As far as I can tell, any given application in the Debian distribution is embedded in one of the *.deb files with any number of other applications. Is there a document available that tells which apps are contained in which *.deb packages? Further to this, to help the Linux newcomer (for which one of the biggest problems is sifting through the bewildering array of available applications, the functions of which are often duplicated in other, similar applications), is there a document available which gives a summary of the function, purpose and usage of the many and varied applications available for Linux? Surely it can't be the case that the only way to decide which apps are best for any one individual is for him to install and try them all, or (worse) to rely on Joe Bloggs in such-and-such a newsgroup who says "I use this package because it's great"? ie what we need is an informed qualitative assessment of what's available. Does such a thing exist anywhere?
Thanks to all who contribute to this list, which is proving priceless to me. Harry