Is this typical ?

[Matt Wolfgang]

It appears to me that the root of your issue is no Internet connection.
Most of the issues you are having would be easily resolved if you had access
to the software repositories.  Dependencies are installed automatically when
you use Synaptic or apt-get from the command line to install software. If
you are building applications from source, you'll find that you rarely have
to do this if you have internet access.  (Since Ubuntu is the most popular
desktop distro most popular applications have debian packages, which are
simple to install in Ubuntu.)

Unfortunately, because of licensing and copyright laws the version of Ubuntu
intended for US users is missing a lot of "basics" - like an mp3 codec and
Flash.  There is a very simple solution to this problem--install the package
ubuntu-restricted-extras.  That package installs everything it takes to
resolve your music issue.  This would be very simple if you had Internet
access.

It's unfortunate that you're having issues with your USB device.  This is
not typical, most people have very little trouble getting connected to the
web.  Unfortunately, one of the side effects of FOSS is that bugs are only
corrected when someone decides to tackle them, and bugs with hardware that
is less common are less likely to be addressed in a timely manner than bugs
with more common hardware.  It's just the nature of the beast.

If I were you I would focus on getting my Internet working.  I am sure that
if you had Internet access your Ubuntu experience would be much more
enjoyable.

Good luck and don't give up,
Matt

On Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 11:44 PM, Jeffrey Landgrebe
<mountainhome3 at yahoo.com>wrote:

> A few days ago, I posted a request for help with my USB internet device.
> The responses I received were great, and Pat Hickel sent me an email giving
> me detailed instructions for a workaround.
>
> I don't have my connection working yet, but I think that is because I
> rushed into Linux without studying up on it first.  This is the first time I
> have ever done that with computer hardware, software or OS.
>
> To make things less of a grind, I took a break from reading Ubuntu and
> Linux documentation, and trying to learn the meaning of my internet
> connection workaround, and I tried to use Rhythmbox to play an mp3 file.
> I quickly learned I needed to download some stuff before that would
> happen.  Because I don't have an internet connection yet in 9.10, I rebooted
> to MSWindows, and downloaded the appropriate stuff.  Long story short,
> Rhythmbox still won't play an mp3.  Reboot to MSWindows, look for more
> documentation, and I find material in the Ubuntu on-line documentation that
> shows other people are having the same problem.  I follow all the suggested
> solutions, but to no avail.
>
> So, I get the bright idea to simply download a different player.  I figured
> that this would be a simple task that would be a learning experience and a
> confidence-booster.  Audacious sounded good, so I pulled it and all the
> stuff it needs from the Ubuntu site.  Reboot to Ubuntu, install all the
> stuff (the "dependencies", kind of like "DLL hell" in windows), and then it
> comes down to Audacious and the necessary plugins.  Here's the funny part
> --- each needs the other, and each says the other is wrong.
>
> I then read up on the tinkering that can be done to get Synaptic to work
> with packages that I have downloaded.  I read it, understood it, but simply
> didn't have the proper attitude to continue.
>
> Is all this typical of Linux and Ubuntu today, or have I just become a
> grouchy old man ?
>
> Somewhere in the mid-to-late 1990s, I bought a Redhat package off the
> shelf.  It did not like the machine I had, and I honestly did not have a lot
> of time to devote to it.
>
> I thought it would be a fun now in retirement to learn Linux and benefit
> from leaving Microsoft behind.
> This stopped resembling fun several hours ago.
>
> Again, is this a typical newbie experience in Linux today ?
>
> Jeff
> mountainhome3 at yahoo.com
>
>
>
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>


-- 
Matt Wolfgang
matt at wolfgangs.org
(469) 248-6382
(214) 282-0531
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