Feb
21
How to Play Most Restricted Media Formats in Ubuntu
February 21, 2008 | By: UbuntuLinuxHelp | 3 Comments
Posted in Applications, How To
Ubuntu strives to make all software that meets the licensing terms in the Ubuntu License Policy available. However patent and copyright restrictions complicate free operating systems distributing software to support proprietary formats.
Ubuntu's commitment to only include completely free software by default means that proprietary media formats are not configured 'out of the box'.
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
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 and kubuntu-restricted-extras.
Or open the Terminal, and execute the following command:
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras
Ubuntu 7.04
- Click Applications → Add/Remove. In the top right, change the setting to All available applications. Then select Other in the left panel and then select the Ubuntu restricted extras package. Click OK.
- To play most DVDs you'll need the libdvdcss2 package. This package is available using Medibuntu. This is a third party package, and not supported by Canonical.
Note: If DVD playback fails, and you've never played any DVD before on your system, you may need the regionset package to initially set the drive's region.
- Some external codecs may be needed in order to play certain proprietary formats such as Apple Quicktime or RealVideo. These external codecs are available in the third-party repository of Medibuntu.
Ubuntu 6.06 and 6.10
Install the following packages to play most proprietary formats using the Totem and Rhythmbox applications, both of which are included in Ubuntu by default. Since the version of Totem that comes with Ubuntu does not yet play DVDs, the list below also includes packages for the GXine and Ogle players, which do.
- Ensure the relevant repositories are enabled. Click System → Administration → Synaptic Package Manager → Settings → Repositories and then click Add. Check the Community maintained (Universe) and Non-free (Multiverse) boxes, click Add. Close the Software Repository window, and click Reload in Synaptic Package Manager.
- Install the packages. While you could install packages individually using Synaptic, here is one case where any Ubuntu user can save a lot of time by using the command line. Quit out of Synaptic, then click Application → Accessories → Terminal and paste the following command:
sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.10-pitfdll gstreamer0.10-ffmpeg gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad-multiverse gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-multiverse gxine libxine-main1 libxine-extracodecs ogle ogle-gui
- To play most DVDs you'll need the libdvdcss2 package. This package is available using Medibuntu. This is a third party package, and not supported by Canonical.
Note: If DVD playback fails, and you've never played any DVD before on your system, you may need the regionset package to initially set the drives region.
- Some external codecs may be needed in order to play certain proprietary formats such as Apple Quicktime or RealVideo. These external codecs are available in the third-party repository of Medibuntu.
- Users of x86 systems may also install Adobe Flash Player.
Detailed Instructions and Troubleshooting
Audio
- Ripping CDs
- Converting your audio files and video to open formats
- Using the iTunes Music Store
- MP3
- Playing or ripping CDs to AAC (.m4a) files
DVD
Web
- Playing Flash
- Adobe Shockwave No native version.
Video
Other
The Ubuntu and Kubuntu Media Players
- Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Dapper Drake) comes with Totem (a movie player) and Rhythmbox (a music player)
- Kubuntu 6.06 LTS and Kubuntu 6.10 include Kaffeine (a multimedia player) and AmaroK (a music player)
These media players support free formats (Ogg Vorbis, Ogg Theora, and similar formats) 'out of the box'. However, they can also play most non-free media formats if you install the additional gstreamer (for Ubuntu only) or libxine1 (for Kubuntu only) packages listed above.
Feb
21
New Release of Ubuntu Will Be “Intrepid Ibex” 8.10 – October 2008
February 21, 2008 | By: UbuntuLinuxHelp | Leave a Comment
Posted in Editorials
Great news today!...
Direct from Mark Shuttleworth:
"With Hardy now past feature-freeze it's time to start to plan features that are being lined up for inclusion after Ubuntu 8.04 LTS is released in April.
And so I'd like to introduce you to the Intrepid Ibex, the release which is planned for October 2008, and which is likely to have the version number 8.10.
During the 8.10 cycle we will be venturing into interesting new territory, and we'll need the rugged adventurousness of a mountain goat to navigate tricky terrain. Our desktop offering will once again be a focal point as we re-engineer the user interaction model so that Ubuntu works as well on a high-end workstation as it does on a feisty little subnotebook. We'll also be reaching new peaks of performance - aiming to make the mobile desktop as productive as possible.
A particular focus for us will be pervasive internet access, the ability to tap into bandwidth whenever and wherever you happen to be. No longer will you need to be a tethered, domesticated animal - you'll be able to roam (and goats do roam!) the wild lands and access the web through a variety of wireless technologies. We want you to be able to move from the office, to the train, and home, staying connected all the way.
The Intrepid Ibex will take shape at our next Ubuntu Developer Summit, an open event to which members of the Ubuntu community, upstream communities, corporate developers and other distributions are all invited. That summit takes place in beautiful Prague, in the Czech Republic from 19th - 23rd May 2008. Together we will draw up detailed blueprints for Ubuntu 8.10. Please join us there to help define the Intrepid Ibex:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UDS-Intrepid
Ubuntu 8.10 will be our ninth release, and the fourth anniversary of the first release - 4.10. In those four years, Ubuntu has grown as a project, an ethos and a community. The Ubuntu community have worked to set the benchmark for open, inclusive, and collaborative development processes. We have open specifications, open governance structures and a willingness to empower everyone to make their unique contribution to the success of the project.
This has created an extraordinary diversity in participation; a depth of talent including packagers, programmers, translators, writers, testers, advocates, technical support, artists and many others. Those contributions come as much from the corporate world - Canonical and other companies that have embraced Ubuntu as a core of their offering - as from a huge number of individual professionals. It is this combination of expertise and perspectives that makes it such a pleasure for me to be part of this project, and I thank all of you for your continued passion, participation, and energy.
Hardy is our best development cycle yet, delivering on our promise of reliability and stability for the Heron. We must stay focused on that goal. To the extent that you have a brilliant idea for the future, you now have a peg to hang it on - the Intrepid Ibex. When the Hardy Heron has taken flight we will engage fully with the Ibex.
Give it horns!
Mark "
Grumpy Groundhog will be after the new Intrepid Ibex...
See the rest of the names (old and new) here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DevelopmentCodeNames
Feb
20
Ubuntu LAMP Server With Torrentflux In VMware
February 20, 2008 | By: UbuntuLinuxHelp | 4 Comments
Posted in Hands On, How To
This tutorial is meant for Linux newbies who want to try and build a Ubuntu Server box as a web server and torrent client. It is a step by step instruction on how to do this in VMWare on Windows XP to get the feel of it. I wrote this after, being a Linux newbie myself, a lot of trial-and-error and googling. Hope this helps you!
The virtual machine you create here isn't really meant to work as a server at home. Apache MySQL, PHP and Torrentflux are available for Windows as well, so that would work just the same.
I was playing with the idea of getting some old PC and installing an Ubuntu LAMP server. A stand-alone web server, separate from my desktop-machine. While this box would be on all the time it could, as well, download some torrents. But before really buying a new PC I wanted to see how it would turn out. To see if it is what I had in mind. That's why I made it in VMware and Read more
Feb
20
Why Ubuntu Linux Prevails?
February 20, 2008 | By: UbuntuLinuxHelp | Leave a Comment
Posted in Editorials
A survey by the Linux Foundation reveals that Ubuntu is the most popular linux distribution (55.5%) in year 2007. This finding is not very surprising and even quite obvious to predict.
Ubuntu started its initial released with Ubuntu 4.10 (Warty Warthog) back in October 20, 2004. It was quite a surprised and brave decision to make a one-disc-fits-all distribution that just works for office applications including drivers support and multimedia application such as mp3, video player, CD burner.
Ubuntu fills the spot of linux distribution that seems difficult to install and don’t support current applications to make the switch from Windows desktop to Linux. The battle was long started but seems that Linux keeps loosing it before the existence of Warty Warthog.
Ubuntu offers plethora of applications, just enough to provide what most desktop users need such as office and multimedia application. It reads and write documents from Microsoft office. Although not latest Microsoft Office version, as this gigantic proprietary software company keeps changing its format. It also has automated update with the ease similar like Windows operating system. No more geek commands on a dark dreaded terminal.
On current release, Ubuntu 7.10, even offer great graphics candy via Compiz that allows users to experience different user interface feel. Not so much of productivity, though, but it is fun. It can even imitate Apple mac desktop appearance and even does what mac can’t do. Wobbly windows, for example.
Well, if that’s not enough to get you started, you can always have the choice to install windows side-by-side with Ubuntu (called dual boot) or you can use free application (yes, It is FREE) called VMWARE to run windows within your Ubuntu.
Not only good softwares Ubuntu offers, the other reason that Ubuntu fills more market share in Linux desktop is that it offers free Ubuntu disc shipment to your front door. How good is that?
There are reasons why Ubuntu, within 3 years, can compete and be the best of Linux desktop distribution outperform Redhat and SuSE.
- Ubuntu ‘Just Works’. This is what Linux desktop developers have to look at to compete with current market. To make a distribution that “just works” as Ubuntu proclaims. Users don’t really care about the glory of terminal era or even license limitation. Yes, the spoon-feed users wants to have something that just-works for their computer and Ubuntu is filling the spot.
- Right Applications. Debian has 18733 packages available and bet has more applications than Ubuntu has. However, that’s not the issue. What Linux distribution need to come up with is the right tool for the right job. Desktop users just want to have office and multimedia aplications, and also easy system administration management.
- Free CD and Free Shipping. Lazy to download or just run out of download quota? (blame bit-torrent!). Just as Ubuntu to deliver it for you for free of charge. Who would have done this before?
- Impressive Desktop Effect. Poor Windows Vista that has been following what others operating system can do to users Desktop experience. Ubuntu has been doing this from version 6.10 a year ago!. Although not quite useful, it gives good impression to users that Linux can appears beauty and provoking.
- Support. Ubuntu frequently updates it version every 6 months and the upgrade is dead easy. Users can read the technical documentation, buy support, use the free online community support, or just use Technical Answer System (similar like Windows help).
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.
Feb
20
How to Display Linux VPS Memory Usage
February 20, 2008 | By: UbuntuLinuxHelp | 1 Comment
Posted in Editorials, How To
In my experience, the hardest thing to work around when using a VPS for hosting is limited memory. It's definitely a challenge to try and tune a database, web server, and application server for load under the constraints of a VPS plan (typically 512 MB or less of RAM). The best solution I came-up with was to use a baseline of about 70% of my guaranteed memory quota when the various servers started up, with 30% of my guaranteed memory free for high traffic situations. This seems to be working for me pretty well so far, especially considering that my memory usage can theoretically temporarily burst to 300% of my guaranteed memory quota.
However hosting in a VPS can present some challenges when trying to determine load and memory usage for your VPS. For instance, when using top, the memory statistics displayed represent the whole server and not your VPS. That said, I've only found one way to get an idea of what my memory usage is, how much I have reserved, and how much my VPS is allowed to burst to via command line is this script:
#!/bin/bash
bean=`cat /proc/user_beancounters`
guar=`echo "$bean" | grep vmguar | awk '{ print $4;}'`
burst=`echo "$bean" | grep privvm | awk '{ print $5;}'`
priv=`echo "$bean" | grep privvm | awk '{ print $2;}'`
let total=guar/256
let used=priv/256
let burst=burst/256
echo "VPS memory usage:"
echo "Used: $used MB"
echo "Total: $total MB"
echo "Burstable to: $burst MB"
As far as I know this should work under any Virtuozzo Linux based virtual private server.
