this post was submitted on 30 Jul 2024
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67
What is the Windows Equivalent of Popular Linux apps? (lemmy.ml)
submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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I have to use Windows on my work computer and I am finding it hard to get FOSS applications on Windows that can do stuff like

  1. Record a video (like SimpleVideoRecorder does)
  2. Take a screenshot (there's snip, but it isn't very customizable)
  3. Unzip .zip files

Just the routine things I used to take for granted on Linux, so I was wondering if there was a FOSS app store for Windows

And it would be very helpful if someone could suggest alternative for

  1. SimpleVideoRecorder
  2. Archive Manager

Even the apps I installed for these things either had ads or asked me for payment to record more than 2 minutes of video, I am pretty sure there are FOSS apps to do these things out there, but I don't know where :')

PS: To everyone who has tried to help, thank you very much. I was feeling guilty for not replying to most of you, so I thought I would reply to all of ya, but funnily enough, lemmy had had enough of my gratitude!

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[–] [email protected] 33 points 3 months ago (1 children)

For video recording I use OBS and for zip files I use 7-Zip

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

7zip doesn't support the new win11 rightclick menu (yet), nanazip is a fork with full win11 support:

https://github.com/M2Team/NanaZip

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I'm using 7zip on win11. You need to get into the old context menu to see it tho. You can edit the registry to make the old one the default too.
No idea why it's a registry edit but Microsoft will do what they will

[–] [email protected] -1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Yes that is another option. I know 7zip works there, win11 is mostly the same as win7 under the hood, but I would install a supported frontend instead of fiddling with the registry, tweaks like that can break after updates

I don't use windows personally, just set it up for others. I don't care enough to tweak the registry for them, if there are more convenient solutions

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I use win11 at work sadly so I'm stick with it there. I find the new context menu unusable so I prefer the old one

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

tweakui can fix this

[–] [email protected] 25 points 3 months ago
  1. OBS Studio, or even Xbox Game Bar (built-in, but might be disabled at your work PC)
  2. ShareX
  3. 7-Zip
[–] [email protected] 21 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (4 children)

To be fair, these tools are all already built-in

  1. Xbox Game Bar (Win+G)
  2. Windows screenshot (Win+S / Win+Shift+s)
  3. File Explorer (Win+E) can handle .zip, even preview them quite nicely.

I realise these are not open source (and others have already given great open-source options I would give, as well). But you're using Windows already, so why not use Windows?

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago

File explorer's built in archiver is still lagging behind, while it's mostly usable, last time I tried to open a password protected rar, and it didn't show a pw dialog just failed silently. 7zip opened it correctly

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Just one little addition: win+shift+s for snipping tool. Let's you select a region, window or whole screen.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Added!

[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 months ago (2 children)

LibreOffice for replacing Microsoft Office

[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Linux is replacing Windows

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago

LibreOffice works on Windows too.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

ODF for OOXML.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

I have to use Windows on my work computer and I am finding it hard to get FOSS applications on Windows that can do stuff like

The Gold standard in the screen recording world is OBS. It's not only available for Linux, but also for Windows and, well, is the gold standard. If you ask the question if OBS can do this-or-that regarding screen recording, the answer generally is yes (or "yes, via plugin"). Just use OBS on all platforms, it's clearly the most mature screen recording tool out there.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You can even use it as a virtual camera. I’ve had lots of fun with that one in meetings.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

I used Game Bar to record my videos back in the day. But it's just too basic.

[–] Presi300 14 points 3 months ago

Video recorder: OBS

Screenshot utility: built into most desktops

Archive manager: Built into most file managers

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 months ago

For screenshots, I've been pushing Greenshot as it has built in editing capabilities and has been quite stable on Windows 11

For .zip files, I still stick with 7-zip. It does what it does and has never given me issue.

[–] Hawke 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

For screenshots I recommend Greenshot. Simple to use and good annotation tools.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Interesting, I might keep that in the back of my mind as a backup for ShareX

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago

For screenshots look at Greenshot.

[–] _Atlas_ 9 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Check out scoop and chocolatey

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

And winget.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago

For screenshot, you can use Flameshot which do have a Windows version and even a macOS version:

https://flameshot.org/#download

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

For simple screen recording, I could only find not-so-simple OBS that let me record a part of a screen. In the end it's a good and reliable solution once you set up and save the local area I want to record. Not so spontaneous, but solid.

I edit the videos in KDEnlive Windows install, which is excellent for this work. I have a smooth process and create many videos quickly.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago

OBS is just amazing and does not need admin to install 🥰

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

@Subject6051 Most of apps famous in linux are available on windows.

Funny part is while joining Linux we searched alternatives and now for leaving it we need alternatives 😅

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Indeed! I gotmyself accustomed to a routine of using featherpad instead of notepad, using Kpaint instead of paint, it's weird to be back. "Hey Windows, it's me again, I hate you, but I have been told I must use you."

Pretty weird, it's getting back at me by showing me the wrong time every time I login! :')

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

Yeah, I use a tiling WM at home, so having to deal with Windows' way of doing things at college computers was very annoying, especially when the Super+L keybind I used to Launch apps, was used on Windows to Lock the machine. Locking your PC while trying to open an app is very, very annoying.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Windows comes with pretty good tools for these already.

  1. Game Bar can do this and is built in, or ShareX for short clips

  2. Snipping tool is pretty full featured and built in. ShareX is also good.

  3. Windows handles ZIP natively.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Windows' handling of ZIP files is very poor. I recommend PeaZip or 7zip.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Can't say I've ever had issues, but PeaZip is good and integrates nicely.

[–] Sweetpeaches69 3 points 3 months ago

Pictures: Snagit. Videos: Camtasia.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)
  1. Windows has built in simple zip manager. If you need more, go with 7-zip as others suggested.
[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

7-zip is amazing! thank you!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Doesn't the snipping tool also allow video capture now?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

it does, but it's pretty inconvenient. ShareX is better (which I installed after listening to the suggestions)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

WSL

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

There's this: https://github.com/lextrack/Simple-Screen-Recorder

Disclaimer: I haven't touched Windows in at least a decade.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

Thank you! This would have been great if I didn't get to know about ShareX, FOSS app and it manages screenshots and screenrecordings with many many more features! God bless the devs!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

flameshot for screenshots

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 months ago

On the build of Windows 11 I'm using PrintScr has been replaced with the snipping style screenshot tool (used to be Shift+Win+S) instead of the fullscreen screenshot like before.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I have to use Windows

  1. Run a virtual machine
  2. Install your goto Linux distro
  3. Drink a cup of ☕ and pet a 😺 while it's installing
  4. Happy hacking!
[–] maniii 4 points 3 months ago

WSL2 exists for the very reason, if you hate using Windblows, you can install Linux OS on top and do everything from the Linux VM. Why even bother struggling with Windozes interface and software ?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 months ago

The only problem is the resource management, if you are using something like MX Linux and you have good amount of RAM, you can do this, I have 8GBs of RAM and even Windows 10 runs into resource issues when I am using it casually (forget working on it).