Free personalized software for linux

miPortal is a free personalized Mobile Information portal that can provide an array of useful information services on your handheld device such as a PDA or mobile Phone.
It offers a wide variety of information services for very diverse needs such as stock quotes to ATM locator, movie listings in the city to city weather, jokes, horoscopes, news update, you name it and you can have it.
You can create your own personalized bouquet of services from the ones available by subscribing to them. Once you create your portal you can access these services to get the information you need .miPortal saves your valuable pennies you would have otherwise spent searching for the same information browsing the internet on your mobile.
Content and service providers (most common example being horizontal portals which provide city specific information, etc) publish the interface for their service using open standards (WSDL) and the miPortal installs the service so that one can subscribe to the service from the client. To avail these services download and install the miPortal client on your mobile .
Enhancements:
- New information services have been added.
- A discussion forum has been added to the Web site.
- A bug reporting link has been added.
- This release has a version-aware midlet; old midlets will not work now.

Applications that collect data from RSS-compliant sites are called RSS readers or "aggregators" RSSOwl is such an application.
RSSOwl lets you gather, organize, update, and store information from any compliant source in a convenient, easy to use interface, save selected information in various formats for offline viewing and sharing, and much more.
Its easy to configure, available in many many languages and the best of all: Its platform-independent.
RSS ("Really Simple Syndication" or "Rich Site Summary") is a document specification that gives users the power to collect and organize Web-based news and information in a more efficient manner.
The owl is a traditional symbol of wisdom, and a quiet, efficient hunter. Youll find RSSOwls "big eyes" a big help when scanning the Webs vast array of RSS sources.
Main features:
- Import your favorite newsfeeds using the OPML format. Most newsreaders support the export of newsfeeds via OPML, making it very easy to switch to RSSOwl and have your bookmarked favorites inside RSSOwl.
- Bookmark your favorite newsfeeds in nested categories. Set properties like "auto-update-interval", "open on startup" or "reload on startup".
- RSSOwl helps you finding a suitable title for your favorites. Just click the "Grab title from newsfeed" button and RSSOwl will scan the newsfeed for the title and use it for the new favorite.
- Create collections of newsfeeds other may subscribe to. A subscription is a file that contains newsfeeds. Placing the subscription online will allow others to subscribe to that collection and have the same newsfeeds inside RSSOwl. The subscription is updated each time RSSOwl is starting.
- Switch on the internal browser to read news that contain HTML. Some newsfeeds use this kind of technique to include images and links.
- Select a newsfeed, a single news or an entire category of newsfeeds to export the content into one of the formats PDF, RTF or HTML. When exporting news into PDF, RSSOwl will create bookmarks showing the titles of all news. These are very helpfull when searching for a particular news inside the PDF document.
- RSSOwls internal panels are highly customizable. Choose between a 2-column and a 3-column layout. Hide and restore the tree containing all favorites and the quickview box. Maximize the tabfolder with a single click in order to view a website inside the internal browser with full size.
- A lot of search-options make RSSOwl a powerful application to search inside a newsfeed or an entire category. The boolean operators "and", "or" and "not" may be combined with the search-term. Common options to only match a whole word, regard case-sensitivity or to use regular expressions are allowed. Results are displayed in the tabfolder and each keyword is highlighted inside the newstext.
- AmphetaRate is a centralized ratings/recommendation service that provides personalized news and blog recommendations. Each news found in your subscribed feeds may be rated "Fantastic", "Good", "Moderate", "Bad" and "Very bad". Your recommendations are computed by Bayesian filtering and an algorithm finding people who share your taste.
- The integrated newsfeed-search engine allows to search for newsfeeds by keyword. Simply enter words like "News" or "Linux" and press the search button. Soon the engine will give out a list of newsfeeds. It is also possible to restrict the search to only match newsfeeds that have the same language that RSSOwl has set. Once the search has finished, import all of them into any category with a single click.
- Tired of copying and pasting newsfeeds out of a website into your newsreader? Simply enter the website containing links to newsfeeds into the feed-discovery and RSSOwl will show all the newsfeeds it has found. Import them into any category with a single click. Or enter the URL to an OPML file and gain access to its newsfeeds - its a breeze!
- The integrated feedvalidator allows to check the validity of a newsfeed. Any error or warning is shown inside the validator, together with the line-number. This feature makes the perfect tool for bloggers as theyre able to test their newsfeeds. RSSOwl provides support for RSS 0.91, 0.92 and 2.0 straight "out of the box".
- Access password protected newsfeeds. RSSOwl 1.0 is supporting the Base authentication which is the original and most compatible authentication scheme. But be prepared for RSSOwl 1.1 coming soon which will also support Digest and NTLM authentication that was introduced with HTTP 1.1.
- A small toolbar above the tree containing all favorites allowes to execute the commands "Reload All Favorites", "Aggregate All Favorites", "Search in all Favorites" and "Mark All Favorites Read". Believe us, its a handy feature. :-)
- Place RSSOwl into the system tray on minimization. As soon as RSSOwl is reloading a newsfeed and detects that new, unread news are available it will tell you so.
- RSSOwl is highly customizable. "Preferences" allow to change fonts, languages, colors, hotkeys and a lot more. Export settings into a file to import them into RSSOwl on a different computer. Switch fonts or make yourself comfortable with RSSOwl by choosing one of the 25 languages available - everything is just a few clicks away!

Alfalinux is a minidistribuition on two floppy disks much different from other similar products: that is no non-standard/reduced or remaked system parts, no bad overformatted floppy disks, no such things like other similar mini distributions.
Alfalinux is a STANDARD portable SLACKWARE (3.5 kernel 2.0.34) on two floppy disks, a real linux that loads himself in RAM. Youll find only standard applications (ex. bash or lynx)and a "clear" system, thinked to be easily personalized such as your home system.
The basic configuration to use Alfalinux should be a 486 with at least 8 mb of ram. Please notice that with less than 12mb probably you can load only the first base floppy, without additional and networking apps stored in the second. System and personalizations
The system is divided into two floppy disks. On the first you find files for Syslinux (the linux loader), a kernel and the compressed base filesystem initrd.gz.
At the startup file the kernel mount it as root filesystem. In the second floppy there is the gzipped tar archive netdata.tgz, that contains network programs, libncurses, key layouts and many other additional system parts (not needed for the correct usage of the system). The netdata script on the second floppy create the second ramdisk mounted on /usr/bin and unpack the netdata.tgz archive in the system.
To personalize you can modify the base filesystem initrd.gz, add your parts in the netdata archive or create your new archives. You also simply copy files on the second floppy disks and modifu the netdata script, to copy files on the floppy into the system (at the boot time).
As example, if we want to modify/create the scripts for internet connection we have to update
/etc/resolv.conf
/etc/ppp/options
/etc/ppp/pap / chap-secrets
/bin/connect
/bin/chatscript
Once we have prepared the updates scripts save them on the second disk and append at the netdata script a sequence to delete and replace the old scripts with new at the startup: noe you have a personalized system every time it loads at startup from floppy.
Please remember that Alfalinux dont mount local filesystems at startup (only the floppy disks, but you can insert it write-protected) so its an absolute secure system, because is loaded into RAM memory and dont need any installation procedure.
Installation
First of all, unpack the archive (tar xvfz filename), then
from msdos/OS2/windows (more info on rawrite):
rawrite alinuz1.img a:
rawrite alinuz2.img a:
from linux:
dd if=alinuz1.img of=/dev/fd0
dd if=alinuz2.img of=/dev/fd0
Enhancements:
- added vi ,cat, pwconv & unconv, several other parts
- modularized and optimized organization on the floppyes
- included commands to handle kernel modules
- a more compact/optimized/standard filesystem organization
- you can use Alfalinux -base- on machines with only 8 mb of RAM
- plugin system-parts support: you can create your own system modules and become active developer of alfalinux!

Pansophica is a Web search agent with unique neural net intelligence.
Pansophica organizes and personalizes Web sites and searches. And, Pansophica makes it easier, quicker, and more fun to find Web documents than ever before.
Experience powerful virtual reality visualization that slams you with relevant documents.
Get smarter with neural nets that learn, adapt and make your own personal view of the Web. Fly, zoom, twist, and conquer the Web.
Benefits:
Find what you need
- Eliminate dead materials
- Cluster according to topic
- See attributes like size and age
- Graze to terms and subjects of interest through a concept map
- Explore a document map that clusters according to topic
- Search by keywords and phrases
- Subset and rank according to relevancy
- Experience a visually rich and interactive interface
- Double-click to open documents in your browser
Get the whole picture
- Search engines cover only 10% of the Internet. Pansophica sees it all.
Save and re-use
- Revisit searches later
- Save and email searches to friends and associates
- Make powerful visual presentations of search results
Enhancements:
- Updates to work with the new Google page layout.

Kirocker Music Display is an Amaork script that makes your Kicker (the KDE main panel) rock with your music.
It is a Kicker applet that displays what you listen to in Amarok
You then always know what you are listening to, and watch its cover: it is always visible on your panel.
It allows you to rate your music with one click: you can quickly change the number of stars of your musics from anywhere on your desktop.
To install:
- Extract the archive
- Open a konsole in the extracted folder (in Konqueror, go to the extracted folder and press F4)
- Run this set of command: ./configure --prefix=$(kde-config --prefix) && make && sudo make install
- It will ask your root password to install the applet on your system
- Right click the Kicker, choose "Add an Applet to the Panel..." (once the panel is unlocked)
- Double-click "Kirocker Music Display"
- Start playing a music: the applet is empty when Amarok is stopped or paused, to not annoy you with useless information when you are working
Also included in the package: the Kicker right translucent white background.
How to make the kicker translucent:
- Your screen resolution need to be 1280*800. If not, you will need some artistic skills and a Gimp experience to modify the given background
- Extract the image "Kicker Right Translucent Background.png" located in the Kirocker Music Display archive
- Open your desktop background image with The Gimp
- Drag and drop "Kicker Right Translucent Background.png" to the Gimp window of your background image
- Save the image and set it as your desktop background image
- Right click the Kicker and choose "Configure the Panel..." (once the panel is unlocked)
- Place the panel on the right (click the button on the right)
- Set the size to "Personalized" and enter "96 pixels"
- In the "Appearance" tab, check "Enable transparency"
- Click "Ok" and youre done: ENJOY!
Enhancements:
- This release fixes an issue with big playlists where Kirocker Music Display would hang up, act badly, or not respond.
- It also solves a long-standing tedious crash.
- Kirocker Music Display should be rock solid now.

CoverViewer is a plugin for XMMS.
Its main task is to display images : it scans the directory containing the file you are playing, and displays them in its window.
It can be a copy of the cover of the album, but why not putting some photos of penguins, so you can have a nice and relaxing slideshow while listening your favourite music...
Main features:
- It creates a personalised skin using the xmms-skin, so your display still looks the way you like it.
- You have buttons (play, pause, etc...) So if you want to minimize xmms and just keep coverviewer, you have all control on the song! There is also a right-click menu to control things.
- You dont have covers, dont want to scan? No problem! Using file information (tags) to get artist and album, CoverViewer can retrieve covers for you from internet... All automatic! (function easilly configurable)

PHPlist is a mailing list and newsletter manager that allows posting via a Web page. PHPlist works well when used for announcements, and can handle very large email address lists. Users can sign up to multiple lists, but will only receive a single copy of cross-posted messages.
When signing up, users can identify their geographical location, and messages can be targetted to these. You can add place holders in your email that will be replaced with personal details (such as the persons name).
Users can update their own information, and unlike many other mailing list systems, they can change their email address. HTML emails are supported.
Main features:
- Posting to the mailinglist is via a webpage. It is therefore a one-way announcements system, directed from you to your audience.
- It is designed to be able to deal with a very large amount of email addresses. If a sending fails halfway, the next process for sending simply continues where it left off, without duplicating emails to users.
- Users can sign up to multiple lists. If a message is sent to multiple lists, they will only receive one copy of the email and not as many as the number of lists they are subscribed to.
- Templates. It is very easy to adapt the public pages of the system to fit into your website. You can upload a header and a footer of all pages to make the pages fit your requirements.
- Attributes. You can specify information you want to get from users when they sign up. When sending a message, you can use this information to select the users that need to receive the message. For example you can add geographical information. When people sign up, they can identify the geographical location theyre in and when sending an email you can determine which locations need to receive the message.
- Multiple subscribe pages. You can design your own subscribe pages and you can have different pages allowing users to sign up to a selection of your lists and only enter a selection of your pre-defined attributes.
- Personalisation. You can use the attributes you define in the emails you send, to make every email personal to the user who receives them.
- PHPlist supports HTML emails. If a user indicates they want HTML email they can receive it that way. If unknown the system has a bias to send text emails to users.
- Multiple List managers. One Super user can assign lists to multiple list managers, who can control their own pool of users and lists. The Super user can "prepare" messages that can be chosen by list managers to send to any of the lists they control.
- Easy import and export. Use TAB delimited files to import your existing list of users or to export the users on the PHPlist system for use in your in-house database.
- Personal Details. Every email a user receives will contain a personalised URL to update the users preferences. This way your users can update their own information and your database is always up-to-date. Unlike most other mailinglist managers users can change their email address when updating their personal details. This is a major benefit to both you and your users as many people often change their email address, and this feature makes sure that they dont disappear from your view.
- Attachments. You can add attachments to your message. They will be included in the HTML emails. The users who receive text will get a special URL mentioned in their email telling them where to download the attachment from your website.
- Batch Processing. To facilitate shared hosting environments, you can specify the maximum number of emails to send in a time period you identify. This can also be overridden by ISPs who can set these values server wide to apply to any PHPlist installation on that machine.
- ISP Friendly. Apart from the limit on values for batch processing that the ISP can enforce, there is an additional option for ISPs to suspend sending during busy times in the day.
- Embargoed sending. You can create a message and tell the system to only start sending it at a certain date and time in the future.
- Repetition. A message can be repeated automatically. Currently this is only useful when the message has "filesystem attachments", because they are refreshed at time of sending.
- User management. You can use several in built tools to handle large databases of users. Users can be reminded to confirm their subscription and invalid emails will be found automatically, or fixed whenever needed.
- Bounce handling. Bounces can be processed and users will be automatically unsubscribed when too many emails to them bounced. This can be corrected by the administrator in case the unsubscription was incorrect.
- Automated PDF creation. To ensure users can read the message regardless of mail reader, the message can be automatically converted to PDF and attached to the email.
- RSS feeds. PHPlist can be set up to read a range of RSS sources and send the contents on a regular basis to users. The user can identify how often they want to receive the feeds. For more information about RSS click here
- Easy install. Just copy the files to your website folder, tell the login details of the SQL database and its done.
Enhancements:
- Click tracking has been improved a bit.
- phplist can now also pre-calculate the (bandwidth) size of a mailout.
- Several other smaller issues were addressed.