Google released a version of Picasa for Linux, using a version of Wine modified by CodeWeaver.The page where you can download the software is http://picasa.google.com/linux (for the moment, the page gives a 404 error outside United States, but you can access it through a proxy).
Google said that Picasa should work on any Linux system with Intel 386-compatible processor, glibc 2.3 or greater, and a working X11 display system.
There is a group about Picasa on Linux and there is a link on Google Labs visible only for US.
Direct links: RPM | DEB | BIN.
This version of Picasa lacks CD Burning, export to TiVo, Hello instant messenger and has A LOT of limitations:
* no motion-compressing codec => huge movies
* no MP3 code => no sound in slideshows
* no video indexing
* weak browser and email integration
* the opening Picasa dialog has a spin loop and consumes a lot of CPU
hehhe i like the passion this site has about google ! :) :)
ReplyDelete(From my blog)
ReplyDeleteWill we get a Google Operating System?
I find three obvious barriers to (non-geek) adoption of Linux:
1) Too many people need to run (at least some) Windows-only applications.
2) Linux is not as user friendly as Windows, the geek requirement is too much.
3) Linux lacks ubiquitous driver support.
Enter some Google muscle.
1) Their implemenation of Picasa shows that Google are playing with WINE, an open source 'compatibility layer' allowing (some) Windows programs to run in Linux without a copy of Windows being installed.
2) Google are the geek-meisters of clean, usable interfaces.
3) Some Google-weight behind Linux could give enough impetus to the inclusion of Linux drivers for more peripherals. Remember the boost USB got when Apple (another minority player) made USB the standard interface for iMac?
Well who knows? I'd love to see a workable free OS for general consumer use; interent, multimedia, office.
Maybe the Picasa port is portentious proof of Google's OS aspirations? Or maybe it's just a couple of Google engineers using their twenty-percent time in geekland. We shall see...