Evangelism...

[nocturn]

I can't play dvd's or divx or realmedia straight off a clean XP install either, for the same reason. They don't ship with this stuff included either. You have to download or buy and install. So why should Linux be different?

Use what is free to use, or develop your own and make it available.

Fortunately, with Ubuntu, and Synaptic, it is quite easy to get everything working anyway!

Indeed, and even with WMP installed, it still pops up "Unknown codec, downloading codec, download failed" when you load a Xvid movie. Not very helpful either.

[Jenda]

None of these things can be done without violating patents, licenses or draconian laws like the DMCA (remember Sklyarov?) as far as I know.

I don't. What happenned?

isn't there a script that does most of that..........

Anyway. I preach Open Source and Linux anytime I get the chance (My extended family has learned NOT to ask what Linux is unless they want a 2 hour rant ) but I also say "Look, give me two hours. I will Set it up, install everything you need, anything you need at all." Now some like my sister are addicted to "name-brand software" (like AIM over GAIM, AOL ( ) over Firefox, etc) so there is no chance for them, but for most of the people who are pissed off about MS' bull****, they just need someone to sit down and show them, or do it for them. The Linux Community, although it is still very welcome, needs to become "less geek" becuase the current image of Linux (at least what I get) is that its still a very geek thing to do, as in that the average person doesn't need it (might be true). I mean, why not have a "Let us do it for you" option in the installer. Apt already gets OO.org and a lot of other packages, how hard would it be to run another script into the setup routine?

Well, there is my take on the situation. VIVA LA LINUX!!!

Although there is a script for it, I agree that it would be nice to have that sort of option in the installer. But if indeed even thatcould be controversial, God help us all...

[Leif]

Although there is a script for it, I agree that it would be nice to have that sort of option in the installer. But if indeed even thatcould be controversial, God help us all...

Yes, it would mean trouble. One thing is people on the web pointing to where to get this stuff, but having it officially endorsed by ubuntu wouldn't work.

[nocturn]

I don't. What happenned?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sklyarov

Basicly, he created an Adobe Ebook decrypter that could convert Ebooks to PDF, primarily to enable a text-to-speech engine to read them. This was assigned work by his employer, Elcomsoft, and 100% legal in Russia (where it was done).

When he visited a convention in the US, he was arrested by heavily armed agents (he was just there to speak at the convention).
He was charged with circumventing a copy protection device under the DMCA (which has no meaning in Russia).

This case marked a sad day for the computing community for many reasons. Primarily because someone was arrested for breaching the laws of another country by doing something in his own country and by taking on an individual programmer, while the work was commisioned by his employer (who stood by him every step of the way to his credit).

Since this case, many people from the online communities regard the US as unsafe territory.
It is also interesting to think that a German Ubuntu dev could be arrested when entering the US because he helped package the patented MP3 format for his employer.

[bored2k]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sklyarov

I was not aware of this. That is a really sad and pathethic story.. I'm not going to get into U.S. politics but that is just sad.

[nocturn]

I was not aware of this. That is a really sad and pathethic story.. I'm not going to get into U.S. politics but that is just sad.

It is very sad indeed.
And it makes a good point becauseAFAIK the patent on the MP3 format has no effect in Europe (meaning that it would be legal to distribute playback software here).

[Brunellus]

The point about everything needing to "just work" is well-made; unfortunately, as many other people have pointed out, civil and criminal liabilities make it impossible to implement some multimedia features "out of the box" in ubuntu.

Flash and Java are closed, yes, but available gratis. Where attracting new users away from MS is the goal, I find it ridiculously self-defeating that these things are not BLATANTLY OBVIOUS to install--maybe with a CLICK HERE FOR FLASH SUPPORT link.

I think the OP's coworker might have been much better served with Linspire. In fact, I think that, at least initially, distros like Xandros and Linspire will lead the linux desktop movement--at least until licences and patent restrictions on multimedia formats are loosened.

[LongTooth]

The fact that multimedia does not work right out of the box is the major reason people new to linux tend to shy away from it. More often than not, a newbie needs someone to look over their sholder when first starting out with Linux.

Like the previous poster said, there are some distros that for some reason or other, multimedia does work right from the begining. I can not figure why some distros can provide this in their distros and others can't. As an experienced Linux user, but by now means a guru, I find Ubuntu the easiest distro to work with. ie, adding multimedia codexs, Java, Flash, etc. But someone new to the scene might not think so. It's certainly eaiser to add these than many other distros I've worked with.

While Ubuntu is my main distro that doesn't stop me from playing with others. Some new to me and others I've tried in the passed. If for nothing else to see what they have to offer. Some leave me befuddled and dazed as to why they do things the way they do. Slackware need one to delve deep into it just to get the scroll wheel on a mouse to work. The scroll wheel! My god! Why is it needed to go that deep for something so basic? But it comes with Java and Flash is installed!

With other distros it all works. Frugleware is a distro I'd recommend to any newbie if the install was easier. Why? All the multimedia works. Java is there. So is Flash.

Enough of my ranting. Oh, one other thing, the Ubuntu community is a great one. No better.

[Zifnab]

Unfortunately, it would seem that ubuntuguide isn't always up to date though. I eventually found instructions for linking the JRE from sun.com as a plugin.

Not the first time I've found it to been out of date either ...

[Leif]

Unfortunately, it would seem that ubuntuguide isn't always up to date though. I eventually found instructions for linking the JRE from sun.com as a plugin.

Not the first time I've found it to been out of date either ...

You're right, it does fall behind at times, but you do realize that ubuntuguide is an effort made by one person, right ? If you feel like it, you could get in touch with the maintainer of the guide, or you could go to the ubuntu wiki and add it there.