Suggestions for Ubuntu Article

[Chanchao]

Hello Matthias,

Friday, June 10, 2005, 3:14:56 PM, you wrote:

MH> In the ubuntu documentation there are various references how to
MH> install mp3 players, DVD support, win codecs, etc.  It's just
MH> unpleasant (and inefficient!) to wade through it and spend time doing
MH> things by hand that should work automagically.

MH> I wonder if it would be possible to provide a script
MH> "install_restricted" that does the necessary stuff.  

MH> E.g. it would ask the user which application he wants and then make
MH> the necessary changes to apt/sources and call aptitude install or wget
MH> or something.  This would happen after installation and with an
MH> appropriate warning message printed.

Yes, I agree. It's VERY discouraging for new users to try things out
and find out they can't play music and can't watch video. I know it's
one of the first things I tried myself. Also the name of the page
"Restricted formats" is not exactly a phrase people are likely to
Google for, or rings a bell when that page pops up after Googling
"Ubuntu MP3 playback" or some such.

So I guess at the very least an explanation note should come up either
after installation and/or when running music or video players for the
first time.  (A "HEY PSSST!! want MP3? DVD?"-pop-up :)

Same for this whole universe/multiverse thing.. Users really don't
care: things are 'free' when stuff doesn't pop up a page to enter
credit card details. That's plenty free enough for most of us, and
these things just shouldn't be hidden like this.

And while I'm ranting anyway: Really nobody ever wrote a free driver
for Winmodems/Softmodems?? If I'm a laptop user and considering
running Ubuntu then I'd really really want my modem to work. Would you
believe every day when using Ubuntu I have it connected to an XP
laptop with Connection Sharing for a dialup connection enabled.. It
sucks lugging around two laptops just to use Ubuntu! :) (Ok I could
just go buy the driver, but the driver is MORE expensive than a
typical Winmodem costs. "That just ain't right!") Nobody ever ripped
that driver from Linuxant & Co?

Ok rant over. Breathe. Drink water. :)  I'll save the rant about the
glaring omission of a cute cartoony penguin-esque little mascot in
Ubuntu for later. :P

Cheers,
Chanchao