[Wolves] Ubuntu and MP3 support

[Adam Sweet]

--- Bobby Singh <bs_wm at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

> sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.8-plugins
> sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.8-lame
> sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.8-ffmpeg
> * sudo apt-get install w32codecs
> * sudo apt-get install libdivx4linux
> sudo apt-get install lame
> sudo apt-get install sox
> sudo apt-get install ffmpeg
> sudo apt-get install mjpegtools
> sudo apt-get install vorbis-tools
> gst-register-0.8
> 
> * With the new ubuntu 5.10 these 2 has problems, so
> using http://wiki.ubuntu.com/RestrictedFormats it
> can
> be solved, is this right for everyone else?

I believe MP3 support is or at least was provided by
gstreamer0.8-mad in Ubuntu. But if it isn't, the
answer will certainly be in the above link.

Most Video codecs (w32codecs) can be obtained from the
Marillat repositries and how to do this is also on the
Ubuntu Wiki somewhere (they recommend only downloading
the codecs from Marillat and then disabling the
repositry at the moment. Do Not do an update with
Marillat in your repositry list!)

> BUT; for the first time linux user i would recommond
> Fedora or maybe Mandrake.  Ubuntu is not fully 'out
> of
> box' you have to download everything and configure
> stuff.  

Bearing in mind that I'm not a new user any more and
so my point of view might not be from the right angle,
I do think Ubuntu is mostly configured out of the box,
it's only really codecs that you have to get yourself.
You certainly don't have to configure anything
yourself. As far as I am aware, you only get MP3
support out of the box these days if you're paying for
a boxed set as there is supposed to be a license fee
for the use of the codec. With Windows software, the
software company has normally paid for the licence (in
many cases thats Microsoft for various codecs used by
media Player and zip file support), with Linux box
sets you are paying for the packaging, manual and
license fees on any non-free software. I remember the
dismay when Red Hat pulled MP3 support from the
default installation.

This is normally the case unless the distro has thrown
caution to the wind. The idea to get around this
problem is to provide support for proprietary formats
that is easily get-able but not ship it with the
distribution, thereby indemnifying the distributor
against any claims of shipping software which is
supposed to be paid for, as the user has to actually
go and get it themselves.

It's a shitty state really as you actually have to
know why it doesn't work and then find out what to do
about it and many new Linux users won't do that. It's
part of a learning process that many ex-Windows users
don't realise they need to undertake. People get used
to paying to be spoon-fed, they don't realise that
with a bit of will power and a bit of google all
problems are solvable. In the same way however, I
would ratehr pay someone to fix my car than have to
work out how to fix it myself.

> For the newbie this could be tedious and may
> not know what to download.  (yes ok for intermediate
> users this may be an advantage). The new ubuntu
> should
> consider having all stuff ready for home user
> desktop
> use like other distros.

I can appreciate this feeling. The problem with this
is that you would have to pay for the software.
Conceivably it would be cheap as you would only have
to pay the cost of the various codec license fees, but
with a bit of googling you have no need to pay, but
thats where boxed sets or Google come in handy.

While I make no promises that I am correct on the
details above, I'm pretty sure that I'm on the right
track as I have been meaning to write an article on
common desktop proprietary formats (MP3, Flash,
Quicktime, Realplayer, Windows Media formats) for a
while for my blog.

At the end of the day, you pays your money and you
makes your choice. Either go the free way and DIY or
pay and you don't have to do anything. The problem is
knowing there is a choice to be made in the first
place.

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http://www.drinky.org.uk

http://blog.drinky.org.uk


		
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