Finding and trying out hidden gems in Source forge
Tags: software, sourceforge, review, trying
Published: 2021-07-29 05:20:12

So Hwlo there!!! I am Cybear Tron and this is the first post in our series- "Tryin em out!!" Here we try different and sometimes weird things (mostly related to tech like os, programming languages, software, game engines, sites etc.).
In this article we will go through a plethora of hidden gems in sourceforge and maybe find something that we can use in our daily life :D Lets continue:
## What is SourceForge? So you may ask what the hell is this Source Forge you are talking about? So SourceForge is :

SourceForge is a web service that offers software consumers a centralized online location to control and manage open-source software projects and research business software.

Info: Wikipedia

So totally, Source forge is a place where developers upload and manage their open source software and also provide a free place to find people who will download your app. I myself use Sourceforge for hosting my little software (which is actually awful). It has got some downloads already (a wonder cuz its actually very bad).

Criteria on which I will find and consider stuff as gems:
The downloads this week is less than hundred, it won't matter to me how much downloads they have in total
I will not show any app that I can't actually use (Like A js or c++ library thingie)
I will not show any app that I need to compile. Like hey use an https server and install php and run it then.. I won't do it
I will actually show which apps caught my eye... I am sorry but there are thousands of stuff in the place I can't go over and see everything
I will show those whom I will actually USE
P.S. Please don't call me things for deciding whether things are gems or not in the comments.. I will show those which I personally find a gems and that I could actually run and things... Please I am a new blogger and English is not my native language, so please don't roast me... I will state the upsides and the downsides of the apps too!! I will also only choose 3 apps today!!

So I first went into the open source section of the site and now the adventure begins yay!!!

1ST APP: SLEEK:-
So I found this little app called Sleek. Its a todo app. I downloaded it... I didn't have much expectations from it....

WHEN I RAN IT!! I HAD TO EAT MY WORDS!!!!

The beautiful UI it presented me with!! I fell in love with it at first glance!! It had a dark mode too!

I Thought of writing a Hwlo World algorithm in it.

![image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/1xsnqttulr9w96tncnpp.png) 

The sheer beauty and simplicity!! Ok So this has received a new daily user now!! I will use this for writing algorithms for my tasks now!!! It really was sleek btw!!

Upsides:
It was damn beautiful
User Friendly UI
Actually easy to use and not hard to work with
Dark Mode POG!!
The Main downside was that I couldn't figure out how to make a new todo.. Thats what I didnt exactly like about it...
Link: Sleek

2ND APP: CyberFox Web browser:-
This was a web browser as you people had

Ok during the installer it asked me to import stuff like bookmarks from other browsers... But it only had the options of Chrome and Microsoft Internet explorer. I use Edge, So that was something the devs should pay attention to. Ok after the install 4 damn tabs were opened.

2 of which didn't actually load and showed an error:

![image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/0l6n09vh5gxxx85ftjct.png)
 

I mean it couldn't connect to its own site's server, that's sad... So I quickly closed the error-ed tabs and started seeing the loaded ones.

The 1st one was one that allowed me to set preferences up, That seemed nice.

![image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/o1dkbc4wnwxi4iop7uz3.png)
 
Allowing me to Set a menu style, Theme Style and a home style and then syncing....

After setting them up I am at a start menu that now looks like :

![image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/wvr27xaz6tgvxk5cwbqs.png)
 

I mean lets search some weird stuff right?

![image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/cnaak7h2hthtznm58cxn.png)
 
Oh yea I am there!! So whenever I use a web browser I need bitwarden!! Its my password manager actually!!!

Lemme try installing it.

![image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/jsphuruaydd3rmyzt8nc.png)
 
I was finding it but then found a dark mode, POG! Ah I couldnt find a way to install Bitwarden... Sad... I may use this for testing and all... Still nice actually!

Upsides:
Its actually a less ram hungry alternate to firefox and chrome
Its free and a little nice actually
It will serve well as an alternate browser for different things and actually testing some things like SEO and Looks of web builds
Downsides:
I couldn't install any extensions actually though it said I could
The UI was actually weird
I couldn't do most of the config I actually can in a browser like Changing the search engine, The default zoom height etc.
My review for it has ended we will move to the next app...

Link: Cyberfox Download

3RD APP: JLITE:-
This is a lightweight java ide that I found.. Those who don't know what an IDE is:

Its an Integrated Development Environment. In layman's terms it is a level up from code editors (Like Vscode and notepad++) and 2 levels up from text editors(Like Notepad) with autocomplete, full debugging support and all those juicy features a dev needs for large projects.. Example: Eclipse, Visual Studio etc.

So When I ran this JLite I had to first set up java sdk and then I was at this page:

![image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/hz5kprosl4lwgdiap49q.png)
 

Now I guess I gotta create a new project

![image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/kpd1b0ioxf2du6rqg4c8.png)
 
Done Lemme write a Hwlo World Program

![image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/i6mnhco4jo33b8p2obam.png)
 
Noice worked!!

Hmmm What about a normal gui with swing?

![image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/m455dyf9m12m2erdzcc3.png)
 
It works but the downside here is the lack of Keyboard shortcuts to get around easily... I am gonna use this as my main Java IDE from now btw (I use vscode for this and its not good for Java actually so yeah...)

Upsides:
It was easy to use
It looked nice
Easy setup
I enjoyed writing code in it
Downsides:
No Dark Mode (Sad Cybear Tron noises)
No actually too useful keybinds and no options to set some up
Link: JLite Download

SO THAT'S IT FOR TODAY! We will come back with more different stuff in the next blog!!
I actually learnt something...... How to make a software more attractive and more eye-catchy and actually user friendly!!
Till Then BYE!!
btw if u want to see my app that i mentioned check it out (its bad actually but u may try): my app