Mobile office on Linux. part 2

Second article of the Mobile Office on Linux series, first here
Contents

• Software Selection and Selection Criteria, Part I

Key selection criteria

1. preferably open source
2. Native not ported to avoid compatibility issues.
3. Do not use wrappers like Wine. - I think this is not ethical in relation to the program and I admit only in the form of public torture regarding 33 simultaneously running XP in windows under Linux
4. Minimal addictive time
5. Version stability
6. Non-closed projects (programs for which support was discontinued and obsolete programs were immediately noted)

Office

GoogleDocs (word, excel, calendar)

Why:

I’ve been familiar with almost all Google services for a long time and am pleased with their quality and philosophy of the company's products. Since the main task is the creation of a Mobile Office, it means that one of the main conditions is the availability of work with business documents of various types, anywhere and anytime. With the current level of Internet development, I think the need for “stationary” / offline office solutions has disappeared. Google services are closely integrated with each other, which allows you to forget about compatibility issues.

Pros:

A single public (if desired at different levels) data warehouse, which allows for example avoiding the problem of multiple copies of one document, which sometimes can cause errors in working with them due to version confusion, of course there are software packages for version control but here we are not immune to human factor.
Google’s calendar has a convenient feature for sending free SMS with reminders.

Minuses:

Unfortunately, applications do not yet have all the functionality of desktop office applications. A potential problem with data protection from third parties.
Universality and a relatively low level of costimization for specific tasks without resorting to programming.

Summary:

If you have gmail connecting additional services and spending relatively little time getting used to and configuring the services, you will get an excellent office environment, and with some programming skills and a desire, you can build your personal account in which you will feel "at home" if this wording applies to the workroom.

Graphic

Gimp

Why:

It is considered a native linux alternative to photoshop. Nothing like this is not an analogue, but a self-sufficient application for working with which you will hardly need experience working with photoshop unless you know the general principles of modern graphic applications, such as working with layers, channels, effects. Of course, like almost any open source application, you can rewrite it and make a copy of photoshop for example, and similar attempts have long existed for example gimpShop.
But some linux users will forgive me - this is not an option for a graphic designer switching to linux even if he can hire a company of developers for professional “refinement” of Gimp - this is not a cost-effective waste of time despite the fact that GIMP does not need this (!) When starting work in GIMP, forget about photoshop, and I recommend installing another alternative graphic theme so that nothing reminds me of photoshop. Work, learn to work in GIMP and in no case do not try to associate it with photoshop - this will help you very much to adapt and get used to its “special” philosophy, and it will reward you with the excellent capabilities of a modern graphics package in which you can potentially create everything what your heart desires is the presence of talent and a desire to learn new things.

Pros:

He is different, completely different ... © I do not remember who . A good powerful editor that potentially allows you to solve any tasks of a graphic or web designer (if necessary, an artist, but this is a little different).

Minuses:

The complexity of mastering and getting used to is due to too much external similarity with photoshop, avoiding which the developers are sorry but would have made life easier for many.

Summary:

It’s worth switching to it without really good alternatives on the linux platform at the moment.

I’m silent about vector editors because I haven’t settled on any of them.

3d graphics

Blender3d

Why:

I met this 3d editor about 4 years ago. Then I found it as a unique application combining a game engine (for which for some reason almost no one in Russia suspects or, say, does not perceive it as a serious branch of this product, but only as an appendage this is possibly due to the strange attitude towards them developers) and powerful in something unusual 3d editor. I want to make a reservation right away, I mainly use it just for game prototyping, and as a 3d editor I only use about a quarter of its real, constantly evolving capabilities. All modern technologies including “sculpting” are implemented at a high level in it, and since its development is potentially accelerated due to “openness”, new technologies appear faster in it than in commercial products.

Pros:

The presence of a built-in engine in which modules of physics (Bullet / ODE), logic, graphics (support for GLSL and shaders 3 versions) are already implemented. Implemented all modern technologies of 3d modeling. Own render engine and the ability to modularly connect third-party render engines.

Minuses:

An unusual interface and its own little similar product philosophy caused by the desire for complete versatility provokes a lot of difficulties in mastering.

Summary:

A good alternative to any of the modern commercial solutions that keep pace with the times and in some ways even ahead of it.

Softimage | XSI

Why:

I have been working in this program for about 5-6 years, I was very pleased to find that there is a linux version that is in no way inferior to the windows version, develops in parallel and comes out simultaneously with it. It can be said that the presence of XSI under linux was a decisive factor when switching to Linux. So historically, Softimage | XSI is not so in demand in Russia in comparison with similar products like 3d studio Max and Maya. Although, in turn, it is in no way inferior to its less well-known and accordingly competitor, and in some ways even surpasses it. The interface that distinguishes it from its analogues has become its business card.

Pros:

A modern editor standing in one line of world leaders in this industry. Built-in native render engine MentalRay, built-in compositing tools and a rather unusual ability to directly connect the game engine directly to the editor. A set of unique technologies that have no analogues GATOR and MOTOR.

Minuses:

Paid, for windows there is a free modification of ModTools , a special product requiring separate consideration.

Summary:

Great product that I do not intend to change for anything.

Programming

Aptana

Why:

One of the applications with which I am migrating from Windows. A convenient IDE is customizable, relatively fast and stable (from personal experience: eclipse applications with each add-on module are becoming increasingly shaky so you should not go too far in this matter and try to assemble your assembly only from the necessary). I chose it in search of an open source alternative to Dreamwever , in which I "lived" for a long time, with the appearance of Aptana I completely refused it. One of the important criteria was the cross-platform nature of all Eclipse IDEs because at that time I wanted to always work in the same environment without the need to relearn every time.

Pros:

The modular structure of the application allows you to modify it if necessary and create your own assembly.

Mniuses:

Relatively heavy application due to the fact that it runs on a java platform. With each new module it becomes generally more unstable and heavy, it is solved, for example, by creating (downloading ready-made) several assemblies for a narrow range of tasks.

Summary:

A great IDE with all the advantages of a commercial application and the benefits of a cross-platform free application.

Kate

Why:

At times, you need to quickly make changes to the file and view the code, for these purposes I usually use small editors, so to speak, advanced versions of Notepad, the basic requirements for them are download speed and a large set of supported file formats for syntax highlighting. Simple preinstalled editor with syntax highlighting and session manager.

Pros:

The presence of deposits, encoding converter, the ability to customize "for yourself"

Minuses:

Search in a separate window and not in the line “along the way” to enter a query.

Summary:

Not an obsessive, simple decision that does not burden itself and does not even ask to remember what is his name Umm Kat ...

In custody:

That's actually the whole toolkit for work - my working environment, which is now at the stage of formation and setup. Dear readers, I would like to talk about everything in detail, but after a little thought I decided to turn on the interactive mode so to speak and at this stage of this chapter invite you to decide about what it is worth telling in more detail. Write your suggestions and questions in the comments.

UPD: I apologize for the obvious spelling errors in the text, it seems that I fixed everything, I relied on spelling.