<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta content="text/html;charset=us-ascii" http-equiv="Content-Type"> </head> <body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"> I don't think Ubuntu is at fault here in so much as your understanding is. Don't take that as a criticism, I'm just pointing out that I think your blame is miss placed, and we all have to learn a new system, it's not just inherited. Firstly I dsisagree, I have been using Ubuntu for over 2 years now and only rarely use Windows, and even then most of the time I just run XP on Virtualbox right on my Linux desktop. I am never going back. Having said that, the only thing it doesn't do well is games. But again, that's not entirely Ubuntu's fault as much as it is that the games developers either aren't willing to code for the Linux market or are locked into the Windows platform. MY solution is any game I can't run directly on Linux, either natively or via Wine (which I admit I really don't have much success with), then I reboot into Windows to play my games. But as I don't play them as often as I used to then that in itself is rare. But I'd like to address your specific problems. I don't use Skype but it was my understanding that it was installed by default. I have it installed on mine (9.04 - and working fine), and I didn't install it myself, so I can only assume it was installed by default. But you said you installed the proper version but then had dependency issues? I really can't work out why because you shouldn't need to deal with dependencies directly at all..... in 2 years I have never once had to manually deal with dependencies, and I have installed alot of apps!. Ubuntu takes care of it automatically. Just go to System>Administration>Synaptic Package Manager and as long as you have a working internet connection, just do a search for Skype, and when it comes up mark it for install and apply. If it does need dependencies it will tell you about them and have you "ok" them. It will then automatically download and install it, and when done you will find it under Applications>Internet (in the case of Skype). It quite literally is as easy as that. Nothing in Windows is that easy. While we're on it, most applications you'll ever want can be installed the same basic way. As for your issues with MP3s, are you sure you have installed MP3 support yet? Some people may not realise that Ubuntu cannot, for legal reasons, come pre-installed with the right codecs to play MP3s and commercial DVDs. However, getting this functionality is really very easy. I thought Rythmbox prompted to install them for you anyway, but there are built in instructions. Just go to System>Help and Support. Or alternatively if you just open Synaptic (see above), and do a search for "restricted extras", and then install the "ubuntu-restricted-extras" package I believe that installs everything you need for Rythmbox, or anything else, to play MP3s. For setting up DVD playing I recommend the steps in the Ubuntu Help as noted above. The crux of it is not to be disheartened and blame the operating system because you're not quite understanding the different way it does things. I'm sure I'd be pulling my hair out after 30 mins of playing with a Mac, but that's because I'm not used to the system and how it specifically works. Once I did I'm sure I'd love it.... at least, more than Windows. But I doubt it would ever top my Linux install, I absolutely love it! MP3s and Skype should have no trouble working universally in Ubuntu regardless the hardware (as long as the hardware is actually working). I hope some of this helps. Cheers. <blockquote cite="mid:mailman.54.1257595218.16678.ubuntu-au@lists.ubuntu.com" type="cite"> <pre wrap=""> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 03:13:46 -0800 (PST) From: Timmy <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:mullins.tim@gmail.com"><mullins.tim@gmail.com></a> Subject: Re: My experience with Ubuntu...not great To: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:ubuntu-au@lists.ubuntu.com">ubuntu-au@lists.ubuntu.com</a> Message-ID: <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:e152b2e5-0691-4f5a-a54c-16a1c5376d33@u25g2000prh.googlegroups.com"><e152b2e5-0691-4f5a-a54c-16a1c5376d33@u25g2000prh.googlegroups.com></a> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 try it on a different computer sounds like your hardware is incompatible On 4 Nov, 23:00, Microbe <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:xxxmicrobe...@gmail.com"><xxxmicrobe...@gmail.com></a> wrote: </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap="">Hey folks, I thought I would share my experience installing Ubuntu. ?As background, I am the guy friends, family and neighbours call when they have trouble with their Windows PC and am pretty good at it. ?I can also find my way around a Linux terminal OK. Having read about how good desktop Linux is nowadays I thought it was time to give it a go. The install of 9.10 was easy as you could want. ?The whole thing works well and boots and shuts down quick smart. I should add that the computer I was experimenting on is in my shed (don't ask!) so not much at stake. ?All i do is listen to music, Skype sometimes and look up something about my latest tinker project. Well, the first problem was listening to music. MP3s were associated with the movie player. ?I managed to sort that out easy enough but even when I pointed MP3s at Rhythmbox, no go...it can't play layer1 MP3s or something. ?Not a good start. OK, let's get Skype going. ?I downloaded the proper version only to have the install fail with the friendly message about a dependency needing dbus >= 4.3 I think it was. ?At this point I can imagine the average mug giving up and I wouldn't blame them, but I was determined. It took me a while to find dbus to download but I did it. ? Oh shucks, it depended on something or another XML. ?I grabbed that and guess what...on and on it went. ?It was just too hard. The long and short of it is that I never did get skype or music working and can only assume that the idea that Linux is ready as a windows replacement for the average punter is someone's fantasy. It is a shame really because there needs to be an alternative (apart from a Mac) but right now, this isn't it. This is not meant as a troll, I am genuinely disappointed and look forward to hearing from people about what you think...maybe even some solutions, but I fear it is going to be ongoing dramas every time I try to install something. Which reminds me, a couple of games I from the built in installer? Guess what.... Over to you, penguins. -- ubuntu-au mailing list <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:ubuntu...@lists.ubuntu.comhttps://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-au">ubuntu...@lists.ubuntu.comhttps://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-au</a> </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap=""> ------------------------------ </pre> </blockquote> </body> </html>