Picasa

Another Google piece of software that has been introduced for Linux. Unlike Google Earth which runs "native" on linux using opengl, Picasa uses Wine and Mozilla. Google says that this enabled them to quickly port the application. this might not please the purists but it still means that folk can use the software, which may not be a bad thing.

To get the software, follow the linux version now on Google labs links like so......

for those that might not be able to read the address bar, simply click on the picture to get taken to the page.

Doing so,you should see a page like this

I chose the rpm file download. Saving the file, then installing as normal with rpm on Mandriva.
Double click on the rpm file

give it the root password

job done!

Just to try it out after install, I launched it via a shell. After  trying it, I added it to my menu buttons to make it easier for myself. Notice from the shell, I haven't required to go into root to run it.

simply agree to get it to work.

Simple stuff, tell it where to scan. This may take a while if you have large image directories you wish catalogued. Either that or simply pick where you want it to scan.

After scanning, my version looks more like this.

simple click on any picture to bring it up for editing etc.

Picasa is one of those applications you either love or loathe. To be honest, it wouldn't have bothered me all that much if Google hadn't ported it across.
It's editing is basic, and its cataloguing is also pretty basic. I'm sure if I persevere with it, I'd grow into it, but I had already been using other programs on linux to do what I wanted.
It's yet another reason to show off that linux can also do some of the same software that windows has, but  I don't feel it is essential.
give it a go and see what you think yourselves, after all, linux is all about choice and Picasa helps extend that.