The Pull of Ubuntu

[Ed Sutherland]

Less than 24 hours after wiping out Ubuntu Hoary and returning full-time 
to Windows XP, I hear the call of Open Source. I plan to return to 
Ubuntu but this time, I'd like to prepare for any post-MS misgivings. 
So, I have a few rather varied questions.

1. I want to do more than complain and wait on the sidelines until 
someone creates the app I desperately need -- or think I need. I'd like 
to work on the PR side of Linux, but also on the interface creating 
simple solutions to the most common problems. How do I start? Do I need 
to learn a scripting language?

2. I don't want to leave multimedia (in my case, playing audio CDs and 
MP3 files) behind simply because my dominant OS is now Linux. What are 
some concrete examples of bullet-proof apps for such tasks? What are the 
steps needed to enable MP3 playback on Ubuntu?

3. I spend most of my workday in Mozilla Thunderbird, but I can't stand 
the blocky bold serif typeface used to denote unread messages. No matter 
what I change (switching from Serif to Arial; using 96dpi fonts) the 
same blocky bold typeface is used in the Linux Mozilla Thunderbird. If I 
have access to the MS fonts and Thunderbird on Ubuntu is using the same 
font settings as Thunderbird in Windows, why does the application look 
so drastically different? Is there a solution?

Thanks, again.

Ed