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Open Source Software

There are many great programs that are open-source, which means they are free for personal use. The following list is some that we use in the CAL. Click on the name of the program for the link to the download site. Just be aware that some of the programs only run with certain operating systems. The description for most of the programs come directly from the website and also tell which operating systems are supported but you should probably check the system requirements before installing.

  • Celestia
    • A space simulation program that lets you explore the universe in three dimensions. Runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.

  • ChemSketch
    • A program that will allow you to draw chemical compounds and molecules. This package should also include ChemBasic. Will run on Windows. It is possible to run this other version on LINUX if you have Code Weavers’ CrossOver Office, which is NOT free.

  • Chimera
    • Chimera is a Web browser for UNIX OS X.

  • Corpscon 6
    • Corpscon, version 6, is a Windows-based program that allows the user to convert coordinates between Geographic, State Plane, UTM, NAD 27, NAD83, HARNs.

  • Free Mind

  • Google Earth
    • Google Earth has the world’s geographic information with satellite imagery, maps, terrain, and 3D buildings. It also allows you to explore the sky’s millions of stars and the two hundred million galaxies. The required operating system is Windows or Mac.

  • Google SketchUp
    • Google SketchUp enables you to build and modify 3D models quickly and easily. If you use Google Earth, Google SketchUp allows you to place your models using real-world coordinates and share them with the world using the Google 3D Warehouse. It works on Windows and Macs.

  • GraphCalc
    • This is a great program for those who do not want to purchase a graphing calculator. It works with Windows and Linux.

  • ImageJ
    • This graphics program works with Windows, Mac, and Linux.

  • JEdit
    • A mature programmer’s text editor that is written in Java and runs on Mac, Unix, VMS, and Windows

  • Linux
    • Lixux is the most popular free operating system and has the ability to be run off of a CD.

  • Matchmaker
    • Matchmaker : Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest is an aid to identifying mushrooms. Over 2000 gilled mushrooms of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia are presented. This program is web-based, so no installation needed.

  • Mozilla-Firefox
    • Firefox is a web-browser that is secure, customizable, and fast. Mozilla offers a wide selection of add-ons to let you personalize Firefox. The link will take you to a page where you can pick your language and OS, works on Linux, Max OS X, and Windows.

  • Netlogo
    • Netlogo is cross-platform multi-agent programmable modeling environment. It will run on Windows, Macs, and other platforms if a Java virtual machine 1.4.1 version or later is installed.

  • Notepad ++
    • Notepad++ is a free source code editor (and Notepad replacement), which supports several programming languages, running under the MS Windows environment.

  • Open Office
    • This office suite is an alternative to buying Microsoft Office and it works on all major-platforms.

  • Paint.net
    • Paint.NET is free image and photo editing software for computers that run Windows.

  • Pidgin
    • Pidgin (formerly called GAIM) is a multi-protocol Instant Messaging client that allows you to use all of your IM accounts at once.

  • Python and Visual Python
    • The link above is for the visual python website, where you can download both python and visual python. The standard python site is here. Python is a powerful object-oriented programming language and with visual the user can create 3D objects (such as spheres, curves, etc.) and position them in 3D space.

  • R
    • R is a free software environment for statistical computing and graphics. It compiles and runs on a wide variety of UNIX platforms, Windows and MacOS.

  • Raven Lite
    • Raven Lite is a free software program that lets users record, save, and visualize sounds as spectrograms and waveforms. Raven Lite is intended for students, educators, and hobbyists, and can be used for learning about sounds, as an aid in birdsong recognition, and in musical instruction.

  • Specify
    • Specify is a research software application, database, and network interface for biological collections information. It manages specimen data such as descriptions of collecting locations, participants and determination histories as well as information about collections transactions such as loans, exchanges, accessions and gifts. It will only run on Windows 2003 Server, XP Pro, and Vista Business & Ultimate.

  • Starlogo
    • StarLogo is a programmable modeling environment for exploring the workings of decentralized systems—systems that are organized without an organizer, coordinated without a coordinator. With StarLogo, you can model (and gain insights into) many real-life phenomena, such as bird flocks, traffic jams, ant colonies, and market economies. The operating systems that our supported are windows, macs, and unix.

  • Stellarium
    • Stellarium is a free open source planetarium for your computer. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. Macs, Windows, and Linux are supported.

  • UCSF Chimera
    • Chimera is extensible molecular modeling system that runs on Windows, Macs, and Linux.

  • VMD
    • VMD is a molecular visualization program for displaying, animating, and analyzing large biomolecular systems using 3-D graphics and built-in scripting. It works on the following platforms: AIX5, IRIX6, Linux, MacOS X, Solaris, and Windows.

  • World Wind
    • NASA World Wind allows the user to zoom from satellite altitude into any place on Earth, leveraging high resolution LandSat imagery and SRTM elevation data to experience Earth in visually rich 3D, just as if they were really there. Works on Windows XP and 2000.