I run Debian GNU/Linux on my desktop and it is mostly Free Software. However, I do have a few packages that are not fully Free:
vrms -e
Non-free packages installed on nb
firmware-iwlwifi Binary firmware for Intel Wireless 3945, 4965 and 5000
google-desktop-linux Google Desktop: Personalize and organize your own comp
Contrib packages installed on nb
virtualbox-4.0 Oracle VM VirtualBox
2 non-free packages, 0.1% of 1733 installed packages.
1 contrib packages, 0.1% of 1733 installed packages.
I am phasing out VirtualBox because KVM works very well for me in tests and because I would rather not depend on Oracle. I need wireless to work sometimes. That explains the firmware blob. That leaves Google Desktop.
Google Desktop provides a bunch of features for the desktop but I use mainly one, search. I have a rather poor memory and am a terrible paper shuffler (that’s criminal for a teacher…). I cannot even remember where to file stuff, let alone how to find it again. For that, I use Google Desktop. In the browser, I push both Ctrl keys and get a search window which can find my files by filename, path, or contents. It’s fast. While it took hours to generate the index of everything I chose to index updating the index and searching is all transparent to the user. It seems to read my mind. I can generally throw downloads into a project folder but I will be damned if I can know with any certainty what folder/file goes where. I depend on Google’s Desktop to find stuff and from my usual client, Google’s Chrome browser.
I read and write a lot. This handy tool helps me keep it all together and to find stuff when I need it. Just as searching the web is Google’s forte, desktop search with this tool is great.
see Google Your Desktop for a good review of Google Desktop. It is not Free but it works very well. In combination with Google’s Chrome browser, you have a winning combination.
I also use ReColl and Swish-e for searching but Google Desktop is the smoothest. I use Swish-e for web applications and ReColl was what I used on the desktop before I discovered Google Desktop. They are all good products and 2/3 of them are Free Software. That matters.
I did try Strigi but it was buggy on squeeze last year (before release). Isn’t it great to have choices?
Have you tried KDE’s Akonadi and Strigi search tools?
Assuming you use kde of course…