Andrew Hudson, whose recent article on BFS over at ARSTechnica intrigued us, shares with us some thoughts on the state of apps on Haiku. It turns out there are several repositories with a vast array of applications ready-to-go for your new Haiku install.

Where Are the Haiku Applications?

As more Haiku new-comers install the Alpha 1 or Alpha 2 versions we hear the same complaint, â€œI just installed Haiku, but there are no applications and there’s nothing to doâ€ Many Haiku users have the mistaken impression that few applications run on Haiku and then go away after having a bad out-of-box

experience. Haiku has literally thousands of BeOS applications to run, but we haven’t organized them in a way that makes them easily accessible. The Superior Haiku Applications Group sets out to change this.

A Better Experience With SHAG

Our #1 Goal is to increase the Haiku user experience. And so we created a list of the first and best apps you should download after installing Haiku. In the process we also looked at apps that we really wanted to run but couldn’t, and apps that don’t exist in Haiku yet but really should.

Promiscuous Testing Criteria

We looked far and wide for BeOS apps. We put out a call for people to list

their favorite BeOS apps. We also went through old BeOS literature, read old reviews, and emailed old developers. We were and still are looking for cool, fun, and useful BeOS applications. This list is still evolving. We know we missed some apps so please keep your recommendations coming. Or better yet, join our testing on Haikuware.

We searched through application download sites: bebits.com, haikufire.com, beemulated.net, darkwyrm downloads, zeta-games.com, haikuware.com, and did a lot of googling. Haikuware was chosen as the central repository because it has 2640+ applications to download. It also has a rating system, user forums, a built in email system, and a way to leave comments for each app.

We used promiscuous testing criteria: Install it on Alpha 2. Open it. Try a few operations. Report the results. We try as hard as we can to â€œrule inâ€ any app, and find work-arounds for simple problems. If it kind of or mostly runs, we added it to our list.

Different Levels of Haiku Compatibility

In the process of testing we found that BeOS applications fall into the following categories:

Runs on Haiku with little or no modification

Requires some work-around (e.g. needs BeOS compatibility

optional package)

optional package) Requires hybrid

GCC4libs

GCC4libs Requires an updated HaikuPorts lib

Requires development

work (e.g. doesn’t run yet)

How to Install an Application on Haiku

If you see an application you really want to run, how do you install it?

Open your WebPositive web browser

from the Applications menu

from the Applications menu Go to Haikuware.com

Download the application you want by clicking on Download

Launch the Expander by clicking on the Open button after

download completes

download completes Change the install path from /boot/home/Desktop to

/boot/apps

/boot/apps Click Expand

To run your new application â€“ right click on your file

system icon (upper left corner), then select the apps folder, then your

application’s folder. Some applications have an additional setup script or

setup instructions. Look for a README file.

If the application is downloaded as a .pkg file, open Terminal from the Applications menu and run PackageInstaller from the command line. Use the PackageInstaller to

complete the installation.

Some applications or libraries can be installed using the installoptionalpackage utility. Open Terminal and type installoptionalpackage â€“l to list packages or libraries

that are available to install or update

Applications That Run on Haiku Alpha 2 With No Extra Libraries

Games That Require SDL

GCC4 Libraries

Awesome Applications That Don’t Run Yet

Awesome Applications That Really Need to Be Ported to

Haiku

Enough can’t be said about GOBE Productive. It’s so good

that some people still run V2.02 on Haiku. GOBE Software is still in business and will consider working with the Haiku team to port V3 to Haiku. As far as I am concerned, GOBE Productive is the closest thing we have to a killer app for

Haiku.

Category Name Description Issue Amazing Office Suite GOBE Productive The most amazing BeOS office suite EVER Needs a Senior developer for a Haiku port USB scanner package Sanity USB package for scanners Needs libusb port for Haiku and

newer version of SANE lib Word processor AbiWord Popular word processor Needs

a new build

Applications That Come With Haiku Alpha 2

Don’t forget that Haiku Alpha 2 comes with more than two dozen applications pre-installed. Here are some of the cool apps to check out:

Name Description BePDF Views PDF files CDPlayer Plays audio CDs DeskCalc A basic calculator DiskUsage Shows your disk usage graphically installoptionalpackage Use â€“l to list packages you can install Mail A POP/IMAP mail client PackageInstaller Installs .pkg files (runs from

Terminal) People A personal contact manager Poor Man A simple web server MidiPlayer Plays MIDI files (doesn’t currently work) Pe The favorite code editor of Haiku developers Screenshot A screen capture utility SoundRecorder Records audio StyledEdit A basic word processor Terminal A command line window with BASH TV Interface to TV viewing cards Vision IRC client WebPositive Our awesome web browser WonderBrush A powerful image editor

This List Is Just A Start!

The list of applications that are tested on Haiku is just a start. We only tested about 65 applications. That leaves about 2475 applications that still need to be tested on Haikuware! Please take a little time and install an application or two and leave some feedback. Or pick an application that doesn’t work and help port it.

Special Thanks

Special thanks to Karl Van Dorff who has hosted haikuware.com for years and who personally retrieved and saved thousands

of classic BeOS applications for posterity. Also thanks to Pistooli, Streakx, MaxOS, DarkWyrm, and Michael V Oliveira for testing and porting.

About the Author

Andrew Hudson is a freelance technical project manager living in

Florida, USA. In his abundant spare time he analyzes technology

trends, listens to punk rock music, and watches Chinese kung fu

movies.