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What is the Windows Equivalent of Popular Linux apps? (lemmy.ml)
submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by Subject6051@lemmy.ml to c/linux@lemmy.ml
37 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

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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[–] Sami@lemmy.zip 25 points 2 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] infeeeee@lemm.ee 7 points 2 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

[–] Corr@lemm.ee 3 points 2 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

[–] infeeeee@lemm.ee 1 points 2 months ago (2 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

[–] ReversalHatchery 4 points 2 months ago

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.

[–] Corr@lemm.ee 1 points 2 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

[–] bigrubbermonkey@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 months ago

tweakui can fix this

[–] Dirk@lemmy.ml 16 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 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.

[–] Outsider9042@aussie.zone 10 points 2 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] DieserTypMatthias@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 months ago

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

[–] sodalite@slrpnk.net 15 points 2 months ago (1 children)

LibreOffice for replacing Microsoft Office

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 months ago

ODF for OOXML.

[–] narc0tic_bird@lemm.ee 15 points 2 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
[–] lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network 14 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (5 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?

[–] infeeeee@lemm.ee 13 points 2 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

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

Yeah but those tools are very inferior. The GUI of 7z is much better for any task, it even adds right click shortcuts to common actions to your files. Same with greenshot. Haven't ever used the game bar's recorder so can't tell about that, but once you learn the very basics of OBS (which is the location of the record button) it's much more flexible, even without that flexibility being in the way.

[–] lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Everyone else is already giving those, so like I stated I wouldn't repeat them here.

I just added the information that there are also built-in tools for these, this information was missing from the comments.

[–] terminhell@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

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

[–] lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network 1 points 2 months ago

Added!

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] tmsbrdrs@lemm.ee 11 points 2 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.

[–] averyminya 10 points 2 months ago

ShareX and .7z

[–] SenXEk@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 months ago

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

https://flameshot.org/#download

[–] ian@feddit.uk 5 points 2 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.

[–] Petter1@lemm.ee 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] ReversalHatchery 3 points 2 months ago

It is also not complicated, contrary to how some like to frame it. Sure there's a bunch of buttons and panels, but you can ignore 90% of them, or even hide them.

[–] Mihies@programming.dev 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)
  1. Windows has built in simple zip manager. If you need more, go with 7-zip as others suggested.
[–] Subject6051@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 months ago

7-zip is amazing! thank you!

[–] MangoPenguin@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 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.

[–] ProgrammingSocks@pawb.social 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

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

[–] MangoPenguin@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 month ago

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

[–] DmMacniel@feddit.org 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] Subject6051@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 months ago

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

[–] DieserTypMatthias@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 months ago

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.

[–] xep@fedia.io 1 points 2 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.

[–] sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 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.

[–] Subject6051@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 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!

[–] Discover5164@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago

flameshot for screenshots