linux world (or penguin) long ago as an approach that was less experienced users, making distribution easier to install and operate. Perhaps one of the most striking and effective aspects of these efforts are the Live-CD (or Live DVD) of the different distributions. The images of discs, downloadable free from the internet, once burned to a CD or DVD can boot any computer operating system usually contain without having to uninstall or partition internal hard drives. So are a great way to test before use.
Moreover, Linux Live CD usually contain a complete collection of office applications, multimedia, databases, etc. that meet the needs of most users. In addition, automatically detect the computer's hardware, and if this is not strange, they are able to configure the video, the internet, or printers and peripherals. It really is something amazing.
Linux, in my view, has many advantages and only two drawbacks. Advantages: free, virus-free, safer, runs faster, requires less powerful computers, and other than certain that the pro Linux users would be responsible for reciting. Drawbacks: First, although systems are becoming more friendly, Linux users always end up compiling something or modifying a configuration file for hair that something works. And of course, need to know to do so. Secondly, the subject of applications. Most software packages in widespread use have their equivalent in Linux, that does not detract in no paid software, but there is always an application which has not its equivalent free project, although the latter can be overcome by using an emulator windows, like wine, it works really well. Posts
and on what is linux and a live CD, let's what we want. Archaean is neither more nor less than a Live DVD based on Kubuntu specially prepared for archaeologists.
other words, downloaded the image, the roast on a DVD, put it in the DVD's, start the computer and we see a desk with lots of useful applications for archaeological practice. Let's take a look, because he deserves it.
The desktop that appears to Arche is KDE, which will be familiar to Windows users. Within the K menu (start menu equivalent) applications of this distribution are classified by general tasks (multimedia, productivity, etc) but there is a specific entry for archeology, with subfolders classified by CAD, photogrammetry, database, gis, gps ... Almost there are applications to carry out any archaeological work, both conventionally and so advanced. Cad
As QCad Community Edition integrates with which you can do everything that we normally do with Cad archaeologists. And this is one of the strengths of distribution: a CAD-fledged, comprehensive and free. For other common tasks we have OpenOffice, Inkscape, Gimp, etc. Within the distribution
also include some applications to perform more complex tasks. It amazes me two sets of applications: from photogrammetry and LaserScan. The first group consists of different packages, with varying degrees of difficulty that can be used to obtain 3D models from these photogrammetric techniques. And the second group gives access to many other applications to manage 3D Scanners, it seems that little by little they spread in our environment.
Finally, mention that includes more than enough group of GIS applications: Grass, uDig, SAGA, QGis i OpenJump. Archaean
has two other strengths. The first is the capacity installed in your computer's hard drive, partition if necessary. The truth is nothing new, since it is a common option among the Live CD GNU / Linux. But there it is.
The second is much more important and have much, but much depth. And is that Arche is in itself a subproject of OpArc (Open Archaeology), which aims to implement the philosophy of FOSS (Free Open Source Software ) to archeology. Thus, it comes to sharing software, knowledge, ideas (research) and data. Each of the 4 subprojects OpArc is extremely interesting, but the most impact for us in this post is to Digital Archaeological Documentation. This is an effort to draft and deliver to the community (especially archaeologists) tutorials on how to use the programs contained in Arche specific tasks. The tutorials are presented in English, German and Italian, with uneven development as language. If I may colloquial terms say that there is much material stuck in there, so it should be read slowly, taste, learn and integrate into our arsenal of techniques. So I do it myself.
To be totally objective, however, would three shortcomings in the project. First, the limitation of language, especially for those (increasingly less) who do not read any of the three languages \u200b\u200bof the project. But it would be nice to climb up a English university in the car and provide at least the translations.
The second is a specific lack of Archean, but a more general: the absence of a registration system excavation data more or less standard, open source. It is this aspect that is really true that "everyone has his little book" and that the ballot was generally solved by providing a database manager with ability to manage forms. But I understand we need a method of registration for excavation that is fairly consensual. And if possible with associated software, the better. And the third aspect
actually relates to the last. And is that arche not include a specific program to create diagrams Harris. Inkscape or Openoffice certainly lend themselves quite well to the topic, but include such Day in distribution would be a good option. Although we must accept that the options for generating diagrams Harris are few. Take a look for example at the adventures Arqubun tried to generate diagrams in linux: I , II and III . Arche is
work Arc-Team, a company based archeology Cles (Italy), which is to be congratulated warmly.
