Linux -kubuntu first impressions
 

I've been using windows since 3.11 and you could say I am very happy
with windows xp, i don't think I am bias towards it, its just that it
does everything i need and also has software that i have to use that
isnt available on *nix. I try *nix out every so often just to see how
it compares ocasionally, it seems to be getting very nice lately but
still seems to have some issues....

So I decided it was time to try linux again, I have tried Fedora a few
times but always found it quite buggy with various things going wrong
and that has put me off.

I decided this time to go for Kubuntu, I did a google for comparisons of
KDE and Gnome and KDE seemed to have the edge over Gnome on the pages I
read so went for Kubuntu over Ubuntu.

Anyway I was pleaantly surprised at how nice it was and it has
everything your average user would need. I am going to be setting up a
pc for my mother and this seems to have everything she would need out of
the box.

I did add Opera which was very easy to add and in my own opinion is
nicer than firefox.

Anyway, I decided to play a Xvid movie. oh dear.. It loaded up Kaffeine?
and then told me I didn't have the required plugins. Ok so the same
would happen on windows under a fresh install so no biggie.. yet..
Under Windows I would download the k-lite codec package which installs
every codec under the sun.

I had to google around and then found that certain linux distros dont
have support for various codecs in their xine package because of
copyright problems. I went to the xine website..

So now things start getting far more complex than should be necessary
and where your average user would give up and go back to windows..

I have to download the xine lib to get full support..
I then have to unarchive it..
I then have to read the INSTALL documentation
which requires compiling the libraries.. so I follow that through..
oh dead, no compilter installed on this distro. so then I have to get
gcc installed..

This is just far too much work isn't it, an average user would have no
change of watching a divx/xvid movie..

OR... have I missed a far easier way of doing things?
If I have please tell me because I would like to think there is an
easier way...

I also coudlnt find a way to change the screen resolution? I looked
under all the display settings and could find everything but this oh and
also colour depth, couldnt find that also.. maybe im just blind...

Apart from that i'm pretty impressed with Kubuntu

Re: Linux -kubuntu first impressions
 

In message <45300409$1@news.orcon.net.nz>, Zipper wrote:

> Anyway, I decided to play a Xvid movie. oh dear.. It loaded up Kaffeine?
> and then told me I didn't have the required plugins. Ok so the same
> would happen on windows under a fresh install so no biggie.. yet..
> Under Windows I would download the k-lite codec package which installs
> every codec under the sun.

Did you look for the EasyUbuntu installer?

Re: Linux -kubuntu first impressions
 

Zipper wrote:
<snip>
>
> Anyway, I decided to play a Xvid movie. oh dear.. It loaded up Kaffeine?
> and then told me I didn't have the required plugins. Ok so the same
> would happen on windows under a fresh install so no biggie.. yet..
> Under Windows I would download the k-lite codec package which installs
> every codec under the sun.
>

With Ubuntu you load all this stuff by running automatix

http://www.getautomatix.com/

The work has already been done for you.

Re: Linux -kubuntu first impressions
 

Earl Grey wrote:
> Zipper wrote:
> <snip>
>>
>> Anyway, I decided to play a Xvid movie. oh dear.. It loaded up
>> Kaffeine? and then told me I didn't have the required plugins. Ok so
>> the same would happen on windows under a fresh install so no biggie..
>> yet..
>> Under Windows I would download the k-lite codec package which installs
>> every codec under the sun.
>>
>
> With Ubuntu you load all this stuff by running automatix
>
> http://www.getautomatix.com/
>
> The work has already been done for you.

Yeah that is the way!, thanks for that.

If they included that in the distro the distro would be 100 times better
than it currently is.

Re: Linux -kubuntu first impressions
 

Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:
> In message <45300409$1@news.orcon.net.nz>, Zipper wrote:
>
>> Anyway, I decided to play a Xvid movie. oh dear.. It loaded up Kaffeine?
>> and then told me I didn't have the required plugins. Ok so the same
>> would happen on windows under a fresh install so no biggie.. yet..
>> Under Windows I would download the k-lite codec package which installs
>> every codec under the sun.
>
> Did you look for the EasyUbuntu installer?
>

I'll check that out.

thanks

Re: Linux -kubuntu first impressions
 

Zipper wrote:

> Earl Grey wrote:
>> Zipper wrote:
>> <snip>
>>>
>>> Anyway, I decided to play a Xvid movie. oh dear.. It loaded up
>>> Kaffeine? and then told me I didn't have the required plugins. Ok so
>>> the same would happen on windows under a fresh install so no biggie..
>>> yet..
>>> Under Windows I would download the k-lite codec package which installs
>>> every codec under the sun.
>>>
>>
>> With Ubuntu you load all this stuff by running automatix
>>
>> http://www.getautomatix.com/
>>
>> The work has already been done for you.
>
> Yeah that is the way!, thanks for that.
>
> If they included that in the distro the distro would be 100 times better
> than it currently is.


They cant, or wont, because of Patent Law on certain codecs

--
Fry: Michelle, I don't regret this, but I both rue and lament it.

blog: http://shanes.dyndns.org

Re: Linux -kubuntu first impressions
 

Zipper wrote:
> Earl Grey wrote:
>> Zipper wrote:
>> <snip>
>>>
>>> Anyway, I decided to play a Xvid movie. oh dear.. It loaded up
>>> Kaffeine? and then told me I didn't have the required plugins. Ok so
>>> the same would happen on windows under a fresh install so no biggie..
>>> yet..
>>> Under Windows I would download the k-lite codec package which
>>> installs every codec under the sun.
>>>
>>
>> With Ubuntu you load all this stuff by running automatix
>>
>> http://www.getautomatix.com/
>>
>> The work has already been done for you.
>
> Yeah that is the way!, thanks for that.
>
> If they included that in the distro the distro would be 100 times better
> than it currently is.
>

Then it wouldn't be free.

Re: Linux -kubuntu first impressions
 

In message <45301e00@clear.net.nz>, Earl Grey wrote:

> Zipper wrote:
>> Earl Grey wrote:
>>> Zipper wrote:
>>> <snip>
>>>>
>>>> Anyway, I decided to play a Xvid movie. oh dear.. It loaded up
>>>> Kaffeine? and then told me I didn't have the required plugins. Ok so
>>>> the same would happen on windows under a fresh install so no biggie..
>>>> yet..
>>>> Under Windows I would download the k-lite codec package which
>>>> installs every codec under the sun.
>>>>
>>>
>>> With Ubuntu you load all this stuff by running automatix
>>>
>>> http://www.getautomatix.com/
>>>
>>> The work has already been done for you.
>>
>> Yeah that is the way!, thanks for that.
>>
>> If they included that in the distro the distro would be 100 times better
>> than it currently is.
>>
>
> Then it wouldn't be free.

In either sense. It costs money for the licence fees, and they're done on a
royalty basis, so you have to keep track of how many copies you've
distributed, and pay a fee for each one. So you can no longer provide the
software free of charge, or free to distribute.

Re: Linux -kubuntu first impressions
 

Zipper wrote:
> Earl Grey wrote:
>> Zipper wrote:
>> <snip>
>>>
>>> Anyway, I decided to play a Xvid movie. oh dear.. It loaded up
>>> Kaffeine? and then told me I didn't have the required plugins. Ok so
>>> the same would happen on windows under a fresh install so no biggie..
>>> yet..
>>> Under Windows I would download the k-lite codec package which
>>> installs every codec under the sun.
>>>
>>
>> With Ubuntu you load all this stuff by running automatix
>>
>> http://www.getautomatix.com/
>>
>> The work has already been done for you.
>
> Yeah that is the way!, thanks for that.
>
> If they included that in the distro the distro would be 100 times better
> than it currently is.
>
They are included in the distribution, just not on the install disk.
http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Dapper#H...timedia_Codecs

Re: Linux -kubuntu first impressions
 

On Sat, 14 Oct 2006 10:17:32 +1300, Zipper wrote:

> OR... have I missed a far easier way of doing things?

Install the Distro OpenSuSE 10.0.

Uninstall Xine and Kaffeine - but not anything dependant on them.

Then go to http://packman.links2linux.org/

Locate both Xine and Kaffeine. Download them all the things that they
depend on.

Install them, and anything that those dependancies are themselves
dependant on.

Mission accomplished.

Packman is an excellent site for all sorts of multimedia stuff.


Ma Hogany

--
"The average user doesn't know what he wants. The average user wants
fries with that, if prompted."