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
- Record a video (like SimpleVideoRecorder does)
- Take a screenshot (there’s snip, but it isn’t very customizable)
- 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
- SimpleVideoRecorder
- 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!
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.
You can even use it as a virtual camera. I’ve had lots of fun with that one in meetings.
I used Game Bar to record my videos back in the day. But it’s just too basic.
For screenshots I recommend Greenshot. Simple to use and good annotation tools.
Interesting, I might keep that in the back of my mind as a backup for ShareX
@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 😅
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! :')
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.
For screenshots look at Greenshot.
There’s this: https://github.com/lextrack/Simple-Screen-Recorder
Disclaimer: I haven’t touched Windows in at least a decade.
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!
LibreOffice for replacing Microsoft Office
ODF for OOXML.
Linux is replacing Windows
LibreOffice works on Windows too.
For video recording I use OBS and for zip files I use 7-Zip
7zip doesn’t support the new win11 rightclick menu (yet), nanazip is a fork with full win11 support:
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 willYes 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
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
tweakui can fix this
tweaks like that can break after updates
That’s a perspective. I think 11 is broken that it does not show the expected context menu items that programs still put there, but it just ignores it.
I don’t care enough to tweak the registry for them, if there are more convenient solutions
If you set it once and export the reg key, it’s just a double click on the reg file for any future PCs.
- Windows has built in simple zip manager. If you need more, go with 7-zip as others suggested.
7-zip is amazing! thank you!
Check out scoop and chocolatey
And winget.
obs, flameshot/sharex, and 7-zip
exactly what I did
I have to use Windows
- Run a virtual machine
- Install your goto Linux distro
- Drink a cup of ☕ and pet a 😺 while it’s installing
- Happy hacking!
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).
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 ?
- OBS Studio, or even Xbox Game Bar (built-in, but might be disabled at your work PC)
- ShareX
- 7-Zip
Doesn’t the snipping tool also allow video capture now?
it does, but it’s pretty inconvenient. ShareX is better (which I installed after listening to the suggestions)
LibreCAD is shittier version of AutoCAD. Also, we don’t have anything like Inventor on Linux. But we do have Heroic Games Launcher for Epic Games Launcher.
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.
