[Nottingham] What distro?

[Dean Sas]

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Michael Erskine wrote:
> On Tuesday 23 May 2006 19:07, Jim wrote:
>> My colleague at work is thinking about 'making the switch' :)
> <snip criteria/>
>> Recommendations, chaps?
> 
<snip>

> All the major distros meet your criteria _if_ you or you friend are willing to 
> update the system after initial install. You _DO_ want to make use of the 
> security updates that your distro provides don't you? So why not just install 
> the additional parts you need for MP3 support while you're at it? You want to 
> run NetBeans? Want a JDK/JRE? You won't find them on any 
> freely-redistributable distro (one that you can just hand to your friend 
> without breaking some law or other) -- you have to download install that 
> software yourself. Now that's not the fault of any of the distro producers: 
> that's the fault of the restrictive licensing of Sun. You may find this 
> software on a commercial distro but it will have been paid for either with 
> money or freedom. You can't just give a copy of a commercial distro to a 
> friend -- read the small print. Buyer beware!
> 

Java is in both Ubuntu (6.06s Multiverse) and Debian (non-free). MP3
support is also in Ubuntus Universe. Only wmv, quicktime and realplayer
aren't in the repos as far as I know.

> BTW: does Windows support MP3 out of the box? I thought WMP required an 
> additional download -- it certainly did in W2K but, I agree, that was ages 
> ago! Windows comes with a JRE but woe betide any poor fool who attempts to 
> use it! Are we comparing apples to apples here? My recommendation: choose ANY 
> reasonably popular distro, read the FAQs and make it work for YOU.
> 

I think it does have MP3 support. It needs a DVD plug-in but Microsoft
make that easy and tell you exactly what to do when you try to play a
DVD (iirc), compare that to Totems: "Cannot play file. File a bug." message.

I think Windows had to stop bundling a JRE too, not sure though.

dsas


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