CentOS - Sep 2008 - Picasa vs. native photo management apps

Hi,

I'm running a small business (http://www.microlinux.fr) offering various 
services around GNU/Linux, among which migrating folks from Windows to 
Linux. On server and desktops, I'm using CentOS exclusively. I know, 
Fedora would be more suitable, but I like the solidity of CentOS, and I 
can always build the odd missing bits myself from Fedora SRPMS. My 
heavily customized CentOS-based desktop is very solid and 
production-proof (in use in all the public libraries around here).

One request that I got more often lately is Google Picasa. I vaguely 
remember having downloaded and installed it once. As far as I know, it's 
a closed-source Windows app that comes with a WINE emulation layer. Not 
exactly the open source spirit.

As far as I'm concerned, I manage all my photos with some very basic 
tools: GThumb, Nautilus, GIMP, and that's it.

Are there some tasks one performs with Picasa that one can't perform 
with these native programs? Or is there some other well-made photo 
management software that you can recommend as a replacement for Picasa?

Cheers,

Niki Kovacs

Niki Kovacs wrote:
> Are there some tasks one performs with Picasa that one can't perform  
> with these native programs? Or is there some other well-made photo  
> management software that you can recommend as a replacement for Picasa?
f-spot <http://f-spot.org/Main_Page> is rather nice, but needs mono and
a halfways current Gnome. And then there is digikam (IIRC) in kde.

And yes, those programs (as picasa) do a rather good job of *managing*
pictures, which isn't too easy to do with g-thumb and other programs
like that.

Ralph
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Niki Kovacs wrote:
> Are there some tasks one performs with Picasa that one can't perform 
> with these native programs?
Yes and no. Picasa binds together several functions that would otherwise 
require several different programs and that might confuse dumbusers.
For example, you can bacup of your photos directly with Picasa by 
writing them on CD/DVD, make web galleries, make gift CD/DVD-s, make 
easily basic photo editing (cropping, redeye, balance).
> Or is there some other well-made photo 
> management software that you can recommend as a replacement for Picasa?
Haven't met yet. Google makes quite unique apps.

-- 
Veiko

Niki Kovacs wrote:
> Are there some tasks one performs with Picasa that one can't perform 
> with these native programs? Or is there some other well-made photo 
> management software that you can recommend as a replacement for Picasa?
Picasa makes managing webalbums on http://picasa.google.com/  really 
really easy.    thats its main function.  everything else is icing.

On Tue, 2008-09-16 at 11:41 +0200, Niki Kovacs wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I'm running a small business (http://www.microlinux.fr) offering
various
> services around GNU/Linux, among which migrating folks from Windows to 
> Linux. On server and desktops, I'm using CentOS exclusively. I know, 
> Fedora would be more suitable, but I like the solidity of CentOS, and I 
> can always build the odd missing bits myself from Fedora SRPMS. 
I wouldn't count Fedora is suitable for anyone new to Linux. Heck, I
wouldn't even recommend it to any one with high blood pressure. At
all. :)

But, I do agree with rebuilding packages to CentOS from SRPMs. My life
is a lot more settled and productive using and learning to use CentOS.
My two cents. Ric

-- 
----------------------------------------------------
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"There are two Great Sins in the world...
..the Sin of Ignorance, and the Sin of Stupidity.
Only the former may be overcome." R.I.P. Dad.
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https://nuoar.dev.java.net/
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On Tue, 2008-09-16 at 11:41 +0200, Niki Kovacs wrote:
> One request that I got more often lately is Google Picasa. I vaguely 
> remember having downloaded and installed it once. As far as I know,
it's
> a closed-source Windows app that comes with a WINE emulation layer. Not 
> exactly the open source spirit.
I just bounced into my Kubuntu install to check, as they have everything
but the kitchen sink to dnload and install. Nada ...came up empty there.
Looks like no hope for anything in binary form to install that is used
in the wide Debian Universe. :( Ric

-- 
----------------------------------------------------
My father, Victor Moore (Vic) used to say:
"There are two Great Sins in the world...
..the Sin of Ignorance, and the Sin of Stupidity.
Only the former may be overcome." R.I.P. Dad.
Linux user# 44256 Sign up at: http://counter.li.org/
https://nuoar.dev.java.net/
Verizon Cell # 336-254-1339

Tue, Sep 16, 2008 at 4:41 AM, Niki Kovacs <contact at kikinovak.net>
wrote:
<snip>
> One request that I got more often lately is Google Picasa. I vaguely
> remember having downloaded and installed it once. As far as I know,
it's a
> closed-source Windows app that comes with a WINE emulation layer. Not
> exactly the open source spirit.
>
> As far as I'm concerned, I manage all my photos with some very basic
tools:
> GThumb, Nautilus, GIMP, and that's it.
>
> Are there some tasks one performs with Picasa that one can't perform
with
> these native programs? Or is there some other well-made photo management
> software that you can recommend as a replacement for Picasa?
A follow on to my previous responses, regarding Google's Picasa for
Linux. My wife has been using M$ Windows recently. I asked her to help
me with some photos, on my box, using Picasa. She had *NO* idea she
was using Picasa on Linux, until I asked her if there were any
differences, between the application she uses on Windows, and the one
on Linux. She thought she was using Picasa on Windows, until I pointed
out that it was running on Linux.