Win-get isn't the first attempt we've heard about to replicate the Debian Linux package management experience on Windows. But unlike Ed Ropple's proposal, Win-get already works. Sort of.

If you're not familiar with package management, here's how it works. You type "apt-get install <name of program>" into a terminal and your operating system will find that program online, download it, and install it. Newer versions of Linux have graphical interfaces that basically let you browse through a huge list of mostly free and open source software that you can download. No need to search the web for a good image editor. Just open your package manager and download GIMP.

Win-get aims to work pretty much like apt-get, but for free Windows software. We're not talking open source here, necessarily. Many of the programs in the win-get repository are free to download and install, but the source code may not be available. There's a huge list of software available for download.

One of the coolest features Windows users might notice when they try out Linux distributions such as Ubuntu is the ease with which you can find and install open-source programs. While Windows users have to scour the web to find, download, and install applications, Linux users can type a simple "apt-get" into their terminal or open up Synaptic package manager or a similar application.

Ed Ropple wants to know why Linux users should have all the fun, and has proposed working with WinLibre to develop a software repository and packaging system for Windows as part of Google's Summer of Code.

Such a service could make finding and installing new programs much simpler. Not only would you be able to find open source software that fits your needs (something you can already do with websites like OSALT.com), but you can be sure that each program has been tested out by the community maintaining the repository.

[via Slashdot]

There's plenty of free (as in beer) software out there, but finding what you need can be almost impossible if you just head out, unarmed, into the wilds of the Internet. Enter MacLibre.

If you've used Linux, you're probably familiar with package managers. You may have even used Fink on Mac OS X. If so, MacLibre is old news to you. But for plenty of people, it can be a serious time saver. MacLibre puts a pretty face and intuitive GUI onto a concept that, previously, could be pretty intimidating to non-power users.

Once you've installed MacLibre on your system, you can then browse the available software titles and cherry-pick the ones you want to install. MacLibre features an ever-growing variety of applications, from browsers and chat clients to Office suites and multimedia. Here are just a few selections:

• Audacity (audio editing software)
• Gimp (poor man's Photoshop)
• Adium (multi-protocol chat client)
• Cyberduck (FTP client)
• Firefox (I don't have to tell you what this is)
• VLC (multimedia player)
• AbiWord (word processor)

[Via Who Needs Oxygen]