The best new open source software on the planet

LXFHotPicks Nick Veitch When compiling HotPicks, Nick DXF2Papercraft Usermin Komparator 4 MP3 Diags makes frequent use of Curses. Tell us your favourite programming

Evince Amahi Tremulous Performous Fotoxx Terraform libraries at the usual address.

Modelling tool DXF2Papercraft Version 0.2 Web http://dxf2papercraft.sourceforge.net

idn’t you ever have the urge to that you can easily make it out of paper. take a model of a character’s Loads of things are made out of folded- D head from some game, blow it up sheets of stuff, and in engineering, up to twice lifesize and then build it out there’s software for calculating the best of paper? And colour it in. And then… way to fold thin sheets of metal to make, maybe cut out little eyeholes and wear well, whatever it is you’re making. it as a mask and freak everyone out This exciting project, DXF2Papercraft, with your twice-lifesize head? OK, I may is like a scaled-down version of that for have lost the audience a bit there with your own micro-industrial use. It takes a that last bit, but seriously, that would standard DXF 3D file (you can export be a really cool thing to do. these from Blender, for example) and One of the problems you might find computes each face as a shape, then is actually creating the model in a way unwraps it all flat so that you can print it on a sheet of paper. This is a simple unwrapped DXF primitive, but imagine a “Don’t bother trying a The edges that giant head object, with holes for the eyes. should be joined 20,000-face model of are left together, glue tabs so that you can stick it all while the rest are together later. As a bonus, for those the Eiffel Tower.” printed with little more complicated structures, you can also print out numbered tabs that will Juicy Bits cross-match. This means that, as long as you can read, you should be able to TheExploring text for each article appears DXF2Papercraft at the bottom of the screen assemble your creation. Input Keep it simple This shell shows the This project is at an early stage of command line interface of the DXF2Papercraft app. development, but it works well on simple models – don’t bother trying a Output 20,000-face model of the Eiffel Tower The output from DXF looks or something, unless you have a lot of like this. We’ve opened it spare paper. Hopefully, later versions of using OpenOffice.org. DXF2Papercraft will also enable you to map UV textures on – having that capability would be truly amazing. Fold lines The utility relies on a library called Solid lines between faces of your 3D shape indicate dime, which is included in the source. normal folds. The distribution tarball contains some pre-built binaries as well, which should Glue tab Face labels run out of the box if you don’t want to Tabs that you apply the glue to The flat faces of your 3D bother compiling it yourself. What are each have numbers, making the creation can also be labelled, you waiting for? Go and have some fun, shape easier to assemble. as we’ve done here. and I look forward to seeing you and your creations at ScaryBigHeadFest ’10.

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Remote system management tool Usermin Version 1.4.3 Web www.usermin.com

hese days, everything is better But hang on, I was supposed to be run as a web service. Booking talking about Usermin, a spin-off from T flights, relaying phone calls, Webmin – a bit like Torchwood and Dr writing HotPicks, abusing Mike – all Who without the time-travel. Usermin is these things can be done online with a pared-down version that doesn’t rely less hassle. For a long time, it has also on root access to the target box. been somewhat easier to manage your boxes online too. Easy to use Why struggle with complicated services and SSH when Webmin is a remote management The thinking, by lazy system admins, is you could get the same functionality using Usermin? tool that sets up a web server and lots that ordinary users might like to change DXF2Papercraft of little configuration tools to do all the things on a remote box too – mail understands lots of variants of Linux/ heavy lifting. The rationale is that settings, proxy stuff, spam filters, or Unix and their derivatives, so you can practically every box is easier to get to even just access usage statistics (and have one common interface regardless via the web. Why bother configuring there’s the facility to add custom of the distro you’re using. SSH tunnels or authorising loads of commands too). Usermin runs as a web Installing is as simple as different services, when one application server with pretty icons and plenty of downloading the relevant RPM or Deb running on a website on the target explanation, so that the dear little users file. The install scripts will work out what machine will take care of all your won’t get confused. What’s more, it version of Linux you’re using and act needs? It’s certainly less hassle than accordingly, setting up paths and poking half a dozen holes through your “You have one common services to run on demand. Once firewall and then constantly having to you’ve installed it, do a quick sudo monitor the ports to make sure that interface regardless of /etc/init.d/usermin start to launch it nothing naughty’s going on. So, all in and then point your browser to all, Webmin is a great thing. the distro you’re using.” localhost:20000 to configure it.

Directory sync utility Komparator 4 Version 0.1b Web http://bit.ly/7Ylv3l

ounding a bit like the latest euro- them. Commonly searched pairs of grunge-electronica group from directories can be added to a saved list S Berlin doesn’t seem to be of presets, which could be handy for holding back this little directory utility. regularly checking backups or mirrors. You may be wondering how it could be any good if nobody noticed the More tricks previous three, but it seems the Other options include the ability to filter numerical suffix relates to the version out particular files or groups of files, While its interface isn’t the most intuitive we’ve ever of KDE that it’s designed for, rather than follow symlinks, as well as different seen, what Komparator does is undoubtedly useful. indicating a trio of predecessors. types of comparison depending on The idea here is straightforward, but whether you want speed or ruthless sources for one side of the comparison executed with more than a modicum of accuracy. There’s a nifty file finder in can be defined and treated as if they rigorous excellence. You have the tabs along the top of the window were all in the same place. directories, you put things in them. too, just in case you didn’t think The array of options and radio Some of the things are the same. Some Komparator was doing enough. There’s buttons on the opening screen may put seem the same but are in fact only also a feature to use ‘virtual’ some users off for good. The points similar. And so on. Whether it’s giant subdirectories, where additional where you declare the directories to be folders full of digital photos, or searched are somewhat buried halfway directories containing different versions down the right-hand side. If you can get of code, Komparator will either point “It’s executed with to grips with the interface (which could out ‘missing’ files (which are in one more than a modicum of surely be sorted out!), this is a powerful place but not the other), duplicate files tool that could save you some filespace or files that just have a newer date on rigorous excellence.” or help find that lost photo.

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MP3 toolkit MP3 Diags Version 1.0 Web http://mp3diags.sourceforge.net

es, I know. We shouldn’t even be frames, garbled tags, missing info, bad bothering with MP3s. But in the normalisation settings and many other Ysame way that VHS became the such heinous audio file crimes. lingua franca of video, so too the annoyingly inefficient, clunky and Now fix it Music behaving badly. Actually, these are only minor bodged MP3 format has become the Of course, with the help of both internal misdemeanours compared to some files you’ll come across. mainstay of music. Although it probably and external instruments, the software isn’t the worst format in the world, let’s can also attempt to correct these complicated set of filter parameters face it, we’re stuck with it. This wouldn’t deficiencies with a number of tools and tools for matching tags to be as bad if there weren’t so many along the top of the main window. The filenames or vice versa. We suggest you devilish ways in which these files could icons aren’t particularly intuitive, so if have a good play around with these be malformed and mangled, resulting you’re not sure what something does, functions before unleashing them on in unpleasantness at the point of use. try using the tooltips. your entire audio collection, though. Think tracks that skip, stop halfway, are If you want to mess around with the Installation is straightforward. The too loud, have the wrong info… tags, there’s a separate window for source is there for you to compile, but MP3 Diags may look like just doing just that. It’ll query MusicBrainz the author has also made a number of another superfluous tag editor, but and all the usual things to find cover packages available in differing formats, before you hasten on, it has more to artwork and such too. There’s even a and because there aren’t a lot of offer. Indeed, its tag-friendly surface is a dependencies per se, they should install disguise for its real purpose of rooting without giving you any problems. out and fixing problem audio files. With “Its real purpose is You may find that in order to get the Torquemada-like tenacity, it rummages rooting out and fixing most out of MP3 Diags, you’ll have to through the giblets of your audio files to install a few helper apps such as find wrongdoings such as incomplete problem audio files.” volume normaliser MP3Gain as well.

Document viewer Evince Version 2.28.2 Web http://projects.gnome.org/evince

lthough many of your document, removing the need to have a documents may be delivered or plethora of tools installed for looking at Aoriginate online these days, the various file formats you encounter. there are still some occasions when It uses a series of back-ends to deal you’ll actually want to download with other popular document formats something. This may be to look at it such as DVI (favoured by Tex and its Why view comics online when you can download a CBZ later, or even (cue gasps), destroy the derivatives), DjVu (a format primarily file and read them in the way that was originally intended? planet a tiny bit further by printing it out. used by compressed scanned For such occasions, it’s nice to have documents to maintain high quality) If you already run a Gnome desktop, a reliable document viewer, and the as well as TIFF images (including multi- you probably have a version of Evince Gnome-recommended Evince is more page ones), CBR/CBZ (comic book installed, most likely lurking under the than up to the job. formats) and PDF documents. title of Document Viewer in some There are plans to include even rarely-frequented application menu. If Small and stable more in the future, although it has to be you do, ensure you have a recent Why bother jumping through hoops to said that extending the range of version because the latest two releases install Adobe’s proprietary reader, when formats that Evince supports doesn’t have fixed pernicious problems with you can look at PDFs and print them appear to be top priority at the moment. printing, among other things. The best using a tiny application that doesn’t way to install or upgrade is through crash just as you’re getting to a good your distro repository. As this is pretty bit? The wonderment doesn’t need to “You can look at PDFs mainstream Gnome stuff, most distro stop there, because the main goal using a tiny application repositories should be reasonably up to behind Evince was to create a program speed, but of course you can always that could view many different types of that doesn’t crash.” build it yourself from source if you wish.

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Linux server platform Hottest Amahi Linux Pick Home Server Version 5.1 Web www.amahi.org

early all of us have the internet isn’t anything new – the software to do and nearly all of us have this has been around for a large chunk Ngigabytes full of stuff – of the Linux epoch, but if you’ve ever pictures, music, half-finished novels. We tried to set up a Samba share so that Sit back even have multiple devices, such as Linux, Mac and several different types and relish the Most of the work in this version has phones, consoles, laptops and of Windows machine can all access it interconectivity been on getting everything to run under desktops. The next stage is to bring seamlessly, you’ll appreciate the utility of everything the new release of Fedora, but there are these things together in a coherent way of a package that takes care of that. with Amahi. plenty of features to come. One area so they can talk to each other, swap Dozens of other pre-configured still very much in the testing phase is data and be a model of digital harmony. packages are available too, from web- the ability to configure your router For many, this dream is quickly based apps such as WordPress, Joomla through the Amahi control panel. dispelled, but for those with the time and other wiki and CMS tools, to more and patience, it’s possible to set up a exotic stuff such as web-based torrent Slide alongside Linux box on your home network to clients, backup software and more. All The installation process is almost as take care of a lot of central services. The of this is on top of the core stuff easy as installing a new distro, and Amahi project wants to make such we’ve outlined it for you in the connectivity more widely distributed. walkthrough below. It’s rather like Amahi isn’t really a distro; it’s a “It’s possible to set up a making a base install of Fedora, but you collection of software built into a web- Linux box to take care have to add the Amahi repository managed central package that sits on during the install process. A few post- top of Fedora. All you really need is a of central services.” install bits of configuration will have box capable of running Fedora and a your home network set up in no time. network connection. including filesharing, UPnP media You can continue to run the Amahi streaming and dynamic DNS services. server alongside a Fedora desktop if Seamless work Of course, there’s nothing to stop you you like – this certainly cuts down the To get Amahi you need to sign up to a adding unsupported services yourself if number of computers you need to have beta program, so we’re unable to put it you can configure them manually. a tricked-out home network. It’s also on the LXFDVD; instead you should This new release has been updated ideal if you have one main desktop and grab it from the project’s website. to work on top of Fedora 12. There are loads of other devices such as laptops As well as useful-but-boring things plenty of fanboys who would like an and netbooks on a wireless LAN. including managing DNS and DHCP, Ubuntu version, but the development A networked machine is a handy Amahi can do useful tasks such as team is small and doesn’t have time to addition to your home setup, and there share music files to iTunes or share files rebuild everything continually against aren’t many easier ways of getting one to Windows networks. As we said, this different distros. If you offered to help… set up than installing this.

Step by step: Install Amahi Home Server

Sign up Install Fedora 12 Confi gure it The fi rst step is to sign up on the Amahi Install the latest Fedora 12. Add the Amahi Continue the setup in your web browser to website, log on and answer some simple repository as an additional source and download any extra software that you want confi guration questions. select the Amahi packages to install. to use, and confi gure your services.

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HotGames Entertainment apps FPS/RTS Tremulous Version 1.1.0 Web http://tremulous.net

here are few finer things in life arena blaster by adding RTS elements than gathering together a as well. Players can co-operate with one Tgroup of really good friends another to build or destroy benefit- and then emptying a few clips of giving structures in the game, which high-calibre ordnance into them. gives the gameplay a novel dimension. I know I’d do it every day if I could, and many other people must think No bots here likewise, which is why the team-play Tremulous is playable, but still in a beta FPS shooter is one of the most phase of development. That doesn’t popular game genres ever and mean to say that you can’t enjoy a good second only to MMORPGs as the game on it. There’s a widely-dispersed most popular type of computer development community continually game on the planet. Yes, amazingly, adding quality maps and extra code. some people would rather hunt Currently there are no AI bots, so you’ll Lots of work has gone into this game’s graphics, but through dungeons for a +4 dagger of need to get your kicks online against it’s a shame that there’s no one to shoot at here. Regex than waste their friends. real people, but the open source nature Fortunately for the world, the of the project and the evil inventiveness You’ll need an accelerated Tremulous developers are very much of the developers may address that. graphics card, but the other system that other sort of gamer who like to requirements are fairly light. Hours of do their slaying in an immersive 3D effort have gone into all the levels environment with the aid of some “It goes further than just and some of the lighting effects are hi-tech weaponry. Based on the open another death-arena superb. What lets this game down is source Quake 3 engine, it actually that there aren’t enough online goes further than just another death- blaster by adding RTS.” players – what are you waiting for?

Karaoke game Performous Version 0.4.0 Web http://performous.org

eople who can’t sing a note different difficulty settings you can try. always seem to be the This game used to be known as P keenest to show off their UltraStar, and although it’ll still play dearth of talent. Whatever the reason songs from that format, it has moved for this curious tendency may be, on a lot since its early days. this audio gem will bring them hours of fun. It would be wrong to say that Multi-talented this is like for Linux, For a start, it’s no longer just a singing although you can use your SingStar game – it has become a little bit like um, If you’ve achieved top scores in SingStar and need a new vocal challenge, look no further than Performous. discs in it. It would be wrong, but that what’s the name of that thing, where gives you a very good idea of what you have a guitar, and you think you’re this game’s all about. Notes tumble a hero. Axe Champion? Anyway, the almost hear it now. Of course, you do out of your speakers, words appear upshot is that if you have devices you need to have the relevant files to be on the screen and you have to shriek can configure as instruments, you can able to play along to. Performous has in time and key to score points. play and sing. Oh frabjous joy! I can some CC licensed work that you can Performous goes a little further use, and a utility to extract the files than SingStar in that it demands a “Performous demands a off your SingStar discs. fair effort at getting the pitch right. It seems unlikely that Sony will However, if you’re not quite ready to fair amount of effort at release any files for Linux people to try to knock Rage Against The play with, but there are utilities for Machine out of the charts, there are getting the pitch right.” transcribing your own music.

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Photo manipulation tool Also released

New and updated software that Fotoxx also deserves a look... Version 9.3 Web http://bit.ly/au195

ince we last took a look at watching a real-time sample output, Fotoxx, a range of new features making the whole process more precise Sand capabilities has been added, and less time-consuming. boosting the usefulness of this as a There are other nifty effects, one-stop photo manipulation tool. including perspective correction, image The huge increase in digital unbending and multi-shot panorama Scan Tailor prepares your scans photography has led to a proliferation creation. The few filter effects aren’t for printing or PDF creation. of tools of this type on Linux, but results nearly as developed as Gimp and it Scan Tailor 0.9.7.2 can be variable and the feature-sets doesn’t handle full bitdepth RAW Make document scanning easier with patchy. Previously, Fotoxx had some camera files directly, but it does a this auto-fixing scanner utility. great features but lacked the roundness pretty good job of managing your http://scantailor.sourceforge.net of a comprehensive app. Many of the library of images, with ratings, tags, and Wammu 0.32 gaps have been filled in, with new EXIF editing. Mobile phone management, now features such as select by colour, Multi-image with better IMAP support. automatic white balance adjuster and HDR without http://wammu.eu an improved red-eye removal tool. having to line up each shot when Atomic Tanks 4.2 Dynamic lighting you take it is Destroy other tanks to win cash in The killer feature at the moment is the rather splendid. this familiar-looking game. multi-image HDR, which enables you to http://atanks.sourceforge.net combine up to 10 images to create a Surl 0.7 dynamically-lit result. You can add Make those URLs shorter with this images for extra detail and adjust their command line client for popular sites. contribution to the final picture while https://launchpad.net/surl

Bleachbit 0.7.2 Fractal landscape generator Tidy up your disk space with a dollop of this. Kills 99% of cache files. Dead. http://bleachbit.sourceforge.net

Terraform DeVeDe 3.15.2 Comprehensive DVD authoring front- Version 0.9.5 Web http://bit.ly/8x4mzv end with easy-to-use presets. www.rastersoft.com/programas/ devede.html o every thing, there is a season, Of course, there isn’t much point to and a time to every purpose all this if you can’t export the final result, Gcalert 1.1 T under heaven. There’s a time to so Terraform gives you the option to Manage your Google calendars and plant, a time to reap. A time to laugh save in a number of different formats, get desktop alerts. and a time to weep. A time to appear in or render directly to the venerable (but http://github.com/raas/gcalert/ tree/v1.1 HotPicks and then disappear into the still not open source) POV Ray. Perhaps ether for seven years and a time to it doesn’t quite meet 2010 rendering Opengrok 0.8.1 make an end-of-decade comeback. It’s standards, but that’s largely because Search and cross-reference source to the latter part of these wise words nobody has really added any code to it files to understand the code better. we look to when we consider that for eight years other than to make it http://hub.opensolaris.org/bin/ Terraform looms again on the radar. behave in a more socially acceptable view/Project+opengrok/WebHome If you can’t guess it from the name, way by 2010 rendering standards. LXF or the fact that we wrote a little Retro Forth 10.3 Create your description above the name, Terraform Relive the days of the Jupiter Ace very own is a landscape generator and with this working Forth interpreter paradise island http://retroforth.org manipulator. Using random seeds, it’ll from the comfort generate a square block of terrain to of your Linux box. Qastrocam-g2 4.6 beta your specifications. Once it has (very Use your webcam for astronomy and quickly) rendered a height map, you get some great images. can do all sorts of other clever things http://sourceforge.net/projects/ with it, such as add rivers, smooth or qastrocam-g2 erode the landscape and add random objects such as vegetation or stones.

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