Now that I am running Red Hat 8 (have had this running for about a week). I need to ask a simple question.

Can someone point me to a list of what all of the apps are and what they do - possibly with any recommendations.

for example I have some program called Gimp (what the hell is Gimp?)

sorry,, just new at this and would like to know what programs are on the machine and briefly what i can do with em.

I will also look on the RedHat site to try to find this.

THANKS !

The Gimp is Graphical Image Manipulation Program. I would think it would be insufficient for someone to list what what every program does that comes along with a particular Linux distro. My advise would be to either open it or start it to see what it actually is.

For instance, I'm sure if you opened up The Gimp, you would have known right away its a graphic program to edit graphics or photos.

Come across one you have no idea, maybe try doing a search on it, I'm sure you run across a site that explains what the program does as most have a homepage out on the net.

There is like 8000 packages I think for certain distros.. want me to list them all and what the do?

$apt-cache showpkg |apt-cache dump

you've just been looking at the Gimp icon and never even clicked it? it's obvious what it is if you load it.

Okay okay - i deserved that. yes i have double clicked it and ascertained that it appears to be a graphics program of some sort. And hearing that there are 8000 programs only makes me think me question was dumber than when I wrote it - sorry.

I was just "thinking out loud" (need to quit doing that) is there a web site somewhere that maybe lists the type of applications and the names of the programs underneath them so someone new to the OS (ie- me) wouldn't have to click every icon on the machine to go ooooh so THATS what that is.

The reason this came up is that I have an HP 315 digital camera and the only software that is on my machine (which has tons of camera's list btw) doesn't support mine . so the next obvious thought to me was to go to freshmeat.net (yet another web site I knew nothing of until a day or two ago) and search for a software the will allow me to connect to my camera. - nothing yet.

I am sure that any "new" user (read in-experienced with Linux) is somewhat overwhelmed by all of these apps and no clue as to what they do and more importantly how to get everything (if possible) that did work on their "other" OS to work in Linux.

I think it is a reasonable question - er thought. But I agree I am still pretty naive regarding what is out there. I feel like the 4 year old that is asking "but why?" 10 times in a row hahahaha. ''

Thanks for the candid responses. I will did this info up slowly piece by piece - probably like everyone else had to...

Try this:

http://sourceforge.net/softwaremap/trove_list.php