I’ve just reinstalled Ubuntu. I messed up my x64 install and with all the problems I encountered by using a x64 operating system I decided to swap back to a nice x86 installation. I chose to install a development build of Gutsy.
I’ve had to spend a great deal of time installing libraries you’d think would be installed by default, such as various codecs, DVD libraries and even libraries which are called build-essential for C development. You’d have thought an essential library would be packaged with Ubuntu because even though it’s fairly easy to grab off the repos it’s still an inconvenience… especially to a C and Linux n00b such as myself.
As for DVDs, it’s a massive inconvenience. I understand that DVD and proprietary codecs such as MP3 aren’t provided in order to keep the ‘free’ spirit of Ubuntu but whilst one can pretty much download music codecs through one click in Totem when they try to play a MP3, finding the correct DVD library is much harder. There isn’t just a nice button you can click… which would be really useful!
Even if Ubuntu can’t legally include things such as a DVD decoder, it would be great if it was easily installable. I guess one solution would be installing the unofficial Ubuntu Ultimate which comes with more essential packages (such as VLC) than standard Ubuntu.
You have to understand why Linux is infamous for its complexity!
Since when did windows ship with a DVD decoder, or offer to download one for you when you insert a DVD. I don’t know about vista, but I know 98, ME, 2000 and XP were all horribly complicated when it came to DVDs. There are a million posts on windows forums asking how you get it to play DVDs and almost all of them say buy xyz.
The Ubuntu method involves copying and pasting a single command in to the terminal. It really isn’t that difficult. Yes it could be easier, but given the age of ubuntu compared to windows… give them some time. In the few years that Ubuntu has been out, there has been massively more development than between any windows releases.
Here is a list of DVD Decoders that you can install on Windows to have movie playback in Media Player: http://www.burnworld.com/software/dvd-decoder/dvd-decoder-software.htm
As far as I am concerned, I think there is truth to both statements. In general, when you buy DVD hardware ( and this might change ) there is some DVD playback software included that is easy to install under Windows and best of all usually a stripped working free version. (At least this is my experience) LINUX, I very well understand is mostly free ware and is in fact available free of charge. Keep this in mind! However, for those that just switched or run LINUX for a relative short time, and here it comes aren’t programmer, it is a time consuming learning curve and for some impossible to get your purchased DVD Movie running under LINUX. I too have no clue as to what library is doing what and with what player they work! On the other hand I believe that LINUX will become more and more popular and hopefully blow the stuff from Redmond out of the water. With increasing popularity it is only a matter of time. I had an Eye on Linux for over 20 Years and can not deny the fact that this operating system has come a long way. I just switched to Ubuntu a Year ago, because I was fed up with extreme high maintenance requirements for the other one whilst running a system 24/7. It is impossible to have decent results with the expensive Redmond garbage.
Cheers and thank you Linux Community!