UDF packet writing software like InCD under Window$, it lets you use a CD-RW or even (I'm not sure) a DVD as a big floppy.

Although commercial you can try this: http://www.ferventsoftware.com/
It makes a run-from-CD Linux recording studio.
It saves you the trouble of installing Jack, RoseGarden, Ardour, etc .. which are very hard to configure.

How well it runs or how excellent it is - I have no idea - too expensive for me just to "experiment"
But probably worth it - if its your line of business.

Also with this - you probably can gain enough experience to then compile each module properly into your own Linux distro.

Hi Kim
first my reply was not directed at you but Duke.
Which is a disencouraging statement specially on a thread I believe is visited mostly by newcomers.
There are often alternatives and if not there are often new projects that need support and encouragement from everyone.
Most Linux apps evolves through encouragement and motivation more than financial goals at first.
One game developer told me:
"When it is so easy to game-program for Windows .. developers that also make a Linux version - do it more for the love of the OS, rather than financial rewards."

The way for me to contest duke statement is to point out (I believe quite rightly) that this thread is visited mostly by newcomers unaware of
what has and has not been ported, and unaware of alternative.

Elitist in my opinion would be to flame any repeat of: internet explorer / photoshop / dreamweaver rather than carefully answer (and/or further research)
the state of Linux ported application. Recently I found out the only WYSIWYG HTML editor for Linux was stopped being produced - and that got me very angry.

Companies are pulling out more than putting it in .. but that is politics.
My respect goes to the companies that are doing the best keeping a version for Linux alive.

Last few notes:
* Gimp evolved a lot, I used to hate Gimp (version 1.x) and its not Linux-bias but now I seriously prefer it over Photoshop (that is just me).
* I respect a lot Photoshop - I think its a very sturdy app ... highly professional only limited by the OS it runs.
* I dont hold Macromedia and Corel products in the same awe (again just me )
* Any complex app to configure under WINE is PITA .. just don't unless you enjoy hard challenges. CrossOver is very cheap; and unlike many Linux companies (*cough* Cedega *cough*) they are constantly giving it back to the community. They are good folks.
* Internet Explorer on WINE (or CrossOver) is OK for a sanity check .. but don't expect a 100% compliance. Things like VML and Filters won't run.
* MainActor seem truly over-priced and under-par .. I can't comment, I have no experience but that seems to be the consensus and that is very sad for them and us.
* Welcome back veteran

That does stink - but look at the bright side: you could run FrontPage under wine (JUST KIDDING)

Seriously though, the bright side is this: the VPL in Quanta is very weak - but with its being pretty much the only game in town, momentum and support for it will only grow. Who knows, given a point release or two the community may decide it does need to become the next Dreamweaver/MacromediaStudio/HomeSite/(enter favorite WYSIWYG web editor here) and really put out a quality product. Right now I find it (Quanta) is best-suited for simply editing formatted HTML and doing some advanced search/replace tasks.

I posted my dream list for ported software, but it's not to state that there are not available alternatives nor does it say that open source may one day truly surpass the quality of established companies (Adobe, etc.) who seem to release fewer and fewer enhancements with each release, and raise the price and lower quality of support at the same time.

Sure, there are those who think because X application isn't available it's not the platform for them - and that's fine, they're probably right - Linux is not right for everyone - nor is Windows, nor OS/X, nor MacOs, or Irix, or Slow^H^H^H^HSolaris, etc. I'm all for picking the right tool for the job. Currently Linux is not a total solution for me, but it is almost 90% of the way there. If x.Org gets around to implementing 3D/OpenGL in Xinerama mode (I run almost all multihead & SMP boxes, NTFS writes are implemented, and php and asp.net debuggers mature a bit, and a TRUE M$ Exchange replacement comes along, Linux will become a total solution for me and I won't have to reboot to Windows any more (MSIE compatibility testing notwithstanding - I don't see M$ putting any effort behind MSIE for *nix beyond the one Slow^H^H^H^HSolaris release a few years ago).

Yes and no.

M$ made it very easy to develop games on Windows thanks to DirectX and their EXTREMELY-good IDE, Visual Studio. Like it or not, Microsoft DOES provide the best developer tools out there.

Also, 3D support needs to be standardised and fixed. Right now if you run a multihead box in Xinerama mode, you can't do 3D. Why?!

You can do it on Windows
You can do it on OS/X
You can do it on the lowly MacOS
You can do it on Irix

And yet, X.org and Xfree86 don't support 3D on a desktop spanning multiple monitors. ATI made an effort with Catalyst - if you want to either stick with an OLD kernel, deal with BUGGY drivers, or spend many, many hours hacking your updated kernel to get things to work perfectly. Computers are supposed to make life easier and more efficient, not make things more difficult.

Until 3D support is better, more widespread, and there are GOOD Linux IDEs out there which make OpenGL (or a DirectX clone - who cares as long as the solution works, right?) programming an easy and rapid process, producing games for Linux won't be a cost-effective effort to reach a smaller market. Game companies, like all others, look at ROI when deciding which platforms to support, and right now Linux is still too broken to justify game development efforts in most cases.

WinAMP would be nice. WinAMP definitely has the best media library feature to organise your music collection with.

What about sheetmusic or score editors? Is there a linux sheetmusic app?

MFC would be cool, but not because of the classes. I have never seen such a cool idea as the Document/View architechture used by MSVS6's MFC and C++ apps. Painfull, but cool for document editors.

The ATI catalyst drivers. Yeah, there are Linux versions, but the windows ones actually work... uh ... sometimes.

Oh, how about ASP.NET. I don't like IIS, as a rule, but I know of no other way to host ASP.NET webs.

There is a sheetmusic app - but I found it hard to install
Rosegarden
having said that - I've heard they have an extremely helpful forum

A lot of Microsoft technologies are either borrowed or stolen.
True that a lot of Linux apps is doing the reverse now :P

As to the Document/View architecture that is nothing new coming from the Xerox/SmallTalk legacy
and called Model-View-Controller.
Linux implements the X model .. server - client / which abstracts strongly presentation from processing.

Linux is rich with good programming technologies - some hard some easy (Xlib,GTK,QT,perl,php,tcl,ruby,python)
i regret not having learn X programming a technology that even being over 30 years old stands very solid today

To run ASP.NET you need Apache with MONO extensions:
http://go-mono.com/asp-net.html

Chessbase and Fritz would be great

I think, with a bit of thought, you can pull out the UCI Fritz engine from the Fritz game, and tell the linux chess program to use that engine. I can't remember what linux chess game, but I know that SuSE 9.2 installed it by default for me. I will try this and tell you if I get it right.

You already have XMMS, that is pretty much the same as winAMP, except for shoutcast plugins, that is what I use it for.

Except that XMMS does not have WinAMP's Media library system, so you have to keep populating play lists from folders on the HDD, without sorts and searches on file tags! (If XMMS does have such a feature, dismiss this as a noob comment and tell me how to use it, please)

Programs that I'd love to see ported to Linux:

- VirtualDub (Isn't this open source software anyway? Why hasn't anyone ported this!?)
- A *GOOD* binary newsreader. Like XNews or Grabit (Grabit actually works decent with Wine).

I always want to see Apple make the offical version of QuickTime that supports Linux...

that would be cool - but might not happen ever.
Linux is a competitor - there is no business gain of Apple (a strictly commercial company) to provide a player like that.
So why do they have QT for iWindows? To lure the Windows customers.
Luring a Linux customer is way much harder.

You still can play the apple movies though - as long as you have the codecs installed
try this:
xine http://movies.apple.com/movies/fox/fantastic_four/fantastic_four_240.mov
or
mplayer http://movies.apple.com/movies/fox/fantastic_four/fantastic_four_240.mov
for a short test