http://www.osalt.com
Open Source Alternatives
Find open source software alternatives to well-known commercial software
Many users request commercial and closed-source software unaware that open-source alternatives exist. Thoughtlessly, they expect miracles or developers to break the law.
OSAlt.com might help members find alternatives that can suit their individual needs, and then post an earnest request for the OSS alternative to be developed into the PA.c format.
EDIT 1: I wish to see that this thread become a list of approved websites. These websites either recommend or host (OSS) software acceptable and usable for PA.c. Approval would be at the discretion of PA.c developers and moderators.
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I think this would be a great site to reference more often here at PA.c. I searched and only found two threads that have mentioned it. Often we get many people requesting commercial software, and we always tell them that we can not due to legalities. Maybe if this were readily available, they could try out the open-source software, and see if they like it.
Granted, we still get members that do not perform a search of the PA.c forums, read the forum guidelines, or try to follow the Un-official Request Apps Guidelines (https://portableapps.com/node/4507). Still, it might be helpful for those looking for something useful (or just bored like I usually am). I was impressed that it lists many alternatives to engineering and mathematical modeling software that I used in college, like AutoCAD and MATLAB.
I am posting this here in Off Topic because I don't want to let the cat out of the bag and have the request threads flooded. Developers here do tons without more projects to tackle. If I had a lick of programming talent, outside of making MATLAB find integer solutions to x1^n + x2^n + ... + xn^n = z^n or perform regressions of data to find unnecessarily large polynomials, I would love helping out around here.
If one of the mods thinks this is a good thread and should be stickied in the request forum, I'd be honored.
Performed Searches:
https://portableapps.com/search/node/osalt
Results:
Are these all Open Source?
Submitted by spaztastic on April 3, 2008 - 7:29pm
https://portableapps.com/node/12589
Microsoft publisher
Submitted by danpet on February 26, 2008 - 5:17am
https://portableapps.com/node/11664
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To find even more FOSS, try Google.
Yeah, I know, the Request Apps forum is starting to show its age...
I second the vote for this to be stickied.
Insert original signature here with Greasemonkey Script.
Results in way too many search results!
Personal experience indicates that performing a Google search for FOSS alternatives to commercial software is frivolous. I can't count the endless hours scowering SourceForge and Google searches for alternatives.
Usually, I find the bigger, better, badder software through websites like PA.c and now OSAlt.com (as well as the sites Filehippo.com and Hydrogenaudio.org).
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EDIT 1: Thank you for the support, though. I forget my manners at times when I stand on soap boxes in internet forums.
I hope this becomes a list of approved websites that either host or recommend approved (OSS) software.
Limits are for people with no imagination.