Welcome

Is Linux really ready to be a viable alternative to Windows or OS X? I don't know, But I will attempt to find out.

I have been using Linux for a little over a year now and I have decided that it is time for me to see if I can really use it to meet all of my needs. I have installed nothing but Ubuntu 8.10 on my computer, and now I will see how long I can last without going back to Windows or OS X.

The aim of this Blog is simple, But before I will tell you what it aims to do, I will tell you what It does not aim to do:

This Blog does NOT aim to end the Windows, OS X, Linux debate, It will never end, ever.

This Blog does NOT aim to nessisarily persuade anyone to use linux.


What IS the aim of this blog?:

The aim of this blog IS to be honest. (i.e. if somthing in linux sucks or if Windows/OS X do somthing better, I wont beat around the bush. If Linux does somthing great It will recive its due praise.)

The aim of this blog IS to be somwhat entertaining. While at the same time recording my experiment of useing nothing but Ubuntu Linux on my computer, with an about average knowlege of how to use it.

The aim of this blog IS to help Linux "newbs" (new users) to make their first steps into using linux whether as their only operating system or along side Windows or OS X.

Some things I would like to point out:

Like I just stated, I would say that I have an about average knowlege of Linux (specificaly Ubuntu). So WHEN I get stuff wrong feel free to correct me.

I know Linux is a kernal. I know the operating system is called Gnu/linux. Gnu/linux is an ugly name for an OS. I will be refering to Gnu/Linux as just "Linux". Deal with it. My applogies to Richard Stallman.

I am not a great speller, I use spell check but it misses a lot of stuff.

I am not a linux fanboy. I use it, and I like it most of the time. Other times I realize how bad it sucks. I hate people who pretend like it is nearly perfect.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Unlocking the media. (Youtube, Mp3's and other fun stuff)

The First thing I usually do after I have installed Ubuntu and have all my hardware working right is install the Ubuntu-restricted extras. This will let you watch videos on sites like Youtube.com, Hulu.com, or Google Video. It will also let you play a lot of restricted media formats such as Mp3, Avi, Wmv and many others.

Taken from "https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats" :

"Ubuntu can play the most popular non-free media formats, including DVD, MP3, Quicktime, Windows Media, and more by following the instructions below. If this seems like unnecessary work, remember that Ubuntu is a distribution of free software and these packages are (at least arguably) affected by patents and license restrictions in some countries. Avoid formats suppressed by DRM (Digital Rights Management, or Digital Restrictions Management), as they are often unplayable.

See Ubuntu's Free Software Philosophy and the Free Formats page for a more comprehensive discussion of these issues.

  • Legal Notice Patent and copyright laws operate differently depending on which country you are in. Please obtain legal advice if you are unsure whether a particular patent or restriction applies to a media format you wish to use in your country.

Playing Restricted Formats

Follow these steps to play most common multimedia formats, including MP3, DVD, Flash, Quicktime, WMA and WMV, including both standalone files and content embedded in web pages.

Ubuntu 7.10, 8.04, and 8.10

Synaptic

  • Go to Applications → Add/Remove...

  • Set Show: to All available applications

  • Search for ubuntu-restricted-extras and install it. Note that there is also xubuntu-restricted-extras (for Xubuntu) and kubuntu-restricted-extras (for Kubuntu.)

Or open the Terminal, and execute the following command: 

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras "

NOTE: You should restart or computer when the process is complete.
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