LinuxAppFinder states its purpose is to catalogue useful GNU/Linux open source applications, and in so doing provide a resource for people to discover new apps.

At each point, LinuxAppFinder shows the five most viewed entries matching the current criteria, as well as the highest-rated matching apps. As you traverse into category and subcategory these become more specific.

Only registered members of the site (with a quick and free signup process) may rate software. The ratings yield interesting results, however. For instance, the second most-rated word processor – after, of course, OpenOffice – is LyX, undoubtedly a piece of software that is not widely known. LinuxAppFinder provides a detailed description of each package, and in this case, LyX is described as being an almost-WYSIWYG frontend for LaTeX. Given the tremendous typesetting power LaTeX offers, it is unsurprising that LyX is then claimed as delivering professional quality documents, usually with more speed and less effort than through a conventional word processor.

Each app listing follows the description with links to further launch your investigations. A list of related and complementary apps is given, then direct 32-bit and 64-bit download sites for Debian and RPM repositories. Additionally, an “Install now” link appears if one of the Debian repositories contains the specific app being viewed. If so, and you have both apturl and Synaptic installed on your computer, clicking the link will actually download and install the app in one step then and there. This only works under the Firefox and Konqueror browsers but is a very nice touch and makes trying new software an absolute doddle with just one click. This is described in more detail on the site admin’s blog.

As well as browsing, LinuxAppFinder provides a search box on each page and above each list of apps, although this is not very useful unless you already know the name of, part of a name, for a listed package.

All this makes LinuxAppFinder a tremendous site for finding highly usable but otherwise unknown software packages. For Windows switchers, the best is still yet to come. Click the Alternatives link for ten pages of commercial Windows’ programs and one or more recommended open source options as determined by registered site users. These vary from somewhat obscure such as Oleo, recommended as an alternative to VisiCalc, to ten suggested options for replacing Apple iTunes.

Finishing the site off nicely, LinuxAppFinder provides RSS feeds, a discussion forum and a facility to upload screenshots and write reviews of software described on site.