Spring - (Linux, Windows) If you’re looking forward to 2008 rather than backward to 2007, then look to Spring (also known as TA Spring or Total Annihilation: Spring) as the open source game of the year. TA Spring currently can execute most of Total Annihilation’s original gameplay flawlessly with its original units in their original format. Large battles are limited only by your computer’s power, with support for up to 5,000 units. You’ll wage those battles on large, highly detailed 3D maps with camera modes that allow you to view the battle scene from almost any angle. Games are played using one of a number of mods. Price: The core game is released under GPL License. Fortunately as of now, there are also two mods which have been released under the GNU/GPL, and several more which do not have clear licence terms (owned by their modder). However, there are also several mods for which some parts are still under copyright of Atari. For these you need to own the original TA game if you want to play.Download.

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One of the best vector and all purpose graphic program is Xara Xtreme, well there are now a Linux version and is open source software under GNU Licence.

Xara Xtreme is quite simply the world’s fastest graphics software, with truly flexible illustration tools and revolutionary photo handling. A single application for all types of creative work, whether it’s vector drawings, DTP, photo composition, Website design or Flash animation.

Xara Xtreme is the world’s fastest vector drawing program, by a huge margin. This is partly due to using the world’s fastest vector rendering engine and partly due to the inherent Xara X architecture. In graphics software, performance matters. Performance is directly related to productivity (less waiting around) and also enables more rich, more complex designs to be created more easily.

If you want to download this great tool just click here.

Maybe you need to connect your network to terminals in different locations securely using the internet. Well a great tool, an Open Source tool lets you do that in a secure and safe manner.

OpenVPN is the best software to accomplish that. This software used for little, medium and large companies is recognized as the “Best SSL VPN” in 2007 and “Best Open Software Award”.

I had to create a network between 3 offices; Cancun, Mexico City and San Luis Potosi and it took me 15 minutes to do it with this tool.

A virtual private network (VPN) is a computer network in which some of the links between nodes are carried by open connections or virtual circuits in some larger network (e.g., the Internet) instead of by physical wires.

About OpenVPN

OpenVPN is a full-featured open source SSL VPN solution that accommodates a wide range of configurations, including remote access, site-to-site VPNs, Wi-Fi security, and enterprise-scale remote access solutions with load balancing, failover, and fine-grained access-controls. Starting with the fundamental premise that complexity is the enemy of security, OpenVPN offers a cost-effective, lightweight alternative to other VPN technologies that is well-targeted for the SME and enterprise markets.

OpenVPN combines security with ease-of-use

OpenVPN’s lightweight design sheds many of the complexities that characterize other VPN implementations. The OpenVPN security model is based on SSL, the industry standard for secure communications via the internet. OpenVPN implements OSI layer 2 or 3 secure network extension using the SSL/TLS protocol, supports flexible client authentication methods based on certificates, smart cards, and/or 2-factor authentication, and allows user or group-specific access control policies using firewall rules applied to the VPN virtual interface. OpenVPN is not a web application proxy and does not operate through a web browser.

Best of all is that you can use this software on Windows, Linux and Mac OS. So if you want to download it go to main site of OpenVPM or download GUI for  Windows, Linux and Mac OS.

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There are plenty of programs of any type for Linux all of them of great quality and performance but talking about messengers I think emscense is the best one and maybe more for people who comes to Linux from Windows.

It easy to install, works in any flavor of Linux (Ubuntu, SuSe, Fedora, etc.) and works really great. Is like have MSN Messenger working on Linux. Even you can use it inside windows too instead of Microsoft’s.

The new features on the last version are:

• Clean and easy to use GUI
• Tabbed chat
• Custom emoticons
• File transfers
• Offline messaging
• Personal messages
• Nudges
• Multilingual GUI
• Customization
  • Themes
  • Smiles
  • Sounds
  • GUI
  • Conversation format
• Plugins
• MSN Plus!
• Chat logging

You can download it here.

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This tool enables you to experiment with high-dynamic range lighting in a photo or 3D image that might be used in a game or 3D world. The options for controlling HDR lighting are simple: adjust a slider for gamma correction, load a tonal mapping tool to adjust light sources and other variables. Then, save your work for modeling in a 3D world.

Qtpfsgui is an open source graphical user interface application that aims to provide a workflow for HDR imaging.

Supported HDR formats:

• OpenEXR (extension: exr)
• Radiance RGBE (extension: hdr)
• Tiff formats: 16bit, 32bit (float) and LogLuv (extension: tiff)
• Raw image formats (extension: various)
• PFS native format (extension: pfs)

Supported LDR formats:

• JPEG, PNG, PPM, PBM, TIFF(8 bit)

Supported features:

• Create an HDR file from a set of images (formats: JPEG, TIFF 8bit and 16bit, RAW) of the same scene taken at different exposure setting.
• Save and load HDR images.
• Rotate and resize HDR images.
• Tone map HDR images.
• Copy exif data between sets of images.

Qtpfsgui is available for Linux, Windows and Mac OS X

Why this name?
Qt: the program uses Qt4 to show its graphical widgets.
pfs: the main backend library and original source code base.
gui: this stands simply for graphical user interface.

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