News You Can Bruise for 2003 April 19

Sat Apr 19 2003 10:26 Software Roundup Roundup: People come up to me on the street and start to say something but before they can I say "Stop, person coming up to me on the street! How can we go on like this? You, asking me ludicrous and far-fetched questions. Me, using it as a segue into a News You Can Bruise entry. When will it end? Let's break the cycle. Instead of answering your question. I will tell you about some software directories I've found online."

Freshmeat is the one that everyone knows about, and the main source of my entries for Software Roundup. I have filters set up to show me new applications, and I clear out the list every couple of weeks. I'm not sure why other people don't do this; it's interesting and easy material for your weblog.
The Linux Game Tome provides supplemental material for Game Roundup.
The aforementioned FSF/UNESCO Free Software Directory is practically useless for Software Roundup purposes, but since AFAIK a third party has to deem a package "useful" to get it included, the average package is of higher quality than elsewhere.
Sweetcode updates very rarely, and if you check Freshmeat you can usually find the programs before they get to Sweetcode, but because every Sweetcode program is unique or innovative in some way, it's a great place to browse.
O'Reilly's Open Source Directory is the runner-up. It is aggravating (but not particularly difficult) to navigate for Software Roundup purposes, and it has few applications listed.

Any that I missed? (I'm deliberately excluding Windows software sites like download.com.com because 1) I am a snob, and 2) I prefer linking to Linux software because that's what I use.)

[Addendum: I update this weblog entry as I remeber or discover more application directories. Do not let this disturb you. Just think of it as a Wiki that only I can edit.]

Sat Apr 19 2003 11:32 Software Roundup: Speaking of which...

Scapy is a Python tool for packet manipulation.
drumpiler is a drum machine program with a little mini-language that includes functions. Sure beats writing a Perl script to generate Csound, like I did for Annoying Techno Music.
emo2html is a script that turns a file generated in Emacs outline mode into HTML. Actually, here's otl2html, which is in Python, which trumps Perl.
Wheel 'O Yum [sic] is an elaborate scheme to make it easier to decide at which nearby restaurant to eat, yet it merely solves the problem of negotiating between persons; individual people are still supposed to vote for their preference, and what if they can't decide? Argh!
Brainfucker, a compiler for brainfuck. Transforms to assembler, C++, or an executable, all in <3k.
Simple Blog System is written in PHP. It has a cool theme which I might ask to copy.
darcs is one of those experimental version control systems (written in Haskell!).
monotone is another experimental version control system which is probably the closest I'll ever get to "Napster As A Version Control System"; rather than keep the code in a central repository, everyone keeps their own copy of the code and decides from whom they'll accept patches.
Kodos, which was recently reviewed in LWN, is an interactive tool for defining regular expressions. Because Python uses basically the same regular expression syntax as everything else, it's not Python-specific, but unless you're into Python it's unlikely you'll put up with installing all the software on which Kodos depends.
TinyTools is a bunch of handy add-ons for Emacs.
Capon is another Python build system. Okay, Python is the best for build systems! It's the best for everything! You win! Torment me no more, spirit!
simplisite is one of those programs for generating a static HTML website with a consistent look and feel. I should start using something like this instead of the horrible Noodle-esque thing I currently use.

Sat Apr 19 2003 11:34 Game Roundup:

Zinc is an IF interpreter front-end (it does both TADS and Z-code) with network support, so that people can connect across the network to collaborate on a game.
There's a new Celestia, which now comes with a user's guide.
Langband is an Angband clone written in Lisp, which aims to contain existing and new Angband variants as plugins (what has happened to the good old technique of just cramming every single feature into the same game?). The Langband logo also demonstrates the debilitating effect on Roman discipline of imported Greek culture.