An image viewer (also known as image browser) is a desktop application that can quickly display or handle stored graphical images in different graphics file formats. It can render images according to properties of the display such as display resolution, color depth, and color profile. Other image viewers have advanced features like editing and web publishing.

Some Linux users may not care much on whatever image viewer they are using. But to those who are rather picky, they can always get and install other image viewers with different features to suit their needs.

Here’s a list of popular free and open source image viewers that you may want to check out:

imgSeek is a photo collection manager and viewer with content-based search and many other features. The query is expressed either as a rough sketch painted by the user or as another image.

Other key features:
* Transform images or batches automatically: Place text captions, change brightness, contrast, blur, etc. Apply lossless rotations automatically if jpegtran is available.
* Supported file formats are jpg, gif, bmp, png, xbm, and pnm. If you have ImageMagick installed, imgSeek will also support over 87 image formats.


Gwenview
Gwenview is an image viewer for the KDE desktop environment. While it was available in KDE 3, the KDE 4 version has a simplified user interface, making it more suitable for quickly browsing through collection of images. It provides full-screen interface that can be used to display images as a slide-show.

Other key features:
* Metadata comment editor
* Thumbnail image view of current directory
* Use of KIPI (KDE Image Plugins Interface) plugins for manipulating images


Eye of GNOME
Eye of GNOME is the official image viewer for the GNOME desktop environment. Unlike some other image viewers with advanced features, Eye of GNOME will only view images. It does, however, provide basic effects for improved viewing, such as zooming, full-screen, rotation, and transparent image background control.

Supported file formats:
* ANI - Animation
* BMP - Windows Bitmap
* Graphics Interchange Format (GIF)
* ICO - Windows Icon
* JPEG - Joint Photographic Experts Group
* PCX - PC Paintbrush
…And a lot more;


KSquirrel
KSquirrel is another image viewer for the KDE desktop environment with a disk navigator, file tree, thumbnails, extended thumbnails, dynamic format support, DCOP interface, KEXIF and KIPI plugins support. It supports more than 50 image formats, including PNG, JPEG, PSD, APNG, GIF, WMF, OpenEXR and many other.


gThumb
gThumb is a feature-rich image viewer and organizer for the GNOME desktop environment. It was originally based on GQView, and is designed to have a clean, simple interface. gThumb allows the filesystem to be browsed for images. They can be organized into catalogs, or viewed as a slideshow. Folders and catalogs can be bookmarked, and comments may be added to images. Many basic image-editing features are included, such as: rotation, resizing, cropping, and image enhancing filters such as color, brightness and contrast adjustment. gThumb can also export Web-based albums with various theme templates.


GQview
GQview uses the GTK+ toolkit, designed to run on the X Window System. Its key features include single click file viewing, external editor support, thumbnail preview, and zoom features. Some image management features are also included.

Other key features:
* One-click photo organizer/sorter
* Slideshow and full-screen modes
* Viewing Exif data for images


F-Spot
F-Spot is lightweight image viewer and organizer for the GNOME desktop. It aims to have an interface that is simple to use, yet still supports advanced features such as tagging images and displaying and exporting Exif and XMP metadata. All major photographic image formats are supported, including JPEG, PNG, TIFF, DNG and several vendor-specific RAW formats (CR2, PEF, ORF, SRF, CRW, MRW and RAF). Basic functions such as crop, rotate and resize are available alongside more advanced features such as red-eye removal and versioning.

As a year ender, yours truly will be featuring here the best of the best in Linux/FOSS of 2008. This is my own way of expressing my gratitude to a great community that’s been a big part of me.

For the moment, I have in mind the following Linux/FOSS–related categories:

Best Podcast
Best News Site
Best Blog
Best Distro
Best Desktop Environment
Best Educational Software
Best Office Application
Best Media Player
Best Game
Best Internet Software
Best Text Editor

If you have something to add, I’m still open for suggestions.

I will be the one to pick the nominees in each of the categories, and will be posting them for the next couple of days. However, I want you my dear readers to pick or decide which will make it to my best of the best list at the very end of this month. So, I encourage each and every one of you to participate by voting for your favorites.

That’s all for now.

Cheers!

Fedora is without doubt one of the most prolific Linux distributions around. In the span of only 5 years, the Fedora Project has already unleashed 10 major versions of Fedora.

Let's take a trip down memory lane and have a visual desktop tour of this wonderful distro starting from its inaugural version that was released on November 6, 2003 until its most recent version that was out just a few days ago.

Are you feeling a little down lately? Why not open a Linux terminal and read some man pages. Well, not those man pages that can sometimes make our head spin. I'm talking about the funny man pages that will make you laugh out loud.

But first, you have to install the 'funny-manpages' package via Synaptic Package Manager (assuming you are using Ubuntu).


Just look for 'funny-manpages':

There's no doubt that some people have become a Linux user after seeing a video of Compiz Fusion in action on YouTube or wherever. During the first few days or weeks, sure they will enjoy the experience of having an extraordinary desktop that they can show off to their Vista-using friends. However, like some of us, there will come a time that these new-to-Linux users will get bored with those extra eye-candies and will realize that they don't really need them. Now, if more and more people will lose interest in those stunning desktop effects, then the future of Compiz-Fusion and other compositing window managers for Linux will surely be bleak.

I have some suggestions that I hope could help make Linux desktop effects exciting once more.

Nowadays, I still appreciate a few useful Compiz plugins like Scale (Mac OS X Exposé clone), Ezoom (Enhanced Zoom Desktop), and Annotate among others. So, I think the developers should focus on improving those handy plugins.

But what about the many plugins that are more entertaining than useful? Should the developers just scrap them? --I don't think scrapping them would be a good idea. Instead, make those entertaining effects even more enjoyable. If possible, why not integrate some fun and challenging games with those plugins.

People love challenges. Instead of snow, why not let bricks fall from the top of the screen so that you can instantly play brick game, or how about playing a game like Hangman while the 3D desktop keeps on rotating. I think something like those games would make Compiz effects a lot more interesting. I know adding a game AI will not be a walk in the park, but I believe it can be done.

Anyway, these are all my crazy ideas. You are always free to share with us your own views via comment on how to bring back the excitement to Linux desktop effects.

I received an Email from a Mac user who tried Ubuntu using Parallels Desktop 4.0. He has successfully installed Ubuntu "Intrepid Ibex" as guest OS, but he wanted help in installing the Parallels Tools.

If the Parallels Tools is installed, you can get plenty of add-in features like automatic mouse capture and dynamic screen resolution adjustment, so it can greatly enhance the overall usability and performance of the guest OS.

Since I also have Parallels Desktop 4 on my Mac OS X Leopard, I will be showing you how I easily installed the Parallels Tools when using Ubuntu 8.10 as guest:

Step-2. Once logged in, go to Parallels Desktop menu then click on Virtual Machine --> Install Parallels Tools.

Step-5. A graphical installer will then appear. Just go on, and if the installation is successful, you will need to reboot...

Currently, there's still no OpenGL graphics acceleration support for Linux in Parallels Desktop 4.0. Anyway, you can still enjoy Ubuntu, and try its unique features and wide selection of great open source software applications.

If you are new to Linux, chances are you will meet a stupid person perhaps in a forum or chat room that can trick you into using commands that will harm your files or even your entire operating system. To avoid this dangerous scenario from happening, I have here a list of deadly Linux commands that you should avoid.

This command will recursively and forcefully delete all the files inside the root directory.

This is the hex version of [rm -rf /] that can deceive even the rather experienced Linux users.

This will reformat or wipeout all the files of the device that is mentioned after the mkfs command.

Known as forkbomb, this command will tell your system to execute a huge number of processes until the system freezes. This can often lead to corruption of data.

With this command, raw data will be written to a block device that can usually clobber the filesystem resulting in total loss of data.

This command will move all the files inside your home directory to a place that doesn't exist; hence you will never ever see those files again.

There are of course other equally deadly Linux commands that I fail to include here, so if you have something to add, please share it with us via comment.

Random Posts: Essential Linux Commands

A while ago, I was in an Internet café at a tiny mall here in Bohol for a quick check at my Email. The place has around 40-50 desktop computers with decent tech specs and with LCD monitors. I've been there before and have noticed that most of their machines ran in Windows, while a few ran in Mac OS X. Linux was nowhere to be found.

But today is different. I saw a monitor displaying brownish desktop wallpaper that made me smile. Yes, it's definitely Ubuntu. I later found out that they have installed Ubuntu in about 10 of their PC's.

I then picked a computer to use, and of course selected a Linux one. To start using the PC, you have to insert (like a jukebox) a 5-peso coin that would be good for 10 minutes.


I learned that they are using Ubuntu "Hardy Heron" with the still buggy Beta version of Firefox 3, so I hope their technicians will do an update as soon as possible. Anyway, I think Hardy is pretty much stable with their hardware, and there were no other major annoyances that I have encountered. I just hope a lot of people will notice how speedy Linux is compared to Windows.

There's a pretty cool scene at my side. I saw 3 girls that were busy working with probably their school projects in an Ubuntu desktop.

I took a photo (not of the girls) but of my display so that you will believe me that I'm actually using Linux (hehe). I used my phone's camera so please bear with me if it's a bit blurry:


If you're still not convinced, the Internet café is located at the topmost floor of BQ Mall in Tagbilaran City, and its name is Megabyte :-)

You may ask why I'm happy about this recent experience. ---Well, I really want Linux to succeed, and seeing it now being used in a Windows-dominated Internet café business is a telltale sign that the Linux desktop is geared up for the mainstream crowd. So, cheers to that!

Fedora 10, codenamed "Cambridge" is just around the corner. This upcoming version of Fedora will be released this November 25, so I'm pretty much excited about it already.

To give us a little sneak peek of what's to come, Aby Cruz of LinuxedStuff.com wrote for us her initial observations after she has installed and tested Fedora 10 "Preview" on her laptop. Here it goes:

Introduction:
First thing's first, why did I proceed on installing the preview version of Fedora 10 on Misato? --I haven't configured fully my notebook that's why I wasn't afraid to give Cambridge a test drive. And, I was also intrigued with the idea of using Plymouth for a quicker boot-up of this OS.

You might be thinking what the hell is Plymouth. Plymouth is a program written by Fedora's developers. Its main purpose is to provide a flicker-free and seamless startup. Therefore dropping the use of RHGB. So far it didn't fail. Within 45 seconds I reached login page. In less than 15 seconds, my desktop has finished loading. This program has exceeded my expectation although I found it quite troubling for Fedora to hang up every time I turn on my notebook. Then on my second try for boot-up, it went smoothly. I just hope this doesn't persist onto the stable release.


Software:
I was successful in installing Cambridge Preview, and I noticed some applications that were replaced with something else. Like, Pidgin to Empathy Instant Messenger; Eclipse Ganymede (from Fedora 9) to Fedora Eclipse based on Eclipse 3.4.1. I mentioned these 2 because it was pretty obvious. And these changes are very remarkable.

I also noticed OpenOffice 3.0 and Gimp 2.6, which were not included in the official list of accepted features in FedoraProject website. And both launched so fast that I didn't notice they were there already. I'm loving Linux more with this.


Hardware:
During my exploration of Fedora 10, I didn't expect Misato would detect my wifi router. When I was using Fedora 9 "Sulphur", I had a hard time activating its WLAN device and I was supposed to use ndiswrapper to make it work. But since Cambridge did a good job, I don't see ndiswrapper crossing paths with me anytime soon. Unless, this wonderful feature will not be included in the stable release this coming 25th of November. But that won't happen, right?


Conclusion:
There are still a lot of new features that I have to see for myself. This is just to give everyone an idea of what's with the upcoming Fedora 10. And, I can say that this is a Linux distro worth waiting for. Being a Fedora user, I am pretty excited on what it can do and what I can do with it for the coming days/months or even years.

After installing the latest KDE flavor of Ubuntu last night, I am supposed to write my initial impressions about it today, and I expected it to be good. Unfortunately, something unexpected happened. Kubuntu 8.10 "Intrepid Ibex" failed miserably after the installation.

Then came the glitch. I couldn't get inside Kubuntu's KDE 4 desktop. I can only go as far as seeing the splash image...

I tried logging in again and again and also rebooted, but the same thing happened.

This is really sad as I'm using the same test machine when I tested Mandriva 2009, hence you can't blame it on my hardware.

Is KDE 4 causing the problem? I don't know and I don't care, because at this point in time, I just want something that works!

Anybody out there who's having the same problem with Kubuntu 8.10?

The next Ubuntu release codenamed "Jaunty Jackalope" won't arrive until April of next year, but some people are already creating mock-ups of its desktop theme. Though there is no plan of a theme redesign for this next version, I know some of you, especially those who are disappointed with the Intrepid Ibex theme, are still hoping to see a completely refurbished Ubuntu look. So here are a few Ubuntu 9.04 "Jaunty Jackalope" mock-up designs that are showing up this early:

This one is created by Jose Javier Espinoza:

...but until Ubuntu can come up with a killer theme, expect to see more user-submitted mock-up designs for your viewing pleasure.

Linux just keeps popping up on many of the popular gadgets that are hogging the limelight nowadays. Some are quite conspicuous about it, like the Android phone that is being developed by a group that makes it very obvious, calling themselves the Open Handset Alliance. However, there are some that don't flaunt Linux around, like the Amazon Kindle. Not that they have to, but well, allow me to do it for them here anyway.

What's there to flaunt?

"To flaunt" is synonymous to "to display", so let's take it from there. The Kindle is just one of a number of eBook readers that have been popularized by their distinctive displays, operating on a technology named electronic paper or e-paper. Uh-huh, E-paper... WHICH IS? Ok, E-paper is a type of display that has two essential features: an appearance that closely mimics that of ink on paper and an energy consumption that is substantially lower than those of conventional displays like CRT or LCD. So why would you want to have a display that is just like, well, ordinary paper? The answer is pretty simple; ordinary if you like: think eyestrain. How long can you peer into that CRT monitor or even an LCD screen before your eyes start telling you that it's had enough? Not longer than you could when reading from a book, right? The reason lies in the fact that reading from paper makes use of reflective light while reading from a conventional screen is practically reading from the light source itself; backlight remember?

Largely because of this feature, practically all of the popular eBook readers make use of this technology. Yes, yes, but where does Linux come in? Well, most of these readers run on the Linux operating system. Below is a list of the more popular eBook readers operating on e-paper technology and at the same time running Linux.

Arguably the most popular eBook reader, this device would top this list even if it were not alphabetically arranged. While it may not hold the largest display area, at 6" diagonally, its ability to download eBooks from Amazon has made it an overwhelming favorite.

Talk about file format support: pdf, mobi, prc, epub, lit, txt, fb2, doc, html, rtf, djvu, wol, ppt, mbp, chm, bmp, jpg, png, gif, tif, rar, zip, mp3. Talk about built-in language support: English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Chinese, Russian, Greek, Ukraine, Turkish, Japanese, Korean, Bulgarian, Estonian, and Polish.

This device is stocked with a built-in dictionary lookup; one feature that the other readers on this table are not endowed with. Note taking is also made easier with its bookmark menu. At 0.9 s, it provides one of the faster full-screen refresh rates, resulting in a more seamless reading experience.

One of the thinnest, at 3"; one of the longest battery lives, serving up to 10,000 page turns per charge; one of the fastest boot up times, at 15s; and one of the lightest at 176g. This eBook reader is packed with superlatives. And to top it all, price isn't one of them.

Not much has been written about this particular eBook reader. Some of the known features are: a primary display with 8 levels of gray, a higher contrast, and a faster display (although no number has been specified). One notable description is its striking resemblance with the STAReBook (shown directly above).

This reader has one of the better batteries in the lot, allowing you to turn 9,000 continuous pages on a single charge. Supports SD/MMC expansion memory. Also supports a wide array of file formats: PDF, TXT, RTF, EPUB, LIT, PPT, WOLF, DOC, CHM, FB2, PRC/MOBI, HTML, DJVU, MP3, TIFF, JPG, GIF, BMP, PNG, RAR, ZIP.

Tied with the iRex Digital Reader, this device tops this list in terms of screen size, at 10" when measured diagonally. It has a touch panel, which is one of its best qualities, and can support the ff formats: PDF, DOC, WOLF, HTML, JPG, TXT, CHM, RAR, ZIP, and other image files.

Also fitted with a 10" screen, it is one of two of the largest in this class. And like that other large screen reader, it allows you to make handwritten notes onscreen just like an ordinary pen and paper combo. This device however is equipped with WIFI and Bluetooth connectivity.

While it does not have a colored display, it is one of the more graphically-empowered readers with 16 gray levels. The same screen also allows user interaction through a touch-sensitive surface. It offers an SDK, allowing users to port or develop a number of Linux apps.

This device comes equipped with a front light that can come handy when a backup light source is needed. It is one of the thinnest in this class, coming in at a sexy 0.4". Its touchscreen surface allows user interaction through a finger or a stylus.

If you're interested, you can play around in an environment that closely mimics these devices. E-ink, the company that supplies the displays for almost all of the devices mentioned above provides a prototype kit with a host system that comes with a pre-installed Linux operating system. Yes, that means it's pretty hackable. If you want to see how Linux runs on paper, electronic paper that is, I suggest you give it a shot... and don't bother to take out your pen.