and you didn't even mention
it.

> > - AdAware Personal. It removes spyware and tracking cookies, which might
> > not be a big concern, but we do have anti-virus software too, and
> > viruses aren't any bigger a threat at this time than spyware is. Best be
> > prepared.
> 
> We already have better apps to do that. Privoxy.

"Privoxy is a web proxy with advanced filtering capabilities for
protecting privacy, modifying web page content, managing cookies,
controlling access, and removing ads, banners, pop-ups and other
obnoxious Internet junk."

"Ad-Aware Personal provides advanced protection from known data-mining,
aggressive advertising, Trojans, dialers, malware, browser hijackers,
and tracking components."

Doesn't sound the same to me. 

> > - Trillian Basic. Gaim works, but it isn't exactly skinnable. Plus,
> > Gaim's MSN file transfer is quite slow at the moment.
> 
> We already have better apps to do that. Gaim.

You didn't read what I wrote, again. But I'm surprised.

> > There are probably more that should be on this list, but it's been a
> > while since I ran Windows.
> 
> Whatever they are, we most likely have a better app.

And do we have no better app than Picasa?

If we let Picasa in, we give people a choice between F-Spot and other
similar projects, and Picasa, a Windows application running on Wine.

Why bother packaging Nano when we have Vim? Why bother packaging KDE
when we have GNOME? Why bother packaging Firefox when we have Epiphany?

The thing is that we care about choice. Don't we? Where do you draw the
line? Do you draw it at Google, because they are who they are and get a
special status above all else? Or do we draw the line at native Linux
apps? Personally, I hate Wine, but if we are going to be letting in one
Windows app, I think we should be letting them all in, as many as
possible, because there are some apps that are more worthwhile to have
than Picasa, with no real equivalent (despite what you think).

I was hoping to have a meaningful reply from someone who has used these
applications, knew what they did, or at least actually took the time to
read what I wrote, and didn't just fly off the handle recommending apps
that aren't even equivalents in most cases, and lacking features at best
in others.

You failed to comprehend the purpose of my email.
Would you like to try again? (Y/n)

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. There is no need to CC me, as I do read the
list. Use the "Reply to List" feature of your mail client. If your mail
client does not have it, then why are you using it when there is a
better client? Evolution.
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