FOSSWIN

What is FOSSWIN?

The FOSSWIN is a collection of over 100 Free/Open Source software for academic, government, home, and business users using the Microsoft Windows 98SE/Me/2000 and XP operating systems. FOSSWIN is based on the TTCS OSSWIN CD and contains several modifications and enhancements

You can use this document to read a synopsis about each program on the CD: what the program does, its key features, and if it constitutes a comparable replacement for a commercial program with similar features.

This document present the applications organized into the following categories:

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Key features of FOSSWIN

Easy to install
Many open source software for Windows are made available as ZIP files which require the user to manually extract the files to a directory and then use Windows Explorer to browse to the directory and run the program. The FOSSWIN collection contains standard .EXE installers for these applications, which allows the user to easily install and uninstall the program.
Software in the FOSSWIN collection is up to date at time of download
The FOSSWIN collection is created by using the most recent stable versions of the software it features.
Easy to browse with Windows Explorer
All of the software in FOSSWIN is in the "Software" folder with subfolders for each of the categories. This makes it easy for those users who are familiar with Windows Explorer to browse and install software on another machine.

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Obtaining FOSSWIN

Realizing the different needs of users, the developers behind FOSSWIN have created several options for obtaining the collection. It is available for download either as an ISO image file that can be burned to a CD, a single ZIP file containing all the applications that can be downloaded and installed as desired, and a so-called portable version of the collection. The portable version will most likely be of particular interest to people since it allows a significant portion of the software from FOSSWIN to be run directly without installation. A typical usage would be to copy the portable software collection to a USB thumbdrive and carry it conveniently so that it can be executed on any computer running Windows. In addition to being an excellent opportunity to test-drive the FOSSWIN collection, this approach has the added benefit of improved privacy since all application settings and user actions history would be stored onto the USB drive, and won't leave any trace on the computer where the portable suite is executed. 

In order to use the ISO image, the user will need a CD-burning software such as ISORecorder or CDBurnerXP

Every one of the open source applications in this collection is governed by its own licence, which in most cases is the popular GPL.

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Hardware and Software Requirements for FOSSWIN

This collection of open source software is intended for us on the following versions of Windows : Windows® XP/2000/Me/98 Second Edition. Some software can only run on Windows XP/2000.

The software on the CD may or may not run on Windows 95, Windows 98 first edition or Windows NT.

The software will not run on Windows 3.1.

The software requirements for each program/application varies but if your Windows PC is already running a program that falls in one of the categories (e.g. Desktop Applications, Graphics, Internet, etc) it can probably run the programs listed under that category.

Your computer should have these minimum system requirements:

  • Windows® XP/2000/Me/98Second Edition.
  • A 300MHz or faster Intel or AMD Athlon processor/CPU.
  • 128MB or more of RAM.
  • A CD-ROM OR DVD-ROM drive.
  • Hard drive space: 1.5GB (for installing all of the applications) plus additional space (as needed) for data.
  • Video: 32MB (or higher) video card which supports Direct X 8.1 OR Direct X 9 and has OpenGl support (for the games).
  • Sound: Direct X compatible sound card.
  • Keyboard and mouse.
  • A web browser (to view this file README.html) preferably Mozilla Firefox with the OpenDownload extension or Internet Explorer 6.

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List of software on the CD

Below is the software on FOSSWIN. Note that the FOSSWIN is continually maintained so future releases will contain updated versions of the applications listed below, as well as possible additions/deletions from this list.

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What is Open Source Software?

Open Source Software is software that can be freely downloaded and altered to suit your needs. There are many types of Open Source Software. The difference lies in the way altered versions of the software can be distributed, so, if you customise the software for your own needs, then decide to distribute it, you may be bound by specific terms.

Many open source projects make ready to install executable versions for various operating systems including Windows.

You can do the following with open source software :

  • Install the software on any number of machines in any environment (home or commercial) without purchasing licence fees for each machine.
  • Obtain and modify the source code and distribute modified versions of the program together with the modified source code. Open source licenses differ in how such source code can be distributed or licensed for others to also do what you have done.

Here are several links for you to learn more about Open Source Software :

The Open Source Definition
Published by the Open Source Initiative (OSI) organisation. It lists the criteria by which software can be considered "open source" software.
The Free Software Definition
"Free software" as defined by the Free Software Foundation (FSF). The word "free" refers to freedom, not price.

While "free software" meets the definition of open source software, not all open source software meets the free software definition. See also

Why Open Source Software / Free Software? Look at the Numbers!
Reference paper to "convince you to consider using OSS/FS when you’re looking for software, using quantitive measures".

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Warranty (or lack thereof) and disclaimer of liability

Disclaimer of Warranties:

  • There is no warranty for the software included in this collection.
  • The programs may or may not work as expected/described.
  • The programs are distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

    • No liability for consequential damages:

    In no event shall the producers and distributors of this collection be liable for any damages whatsoever (including without limitation, special, incidental, consequential, or indirect damages for personal injury, loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information or any other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use of or inability to use the software included in this collection.

    In other words, you the end-user(s) (person/persons who install/use the software) agrees to accept ALL risk and liability associated with using the software. Should anything go wrong, the end user agrees to accept full/100 percent responsibilty for the actual incident and any related consequences arising out of the incident.

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     For questions/comments/suggestions about FOSSWIN:

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