[Nottingham] What distro?

[Graham Greenwood]

HI all

Windows XP does include an MP3 decoder with Mediaplayer.  It doesn't no have 
a downloadable DVD decryption plugin included by default though it realies 
on third party
software Such as Cyberlinks Power DVD.

As for Java a run time is no longer bundled with Windows Xp due to legal 
action taken by Sun to project it intelillectual propert because Microsoft 
tried to destabalise the Java platform by modifying the runtime to such a 
degree than it was no longer OS independent.

Cheers
Graham Greenwood


>From: Dean Sas <dean at deansas.org>
>Reply-To: nottingham at mailman.lug.org.uk
>To: nottingham at mailman.lug.org.uk
>Subject: Re: [Nottingham] What distro?
>Date: Wed, 24 May 2006 18:09:31 +0100
>
>-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>Hash: SHA1
>
>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
>
>
>- --
>gnupg - 1024D/D729F676
>-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
>Version: GnuPG v1.4.2.2 (GNU/Linux)
>
>iD8DBQFEdJNKeedO8dcp9nYRAq5oAKCC8K5kuPpwMp1NqNP9G+a32YMMOwCfaARA
>b3Ya/Q/AnGHSesNX+X17Ggc=
>=fudg
>-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
>
>_______________________________________________
>Nottingham mailing list
>Nottingham at mailman.lug.org.uk
>https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/nottingham