Fireworks Replacement for Linux

Having used Adobe Fireworks at school I got quite used to the simple interface and ease of use. However trying to run it under Linux isn't an easy venture, usually involving WINE and copying from an installed source. Plus there is the cost of buying the license to use it which is none to appealing for the home user, or even small business.

So the easy solution is to find software that works natively in Linux to replace it. Unfortunately I haven't found a single piece of software to do this yet. Although I have had good success using the combination of GIMP and Inkscape.


GIMP - Gnu Image Manipulation Program

GIMP is probably closer to Photoshop than it is Fireworks, but it does the job just fine. It's also cross platform so it works whether I'm using Linux or Windows. This is really nice because I can standardize on one tool which really helps with the learning process as I won't be switching back and forth  between programs.

It is primarily employed as an image retouching and editing tool. In addition to offering freeform drawing, GIMP can accomplish essential image workflow steps such as resizing, editing, and cropping photos, combining multiple images, and converting between different image formats. GIMP can also be used to create basic animated images in the GIF format. At present GIMP is entirely suitable for amateur or professional work with images intended for viewing on monitors and printing on inkjet printers; GIMP does not yet offer the CMYK separation and color management functionality which is essential for prepress work. -Wikipedia

Inkscape

Inkscape shares in many of the benefits I've found with GIMP. It's free, open-source, powerful, and works under Windows or Linux. It's more similar to Adobe Illustrator then it is Fireworks, but combined with GIMP I can do anything I would have done in Fireworks between these two programs. Albeit it takes a little longer as I haven't learned all of the shortcuts yet, but it's coming. 

Inkscape is a vector graphics editor application. It is distributed under a free software license, the GNU GPL. Its stated goal is to become a powerful graphics tool while being fully compliant with the XML, SVG, and CSS standards.
Inkscape is cross-platform and runs on Mac OS X (typically under X11, although the underlying GTK+ toolkit can be compiled to run natively under Quartz), Unix-like operating systems, and Microsoft Windows. Inkscape's implementation of SVG and CSS standards is incomplete. Most notably, it does not yet support animation, or SVG fonts, though base support for the creation of SVG fonts has been implemented as of version 0.47. Inkscape has multi-lingual support, particularly for complex scripts, something currently lacking in most commercial vector graphics applications. - Wikipedia

So if your looking for a free replacement for Adobe Photoshop, Fireworks, and Illustrator, these tools should help to get you well on your way.