UBC Physics & Astronomy
Favorite Tools
BOOTABLE CDs:
ESSENTIAL TOOLS:
  1. Linux Magazine Power Tools (Free)
  2. 7-zip (Free) Windows has had built-in support for ZIP file archives for years now, but even in the latest Windows Vista release candidate that support is quite basic and slow in dealing with archives containing a large number of files. 7-Zip is an open source program that can handle just about any archive format you can throw at it, including its own .7z format, which provides the best compression in many cases. Unlike many of its shareware brethren, 7-Zip isn't bedecked with cartoony icons, but is lean and mean with no frills.
  3. Junction (Free) Many web developers are familiar with symbolic links on Linux, Mac OS X, and similar operating systems. With a symbolic link, you can reference any file or directory by a different name and/or in a different directory. It turns out that NTFS supports a very similar feature called junctions, but you need an expensive set of tools from Microsoft—or this convenient little command line program—to use them. This lets you keep multiple versions of, for example, Java installed on my system, and access your current JDK version via |C:\Java| (as opposed to |C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.5.0_08|).
  4. Trillian Pro (Free or US$25) Many companies these days communicate internally via instant messaging more than by any other medium. Because different people prefer different instant messaging networks, a multi-network client like Trillian is a must. The Pro version has some nice extra features that are worth the $25 price tag, but the free Basic version works just fine for basic users.
  5. Miranda IM (Free) Many people prefer the open source Miranda IM.
  6. FileZilla (Free) Like 7-Zip, FileZilla does for free what a great many shareware tools once asked you to pay for: transferring files to and from FTP and Secure FTP servers. Add to the price tag the benefit of open source development, and you've got a real winner. Unfortunately, FileZilla is a little slower than some of the commercial Secure FTP clients, because it relies on a free encryption library that has performance issues.
  7. SmartFTP (Free or US$36.95) More featureful and costly than FileZilla, but still free for non-commercial use, SmartFTP supports setting the "sticky bits" in the file permissions of Linux file systems, which I occasionally need to do in order to ensure PHP scripts get write access to certain directory structures on a Linux server.
  8. SmartCVS (Free or US$69) Many people's various projects are managed in Concurrent Versions System and Subversion repositories to track the changes between file versions. There are of course command-line tools available for both these systems, and many IDEs integrate with these systems as well, but for general web development projects, a standalone tool is required. SmartCVS and SmartSVN are
  9. Audacity Whether combining audio streams, editing long recorded meetings or producing podcasts, the open-source Audacity provides a simple-to-learn interface.
  10. Azureus Bittorrent client Where popular downloads are concerned, FTP mirrors can slow to a crawl. Enter Bittorrent, for which download popularity means fetching files as fast as your Internet downlink permits. The open-source, Java-based Azureus is a Bittorrent client for both Linux and Windows.
  11. Bart's Boot Disk When dealing with an eclectic variety of systems, sometimes all you want to do is boot to DOS and have system and network access. The free Bart's Boot Disk allows one to access networked resources from systems that have OS problems or no OS installed.
  12. Gaim The open-source Gaim supports the Big Three public networks and ICQ (I Seek You) and IRC (Internet Relay Chat), as well as corporate instant messaging protocols such as XMPP, IBM Lotus Sametime and Novell GroupWise Messenger. Gaim runs on Windows, Linux and Mac OS X.
  13. The Gimp The Gimp A free, cross-platform-friendly image-editing application (that can build some mean desktop wallpaper).
  14. Iometer Intel's Iometer tests file-transfer performance.
  15. iPerf The National Laboratory for Applied Network Research's iPerf is invaluable for performing quick network performance tests of wired and wireless networks alike. Although not as fully featured as paid testing tools like Ixia's IxChariot, iPerf is easy to use and, best of all, free.
  16. NetStumbler Whether you need to identify possible rogue or interfering wireless access points, or simply find an open WLAN for a little free Internet, NetStumbler (on Windows) or Kismet (on Linux) provide great insight into the local wireless enviroment.
  17. Knoppix All you need is a system and a CD drive, and you can have a capable Linux distribution up and running in seconds--no hard drive required.
  18. LogMeIn A free remote-control application delivered as a service, LogMeIn is useful for working with vendors to troubleshoot a problem because it provides good session control and security.
  19. Metasploit Project When it comes time to gauge the effectiveness of security systems, one of the only ways to really test something is to act like a bad guy. The Metasploit Project makes it possible to do exhaustive penetration testing to see how security systems stand up to real threats.
  20. Nagios Like a heart monitor for your network systems, Nagios lets one easily monitor networks for potential problems.
  21. Nessus The core on which many commercial vulnerability scanners rely, Nessus is synonymous with vulnerability scanning.
  22. Net Snippets A very useful research tool, Net Snippets grabs Web pages and text and images from document formats such as e-mail, Microsoft Word and PDF. The free version allows individuals to collect, organize and annotate information, while for-sale versions provide robust sharing and bibliography tools.
  23. Nmap The first step in managing and securing networks is knowing what you have. Nmap makes it possible to quickly scan and audit network resources.
  24. Prime95 For testing power consumption, the torture-test feature in Prime95 can be used. Prime95 is a transaction-intensive, Windows-based application used by GIMPS (Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search) to max out CPUs. GIMPS is a distributed computing project dedicated to finding new Mersenne prime numbers.
  25. Extech Power meter/data logger Extech Power Meter/Data Logger captures data not only on ongoing power usage but also on peak power.
  26. Putty With a simple Windows executable (no install necessary), Putty allows users to easily get command-line access to SSH-secured Linux and Unix systems.
  27. SlickEdit Many ugly tech-support problems are tamed by SlickEdit's capacity to edit files up to 2GB in size, not just on Windows but also on several Unix variants including Mac OS X (with X11 support installed). Extensive support for many programming languages and tasks is a major bonus.
  28. Sysinternals The future of the Sysinternals tools seems murky now that Microsoft bought the company, so download Process Explorer, RegMon, FileMon or any of the dozens of other tools on the site to help troubleshoot the stickiest of Windows-related problems.
  29. Linux-based bootable CD Linux-based bootable CD is a last line of defense for failing systems, and, as a bonus, has a graphical disk partitioning tool for repartitioning drives on the fly.
  30. Tomboy is a simple note-taking application that works like a wiki, which makes it great for scribbling down testing data and then finding it later. Tomboy is free software and has recently been ported to Windows, a welcome addition to its native Linux.
  31. VMware Workstation/Server VMware Workstation and Server lets one build and throw away as many virtual test machines as you like, and Workstation's snapshot capabilities are great for wreaking havoc on systems and then returning them to a sane state.
  32. RealVNC Open-source VNC (Virtual Network Computing) comes in many different flavors, including RealVNC and UltraVNC, with pricing ranging from free to reasonable licensing of under $100. Support for both Windows and Linux make VNC a nice tool for troubleshooting problems or configuring systems remotely.
  33. X-Lite CounterPath's free X-Lite 3.0 soft phone is fully SIP-compliant, does voice and video calls, and integrates with Outlook. You can even record calls with a click of a button. And since CounterPath has been signing high-profile agreements with VOIP providers like AT&T, you could be using CounterPath technology already and not know it.
  34. CDBurnerXP Pro Need to burn DVDs and a few kinds of CDs on a budget? CDBurnerXP Pro is a free program to do just that. It can write to CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW discs. You can record many popular audio formats - MP3, OGG, and WMA, to name a few. CDBurnerXP Pro uses multi-thread buffering system and supports burn-underrun protection for error-free recording. See http://www.cdburnerxp.se/features.php, for more features.
  35. Inno Setup Inno Setup is an open source script-driven installation system created in Delphi by Jordan Russell, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inno_Setup. Similar to InstallShield that creates installers or software pakcages. Inno Setup can be downloaded from http://www.jrsoftware.org/isdl.php.
  36. Xming provides a minimalist yet functional X11 server for use in a Windows environment. This allows users to utilize graphical applications on a remote *nix workstation without the need for large amounts of hard drive space. For more information, see XmingNotes.
Open Source Applications   
  1. Filezilla A popular FTP client that is powerful, simple to use and cross platform. It's been said that the UI is quite intuitive.

  2. aMSN A near exact open source duplicate of the ever-popular MSN client now replaced by Live Messenger on the Windows OS. aMSN is available for both Windows and Linux operating systems.

  3. OpenFirewall Two firewalls in one, OpenFire wall provides firewall security at both the kernel and application layers.

  4. MultiGet A GUI downloader application for those in need of an app that will allow for multiple download management. Simple to use, easy to configure.

  5. osCommerce A powerful, easy to setup product manager for eCommerce needs. In essence, it’s a virtual store with unlimited categories a reliable shopping cart and the ability to be configured as needed.

  6. Remote Anywhere Software that can provide you with access to your home computer from practically any Internet appliance. Application is provided in MSI file format as it’s for Windows only.

  7. JBidWatcher Built on Java technology so that it would be platform independent, this auction management tool is generally used for what is called 'auction sniping', although it provides advanced auction management options in addition to this.

  8. Inferno Deleting your most private files with the assurance that they cannot be recovered, this DoD-quality deletion tool provides file removal at AES 256-bit encryption.

  9. BottomFeeder Despite the strange name, this RSS aggregator provides support for both RSS and Atom, and is completely cross platform.

  10. CamStudio Screen capture to an AVI wrapper or to SWF for Flash media inclusion. It's fairly straightforward to use and provides a viable training tool for demonstrations or training.

  11. Tux Paint Very useful for educational environments on a budget, Tux Paint is a simple-to-use drawing program designed for kids 3-12 years of age.

  12. PDFCreator Create PDF files without the need for Adobe's software, using this open source alternative. Encrypt, auto-save and even create images with this software.

  13. Grisbi Create, update and manage a number of personal accounts using the Grisbi software for Windows and Linux. Software is provided for free with a complete manual.

  14. Evolution Perhaps the single most complete PIM since Outlook for Windows, Evolution provides full access to a calendar, email and personal tasks. Another consideration is its solid support for Microsoft Exchange server connectivity.

  15. FreeMind Similar in many aspects to other closed source 'Mind Mapping' software, FreeMind allows the user to write with more of a 'whiteboard feel' than other applications. Perfect for tracking the flow of thoughts as they come to you.

  16. Open Workbench Open Workbench offers featured-filled scheduling and other project management tools. Free to use, even for commercial use.

  17. GIMPShop Built out of frustration with the cost of Photoshop and the existing UI provided by GIMP, GIMPShop enables graphic editing comparable to a Photoshop feature layout.

  18. Dia Diagram creation similar to what you might find with Visio, but at zero cost to the end user. While it remains in active development and may turn up some bugs along the way, the application is strong enough for everyday use.

  19. Synfig Generally described as an industrial strength vector-based animation utility, Synfig provides powerful features to those in animation using vector graphics.

  20. Blender 3D modeling software providing the user with professional results. Wire-framing, texturing, Blender will do practically anything needed for 3D modeling.

  21. OpenVPN Designed for customized VPN configurations, OpenVPN is a full-fledged alternative to many of the closed source options for VPN pass though solutions.

  22. RSSOwl A RSS aggregator designed for users who want to keep up with large amounts of RSS feeds.

  23. OpenWengo Voice over IP for everyone, built on open standards, OpenWengo provides a solid alternative to other closed source options like Skpye and Google Talk (despite Gtalk’s use of the Jabber protocol).

  24. Miranda IM An open source, multiple protocol instant messenger built for the casual Windows user.

  25. PuTTY A free and open source utility for accessing files remotely on Unix/Linux and Windows machines. Supports both Telenet and SSH options.

  26. OpenSTA Software testing architecture with open source standards in place. Measures performance and provides for software stress testing. Designed for Windows.

  27. Quanta Plus A powerful, open source alternative to closed source web development tools such as DreamWeaver.

  28. Amarok A jukebox type music player for Linux, Amarok has been compared to iTunes, without the access to the mainstream music store.

  29. Second Life Ins simplest terms, Second Life is a 3D virtual world built and maintained by its participants. The software that allows interaction in this world is built on open source software technology.

  30. Ardour A digital audio workstation designed for audio professionals or those who would like to have access to this level of professional functionality. Mix, edit and create multi-track audio files, using a large number of features and abilities not found in most audio editing applications.

  31. Audacity Free, simple to use and understand, providing a full featured audio editing utility for those needing maximum control over the target file to be edited.

  32. BB4Win An emulator of sorts for the windowing environment known as the Blackbox windows manager. Like windows managers in Linux, BB4Win allows users to tryout Blackbox on their Win32 machines.

  33. Asterisk-Win32 This application creates a full featured PBX system that rivals anything found elsewhere. Voicemail, call-waiting, music on hold – you name it.

  34. Notepad++ Comparable to Notepad found in Windows, this advanced text editor not only replaces Notepad, but provides a powerful web programming language support.

  35. GParted A partition manager that can be run from within an existing Linux installation or via a Live Linux CD to delete, create or resize existing partitions.

  36. Bookmark-Manager Open source bookmark management made simple. Designed to help the end user deal with and organize bookmark lists of all shapes and sizes.

  37. Radeontweaker This is aTI Radeon Card settings manipulator for the Radeon line of video cards.

  38. ClamAV/SOSDG Described as a port of the well known ClamAV for Linux, this Windows port will provide users with anti-virus protection on open source terms.

  39. KeePass Password manager for the Windows platform. Easy to navigate UI and semi-frequent updates to the software itself.

  40. Plone An open source content management system. Described as easy to setup, manage and flexible for most content management needs.

  41. Magic Mail Monitor Allows control of email accounts from a single application. Remove spam before ever opening your email client with this application at the server level.

  42. POPFile More than a junk mail filter, POPFile is an email classifier, allowing the end user to manage their incoming mail based on user-trained classification.

  43. SeaMonkey Once known as the Mozilla Suite, today SeaMonkey is the combination of Firefox browsing technology bundled with the email client known as Thunderbird.

  44. FreePOPs Created so that users of various web-based email services could have access to their email without needing to rely on the browser-only email retrieval method.

  45. SpamBayes Said to be superior to most other Bayesian email classification tools, SpamBayes provides support for numerous email clients, although it’s best used with Outlook on Windows.

  46. SongBird A desktop music player similar to iTunes, but built on Mozilla Firefox technology. Includes iPod and playlist support, in addition to streaming of MP3s.

  47. VideoLAN A very strong video player for viewing and even re-encoding video files on your computer. VideoLAN supports most all of the popular video codecs on all three platforms.

  48. SnackAMP Perhaps the closest thing to XMMS you’ll ever see on the Window side of the fence, SnackAMP is a WinAMP clone that still maintains a solid user base for music playback despite its lack of current release scheduling.

  49. Blueberry 3D-desktop Described as an OPENGL replacement for the Windows desktop, Blueberry provides a very unusual 3D view of your existing desktop. While it might not be incredibly practical, it provides a unique base for development of a new windowing environment.

  50. 7-Zip An open source alternative to Winzip and WinRAR, 7- zip can decompress just about any file or folder.

Browser Extensions:   
There is no question: if you're on Windows and you're a web developer, you should be using Firefox as your primary browser during development (if not as your primary browser, period). There are just so many great extensions for the browser that make a developer's job easier. Here are the must-haves:
  1. Web Developer A toolbar with dozens, if not hundreds of features to make the web developer's job easier. Tweak CSS in real time, reveal the structure of a page with colored outlines, validate your code with one-click convenience and /tons/ more.
  2. FireBug The best JavaScript debugger in the business, it's got all the trimmings you would expect. Not just a JavaScript debugging tool anymore, FireBug also lets you inspect the elements that make up your site and determine where they styles applied to them have come from.
  3. IE Tab Because you can't bet the farm of Firefox, this is the most seamless way to test pages in Internet Explorer. Should you happen upon a stubborn site that refuses to work in anything but IE, you can configure this extension to fire up automatically for the site.
  4. HTML Validator Because even the best of us forgets to escape an ampersand now and then, this extension will notify you about invalid pages and provide useful, plain-English suggestions as to how to fix them. You'll also need to install CSE HTML Validator Lite, which this extension depends on. If you want a standalone alternative, try this extension based on HTML Tidy.