The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.

If I do not list the download URL,you can use RPMfind.net to find them.To softwares that I provided download URLs,you are also recommended to search packages for your computer rather than use the one downloaded from my URLs.

All following instructions are available for Fedora Core 4 and Ubuntu 5.10.

System Setting

Tcl/Tk

Tcl enable your to make simple GUI interface in Linux,such as a calculator.It can also work associately with C .The network simulation program ns-2 used Tcl as its GUI engine.
--URL:http://www.tcl.tk/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

Important Running Environment

Java Run Environment

Java Run Environment(JRE) is the java virtual machine for Java class file running on Linux.Without this you can't run any Java application.Also,JRE is needed to display Java Applet in your brower,such as FireFox or Konquer. JRE is available at SUN Microsystems official website.You can download only JRE or the entire JDK which contains JRE.
--URL:http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp
--GPL'ed? No
--Free? Yes

umb-scheme

UMB Scheme is an implementation of the language described in the IEEE Standard for the Scheme Programming Language (December, 1990).
I don't much about umb-scheme,but many softwares will use it.
--URL:http://rpmseek.com/rpm-pl/umb-scheme.html?hl=com&cx=589:U:0
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

Open Motif

One modelue compiled out from Open Motif is libXm.so.2,which is needed by many softwares.
--URL:http://rpmfind.net/linux/RPM/ASP/i386/RPMS.9/openmotif21-2.1.30-8.i386.html
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

guile

Guile is a library designed to help programmers create flexible applications. Using Guile in an application allows programmers to write plug-ins, or modules (there are many names, but the concept is essentially the same) and users to use them to have an application fit their needs.There is a long list of proven applications that employ extension languages. Successful and long-lived examples in the free software world are GNU Emacs and The GIMP.
--URL:http://www.gnu.org/software/guile/guile.html#get
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

Standard C libraries for Red Hat 7.3 backwards compatibility c

Some softwares are compitable with old version of GCC,you will need it to compile them.
--URL:http://rpm.pbone.net/index.php3/stat/4/idpl/843376/com/compat-libstdc -7.3-2.96.118.i386.rpm.html
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

Standard C libraries version 5 (libstdc .so.5)

In different version of Linux,the compiled C library modulues are distinctive.To be compatiable with old version softwares,you need to keep an old version C library in your computer.For example,in Fedora Core 4,the C lib version is libstdc .so.6 but Adobe Acrobat Read 3.0 needs libstdc .so.5.Then you have a problem-you can't install Acrobat Reader 6.0.
--How to install? Please use command "yum install libstdc .so.5" to obtain libstdc .so.5 in FC4
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

EDA and other EE software

gEDA

gEDA provides a collection of many EDA softwares.These tools are used for electrical circuit design, schematic capture, simulation, prototyping, and production. Currently, the gEDA project offers a mature suite of free software applications for electronics design, including schematic capture, attribute management, bill of materials (BOM) generation, netlisting into over 20 netlist formats, analog and digital simulation, and printed circuit board (PCB) layout.With gEDA,you can synthesis your Verilog program,draw schematic,layour PCB(need PCB,another GNU EDA software) and compile SPICE program.gEDA format files can also be convert into other format,such as OrCAD Capture format.
The core of gEDA is "gaf" which consists of gschem (Schematic Capture),gnetlist(Netlist generator),gsymcheck(Symbol checker) and gattrib(Attribute editor).Beyond gaf,gEDA also collected other softwares to build more powerful functions for EDA.They can are associated with gEDA.I list them also.
--URL:http://geda.seul.org/download.html
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

PCB

PCB is being developed separately from gEDA, however it has become the PCB tool of choice for gEDA.
--URL:http://bach.ece.jhu.edu/~haceaton/pcb/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

Eagle

Eagle is a PCB software and schematic software distributed by CadSoft.It can work with many other softwares(some of them are only for Windows).It is not licensed under terms of GNU GPL but it's free and can be used in Linux.
--URL:http://www.cadsoft.de/download.htm
--GPL'ed? No
--Free? Yes

Xcircuit

XCircuit is a UNIX/X11 program for drawing publishable-quality electrical circuit schematic diagrams and related figures, and produce circuit netlists through schematic capture. XCircuit regards circuits as inherently hierarchical, and writes both hierarchical PostScript output and hierarchical SPICE netlists. Circuit components are saved in and retrieved from libraries which are fully editable. XCircuit does not separate artistic expression from circuit drawing; it maintains flexiblity in style without compromising the power of schematic capture.
--URL:http://bach.ece.jhu.edu/~tim/programs/xcircuit/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

Xilinx ISE Webpack for Linux

ISE WebPACK is the ideal downloadable desktop solution offering free software modules from ABEL and HDL synthesis to device fitting and JTAG programming. ISE WebPACK is a subset of our award winning ISE FoundationБ└╒ design tools providing instant access to the ISE tools at no cost. Xilinx has created a solution that allows convenient productivity by providing a design solution that is always up to date with error-free downloading and single file installation.
--URL:http://www.xilinx.com/xlnx/xil_sw_updates_home.jsp
--GPL'ed? No
--Free? Yes

Icarus Verilog

Icarus Verilog is a Verilog simulation and synthesis tool. It operates as a compiler, compiling source code writen in Verilog (IEEE-1364) into some target format. For batch simulation, the compiler can generate an intermediate form called vvp assembly. This intermediate form is executed by the ``vvp'' command. For synthesis, the compiler generates netlists in the desired format.
--URL:http://www.icarus.com/eda/verilog/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

VBS - Verilog Behavioral Simulator

This is the public release of the Verilog Behavioral Simulator. Verilog is a Hardware Description Language used mostly for digital circuit design and simulation. This program is a simple implementation of a Verilog simulator. VBS tries to implement all of the Verilog behavioral constructs that are synthesizable, but still allow complex test vectors for simulation.
--URL:http://www.flex.com/~jching/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

SAVANT: VHDL Analysis Tools

The SAVANT project is an effort by University of Cincinnati's Experimental Computing Laboratory to build freely redistributable VHDL analysis tools.
--URL:http://www.ececs.uc.edu/~paw/savant/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

GNUCap

Gnucap is the Gnu Circuit Analysis Package. The primary component is a general purpose circuit simulator. It performs nonlinear dc and transient analyses, fourier analysis, and ac analysis. Spice compatible models for the MOSFET (level 1-7), BJT, and diode are included in this release.
--URL:http://geda.seul.org/tools/gnucap/index.html
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

gspiceui

The name gspiceui is a compaction of GNU Spice GUI. It is intended to provide a GUI for two freely available electronic circuit simulation engines: GNU-Cap and Ng-Spice
--URL:http://geda.seul.org/tools/gspiceui/index.html
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

gwave

Gwave is a tool using the Gtk toolkit. Its purpose is for viewing analog data, such as the output of Spice simulations. Gwave can read binary or ascii files written by HSpice from transient, AC, or Sweep analyses, and transient analysis files from the CAzM simulator. It can also read "raw" files from spice2G6, spice3F5 or ngspice, and a tabular ASCII format suitable for use with GnuCAP or homegrown tools.
--URL:http://www.telltronics.org/software/gwave/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

avr-libc

Together, avr-binutils, avr-gcc, and avr-libc form the heart of the Free Software toolchain for the Atmel AVR microcontrollers. They are further accompanied by projects for in-system programming software (uisp, avrdude [formerly avrprog]), simulation (simulavr) and debugging (avr-gdb, AVaRICE).
--URL:http://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/avr-libc/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

avr-gcc

Together, avr-binutils, avr-gcc, and avr-libc form the heart of the Free Software toolchain for the Atmel AVR microcontrollers. They are further accompanied by projects for in-system programming software (uisp, avrdude [formerly avrprog]), simulation (simulavr) and debugging (avr-gdb, AVaRICE).
--URL:http://www.avrfreaks.net/index.php?module=FreaksTools&func=viewItem&item_id=145
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

binutils

Together, avr-binutils, avr-gcc, and avr-libc form the heart of the Free Software toolchain for the Atmel AVR microcontrollers. They are further accompanied by projects for in-system programming software (uisp, avrdude [formerly avrprog]), simulation (simulavr) and debugging (avr-gdb, AVaRICE).
--URL:http://www.gnu.org/software/binutils/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

UISP

UISP is a tool for AVR (and AT89S) microcontrollers which can interface to many hardware in-system programmers.UISP allows you to program your microcontroller through the parallel port of your computer. You can use any of the many wirings available.
--URL:http://www.nongnu.org/uisp/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

Simulavr

Simulavr is a simulator for the Atmel AVR family of 8-bit risc microcontrollers.
--URL:http://www.nongnu.org/simulavr/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

minicom

minicom is a communication program which somewhat resembles the shareware program TELIX but is free with source code and runs under most unices. Features include dialing directory with auto-redial, support for UUCP-style lock files on serial devices, a seperate script language interpreter, capture to file, multiple users with individual configurations, and more.
--How to install? apt-get install minicom
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

ucLinux

ucLinux is an OS for embedded system. It provides a very convienent configuration tool for compile the kernel specified for your processor. A lot of document also support it.
--URL:http://www.uclinux.org/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

ns-2 ?(Network Simulator)

ns-2 is a network simulator developed by ISI of USC.It can implement the simulation of many network protocols,even yourself defined protocol and algorithm.Using Tcl/Tk and c you can use ns-2 to do research indepently.NAM is also a useful module of ns2.It can provide you a GUI demo for you network.
--URL:http://www.isi.edu/nsnam/ns/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

Math Tools

Octave

Octave is a high level language for scientific calculation.Sometimes you can use it as a small calculator instead of writing C code.Some guys said the syntax of Octave is limiliar to MATLAB,but I haven't tested.I only use Octave for simple evaluation,without handle its build-in functions.
--URL:http://www.octave.org/
--How to install? apt-get install octave
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

scilab

I have never verified the similarity of syntax of Octave and MATLAB,but I am sure that the syntax of Scilab is very similar to MATLAB,only with little distinction.For example,in MATLAB we use "pi" while in scilab we use "%pi".Scilab also provides a file to convert MATLAB M file into sci file.It won't take you much time to migrate from MATLAB to Scilab.
--URL:http://www.scilab.org/
--How to install? apt-get install scilab
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

maxima

Maxima is a descendant of DOE Macsyma, which had its origins in the late 1960s at MIT. It is the only system based on that effort still publicly available and with an active user community, thanks to its open source nature. Macsyma was the first of a new breed of computer algebra systems, leading the way for programs such as Maple and Mathematica.You can use maxima as an alternative choice of Mathematica or Maple if you don't want to pay the fee and you love GNU.
--URL:http://maxima.sourceforge.net/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

matlab

I don't think I should introduce this software because guys majoring in EE and math are so familiar with this software.Well,it's a commercial software but it can run on Linux.You can also buy a student version in a lower price.
There are some tips about installtion of MATLAB in Linux.The process is a little verbose,you have to make the CD-ROM "writable" and move license file into a folder.I will mention detailed installtion intruction later.
--URL:http://www.mathworks.com/products/matlab
--GPL'ed? No
--Free? Yes

Mathematica

This software are also not need to be introduced.Installtion to Mathematica is much easier.You only need to follow the instructions of shell promption.Well,it's not free either.
--URL:http://www.wolfram.com/products/
--GPL'ed? No
--Free? Yes

Lindo/Lingo

Lindo/Lingo are Optimization Modeling Tools.But I haven't used them for quite a long time.Don't ask me usage about these two folks.There are free trial for Linux.You can download and use.When I use them,the limitation of free trial is limited number of variables.
--URL:http://www.lindo.com/cgi/frameset.cgi?leftdwnld.html;downloadf.html
--GPL'ed? No
--Free? Yes

R

R is a statistic software.One of my friend majoring in environmental science use R to analysis his data.And he told me its much better than Origin,which is a commercial one.All operation in R are based on command line,not like Origin.
--URL:http://www.r-project.org/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

GNUplot

This software is excellent.It's very small but versatile.You can plot many beatiful figures.Sometimes,I need to plot data from my self-defined data format.In this condition,I would like to use gnuplot.You can also compile gnuplot into your software.Most Linux distributions provides this software.
--URL:http://www.gnuplot.info/
--How to install? apt-get install gnuplot
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

Develpment Tools and other CS software

gcc

Every one who uses Linux must know this software.It is the foundmental of the entire Linux OS and softwares.Maybe you needn't to install it because it has been combined into your Linux distribution.
--URL:http://gcc.gnu.org/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

KDevelop

KDevelop is an IDE for KDE.You can use it as what you program in VC or Delphi.Try it and you will find developing GUI softwares in Linux are not so difficult.
--URL:http://www.kdevelop.org/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

Quanta Plus

Quanta is an HTML editor which provides both code view and WYSIWYG view.Its function is very similar to Dreamwaver.
--URL:http://quanta.kdewebdev.org/
--How to install? apt-get install quantas
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

Apache

Part of LAMP
--URL:http://www.mysql.com/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

PHP

Part of LAMP
--URL:http://www.php.net/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

MySQL

Part of LAMP
--URL:http://www.mysql.com/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

Typesetting and Word Processing

LaTeX

You should know what TeX is.I wrote all my papers in TeX.And almost all international journal provide their TeX styles.TeX is only a mark-up language which means you need a compiler to convert it into DVI and then to PS and PDF.Move Linux distribution provide tetex and bibtex.
--URL:http://www.tug.org/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

Kile

Kile means KDE Intergrated LaTeX Environment.It seems like an IDE.It's very easy to use and will accelirate your work in writing TeX code.
--URL:http://kile.sourceforge.net/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

TeXmacs

GNU TeXmacs is a free wysiwyw (what you see is what you want) editing platform with special features for scientists. The software aims to provide a unified and user friendly framework for editing structured documents with different types of content (text, graphics, mathematics, interactive content, etc.).
--URL:http://www.texmacs.org/index.php3
--How to install? apt-get install texmacs
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

LyX

LyX is an advanced open source document processor that encourages an approach to writing based on the structure of your documents, not their appearance. LyX lets you concentrate on writing, leaving details of visual layout to the software.The best advantage of Lyx is you can manage your BIBTex database file much easy.
--URL:http://www.lyx.org/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes

Open Office

Open Office is compatiable to many file format.If other guys give you a doc file,you can open it by OO.
--URL:http://www.openoffice.org/
--GPL'ed? Yes
--Free? Yes