Installing Google Desktop

Filed in archive Utilities on October 19, 2007

Google just updated its Google Desktop for Linux a few days ago. The new version packs a few improvements over the old one such as support for new file types.

Google Desktop automatically indexes and allows you to search the full text of virtually all your files, including the following types: Gmail, Text files and source code, PDF and PS files, HTML files, Email from thunderbird, OpenOffice.org documents, Image and music files, Man pages and Info pages and Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

This new feature may be redundant in Gutsy Gibbon, with its integrated menu bar search facility but people may prefer the Google Desktop feature over the built-in one.

In addition, Google Desktop also features file versioning. "Google Desktop creates cached copies (snapshots) of your files and other items each time they have been changed, and stores these copies on your computer's hard drive. As a result, you can often use Desktop to find previous versions of your files or ones you've accidentally deleted." This comes in very handy specially to developers - it is lite-version of a CVS or Subversion. :)

So, install it and give it a whirl and let me know if you prefer it.