SoC2007 Live CD
Here are some ideas regarding DTP Live CD.
The aim of this project is to create a costume GNU/Linux Live CD bundled with FOSS applications used in Desktop Publishing field. This is to make it ready out-of-box for non Linux users and newcomers, and any one else as well.
base distro
I think Ubuntu is a good choice for a base distro, because:
- Being a debian based distro, so we can benefit from all debian technologies (like apt) and community support as well.
- It is one of the most widely used distros these days, it has a very wide user base and well established community support.
- Virtually any piece of software available for debian is available for ubuntu at the same time, which mean we've an extensive set of available applications.
Be careful: (K)Ubuntu's version of Qt has some nasty bugs that cause issues with Scribus and other Qt based programs. I suggest you use Debian/Knoppix instead.
Some comments:
- OpenSuse is also an option as it contains almost everything we need and I have a build server account. Moreover, Ubuntu seems to not only have some Qt bugs but odd and random 'can't print' issues. I second using Debian/Knoppix instead.
- Please do not install any of the following: gv, ghostview, gpdf, evince,ggv. They are either old or too disfunctional to use with Scribus EPS/PDF. --mrdocs 12:21, 24 March 2007 (CET)
Software to be included
3-D software
- blender
- Art of Illusion requires Java
- planetGenesis
Clipart
- OpenClipArt (maybe OOo and/or scribus 1.4 can be shipped with OpenClipArt integration)
- collection of maps for OOo from http://ooo.hg.free.fr/
- Even more clipart (and OOo templates) from http://www.stud.uni-goettingen.de/~openoff/proooboxorg/cdinhalt/html/artwork.html
- The GIMP user group provides a collection of images produced with GIMP. Maybe they are worth being included, in case the copyrights allow for that (pls. check with the creators before using).
Desktop environment(s)
- KDE
- I strongly recommend KDE as default. We can show off drag and drop.--Mrdocs 22:27, 2 May 2005 (UTC)
- It might be useful to include the KDE Baghira theme for MacOS X users. A little script that changes the desktop to Baghira could be useful too, together with a short description ("If you want your desktop to resemble MacOS X, open Konsole and type ./macosxlook.sh, then hit "Enter", or something like that; same for Win2K or XP users. There should be menu entries for easily switching between a yet to be determined KDE theme and OS X/WinXP/Win2K themes).
- Clean up the Kicker and remove unnecessary/irritating entries
- Create a new structure for the Kicker (eg an extra DTP entry with sub-menus for image editing, DTP, vector drawing, fonts etc.)
Documentation
- grab all documentation available under a free license and make it easily accessible in a uniform layout (html, pdf)
- introduction which autmatically shows up after "login" (similar to the current introduction to Knoppix)
- Make sure that Python, SVG, and ODF documentation is included.
Email clients
Needed for collaboration on the projects
- Mozilla Thunderbird
- Kontact
Fonts
- A collection of high quality fonts (type 1, ttf, otf) available for free distribution
- (Be careful with distribution provisions in license when it comes to fonts)
- Remove crummy fonts so they can't accidentally be used for production
- Install this collection of well designed free fonts for Central Europe, provided by Polish TeX User Group:
ftp://ftp.gust.org.pl/pub/GUST/contrib/fonts/ Description and links to font packages (pl)
- See also fonts listed in Right font 4 right purpose, in Where_can_I_get_good_fonts?, and on Open Font Library
Font utilities
HTML editors
Image viewers
Layout
- Scribus stable — currently 1.3.x series
- Scribus cvs snapshot — installed as an addition to the stable version, for those wanting to use latest improvements
Misc Utils/Apps
- kde-extras Kcolor, Kruler
- kde-graphics-scan (kooka + x-sane)
- Dia http://gnome.org/projects/dia
- xsane http://www.xsane.org/
- Kooka
- lcms
- LPROF
- ICC Examin
- k3b - DTP files can become huge, so it's a good idea to have a cd burner handy.
- kxmleditor - A fine editor for xml files, can be handy to repair damaged SVG and sla files.
Postscript and pdf instruments
- gs-afpl >= 8.50
- Gsview
- Pstoedit
- Xpdf << note 3.02 was recently released and supports transparency much better now
- the new Xpdf also supports anti-aliasing of vector outlines (the lack of this feature in earlier releases of xpdf and in other floss pdf viewers is a major issue among e-zine authors) --Mhanski 12:45, 24 March 2007 (CET)
- kpdf 3.5+
- pdftohtml http://pdftohtml.sourceforge.net/
- Multivalent Java Tools - http://multivalent.sourceforge.net/
- pdftk - the pdf toolkit - http://www.accesspdf.com/pdftk/ (or are we typically avoiding commandline tools ?) (there is a pdftk service menu for KDE)
- PoDoFo + PoDoFo Browser (requires Qt4)
- Consider Adobe Reader 7.x, but check the licence first. OpenSuSE 10.2 is shipped with AR. Currently, no FLOSS PDF viewer is even close to AR!
Raster graphics
- The GIMP (including the separate+ plugin!)
- Make sure all available plug-ins are included
- ImageMagick http://www.imagemagick.org/
- KSnapshot
- Cinepaint see: http://www.cinepaint.org
- Krita
- ExifTool (extracts EXIF, ICC, and many other informations from pictures) http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/
- Hugin, PTStitcher, PTOptimizer, Nona, Autopano-sift, Panorama-tools, Enblend, ptfilter, ... : tools to create panoramas from set of photos (lots of links from http://bugbear.blackfish.org.uk/~bruno/panorama-tools/ )- Many tutorials on the web that could be a great added value, if their respective authors allow us to distribute them (http://hugin.sourceforge.net/tutorials/, http://www.philohome.com/barrelpers/barrelpers2.htm, http://rbpark.ath.cx/tutorials.html, many others). Some tools / plugins for Gimp an also be found for correction of such pictures (barrel distortion, ...) (PTLens, clens, for example). Sorry, no time to do further searches... Just a few ideas for now.
System software
- Networking tools to enable establishing working network connection
- Tools for easy installation of the Live system to HDD if necessary
- CUPS
- Apache (for CUPS and Batik) Apache not needed to run Batik, only compile
- gutenprint (gimp-print 5.0)
- JVM 1.4.2+ for running Batik and/or delineate
Trace tools
- Autotrace http://autotrace.sourceforge.net/
- Frontline - GUI front end to autotrace http://autotrace.sourceforge.net/frontline/
- Potrace http://potrace.sourceforge.net/
- pstoedit http://www.pstoedit.net/pstoedit
- potracegui http://potracegui.sourceforge.net/
- delineate - Java based GUI to autotrace and potrace http://delineate.sourceforge.net/
Typesetting
- teTeX http://www.tug.org/teTeX
- LyX http://www.lyx.org
- Kile http://kile.sourceforge.net
- Texmaker http://www.xm1math.net/texmaker
- pdflatex http://www.tug.org/applications/pdftex
Vector graphics
- Inkscape
- Batik - a collection of Apache XML modules for on the fly export/conversion of SVG http://xml.apache.org/batik/
- Skencil - has the best SVG+EPS capabilities. Requires python-imaging http://www.skencil.org/
- Karbon14 - A vector drawing application.
- SVG importer for OpenOffice.org 2 (requires Java RE 1.5)
Web browsers
Needed for looking up materials and for collaboration over the web (include a bunch of DTP bookmarks)
- Konqueror, it is already part of KDE.
- Mozilla Firefox (with svg plugin...)
Word processor(s)
Required to edit large amounts of text easier than in scribus
- OpenOffice.org
- KWord (can be used for basic PDF editing)
OCR
It may be a good idea to bundle it with gocr with easy to use GUI (Kooka).
Find a an appealing name for the distro
Probably one of the harder nuts to crack ;)
Proposals from the old LiveCD draft
- Scribux (too similar to Scribus?)
- Publix (there may be trademark issues with this one since it is the name of a U.S. supermarket chain
- scribOS - Linux DTP CD
- FOPUX (Free and Open Publishing Linux)
- OpenCanvas (another name with trademark issues, since there already exists a drawing software called OpenCanvas)
- OpenPage
- OpenPub
- OpenDTP
- Design on Disc (from bug #1763)
- Artix or Artux (combining Latin ars (art) with the almost obligatory *ix/*ux)