How to I install the driver for my Linux media player?

Question

I am just starting to use Linux, and have successfully installed Ubuntu 8.04 (or so the start page in Firefox Browser says). I tried to open some of my videos in the media player, but it claimed that it didn't have the codecs. Off I went to find the codec package it demanded: "gstreamer-0.10.24.tar.gz."

For the past several weeks, I have been looking at this [*Bleep!*]ard package. It does nothing for my media player. It does nothing for my blood pressure. I have no idea whatsoever what I am supposed to do with this piece of [*Bleep!*]. HOW do you install these codecs? If it was Windows(R) now, I would just click on one silly little button, and everything would just go everywhere it was supposed to go- shrrrururuhh! like the diarrhea!
(Heh! Please come back, Mr. Gates- I was only kidding! We can be the friends again, yes?)

The "Help" files were not helpful.
I once saw a cartoon of a penguin sucking through a straw from a carton with the Windows(R) logo on it, crumpling it like a piece of rubbish. The caption said: "WE SUCK MORE- and that's guaranteed!"

I never got that until now.

Answer 1

Type in the following commands in order:



sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras



sudo wget --output-document=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/$(lsb_release -cs).list && sudo apt-get --quiet update && sudo apt-get --yes --quiet --allow-unauthenticated install medibuntu-keyring && sudo apt-get --quiet update



sudo apt-get install libdvdcss2



If you are using a 32 bit OS then type this:



sudo apt-get install w32codecs



If you are using a 64 bit OS then type this:



sudo apt-get install w64codecs



Also



sudo apt-get install mplayer



Although I recommend that you use openSUSE Linux, its much better than Ubuntu.



http://en.opensuse.org



Screenshots



http://en.opensuse.org/Screenshots/11.2

Answer 2

Go to the menus and find the one that says Synaptic, click on it, use your user password, type in the search box: codecs and press enter. It should list all files related to codecs. That version of Ubuntu should bring one up the says win32 codecs. Also type in the search box Ubuntu restricted and install that file. When you have click to install (mark) then click apply. It will install these files. Close synaptic and you should be able to play the video formats. Some of the files you may need is gstreamer good, bad and, ugly.



Synaptic is the package management program to install the files for your Linux. Downloading .tgz files require you to have a knowledge of console commands and how they work. Difficult for a new or beginning user. Best of Luck.

Answer 3

Linux doesn't work like windows because it isn't windows. You will have to learn to do things the linux way in order to get linux to work smoothly.

For installing software please read the first link. This is the ubuntu way to install software.

For the codecs needed to play multimedia see the second link. Those codecs are not free open source software and many linux users do not want to use any software that is proprietary. For those who want to use them there is an extra step.

To get the best use of ubuntu you should read the ubuntu documentation. See the third link.

Good luck

Answer 4

I just took a look at your post and the responses, and I sympathize with your frustration. I take it that you're learning that Linux isn't all that it's advertised to be, the greatest o/s since sliced bread? I use Netware, Windows, and Linux. Of the three, Linux is my least favorite. As you've found, something as easy as installing a driver is a major pain in the neck for Linux.



Sorry, but I don't have the answer, and since my level of frustration with Linux is about par with yours, I don't want to tackle this issue.

Answer 5

System > Administration > Software Sources



Make sure that you have "Community-maintained Open Sourced Software" and "Software restricted by copyright or legal issues" checked in your software sources.



****************



Applications > Add/Remove



Look for "Gstreamer"

Select them all and apply changes.