RestrictedFormats

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= RestrictedFormats =

'''In Portuguese''' - [RestrictedFormatsPT]
--------------------------------------------


Note, this page is intended for Ubuntu Hoary users. Warty users may be able to follow these instructions, but some packages may not work (in particular the ones from hoary-extras won't work).

== Disclaimer ==

Packages distributed in unofficial repositories are not supported by Ubuntu or Debian. Please don't file bugs caused by the use of third party packages. Thanks.

== Purpose ==

This article describes how to add support to a Ubuntu system for (1) non-Free multimedia formats and (2) Java programs. It includes information on installing required packages for the following media formats: Macromedia Flash, MP3, AAC, WMA, DVD, Divx/Xvid, MPEG-4, and Realmedia (Realplayer). Information on Windows Codecs for additional proprietary formats is also included.

PLEASE READ SECTIONS 1, 2, and 3 regardless of what you are looking for.

Section 1 describes why non-Free formats are not included in the Ubuntu installation, Section 2 describes which software repositories need to be added to the Synaptic Package Manager so that you can install the formats yourself, and Section 3 explains how to change sound settings to fix a common issue w/third party plugins on Ubuntu.

== Contents: ==

 1. Overview
 1. How to add Repositories
 1. Sound and third party software
 1. Java
 1. Macromedia Flash
 1. MP3
 1. AAC and iTunes Music Store
 1. DVD
 1. !DivX / !XviD, WMA, and miscellaneous proprietary formats
 1. Real Player

== 1. Overview ==

As noted in the [http://www.ubuntulinux.org/support/documentation/faq/helpcenterfaq.2004-09-15.6357540221 Ubuntu FAQ], support for some popular formats is not included in the Ubuntu distribution because there are legal restrictions on their distribution or usage. While we make no effort to restrict the choice of users to use such formats, we prefer to support Free software and Free formats. This page is intended as a central resource for information about dealing with non-Free formats and tools - including reasons for non-inclusion, alternative formats or implementations, and, as a last resort, information on using non-Free formats and tools.

== 2. How to add Repositories ==

Some of the following fixes involve adding repositories. For this reason instructions for adding repositories are here. Instructions on how to add these repositories can be found in the AddingRepositoriesHowto: http://www.ubuntulinux.org/wiki/AddingRepositoriesHowto/

=== 2.1 UNIVERSE/MULTIVERSE ===

To add these sources using Synaptic, click the Settings-Repositories menu item. You should then see a list of package sources in use on your system. If you see a source called Ubuntu 5.04 "Hoary Hedgehog", select that one and click the Edit button. Then, on the "Sections" line, there will be a list of repositories. Finally, add the names of the sources (universe and/or multiverse - but possibly including main/restricted if you haven't added these yet) you want to the end of this line and press OK.

If you don't see a source called Ubuntu 5.04 "Hoary Hedgehog", click the Add button. Select Ubuntu 5.04 "Hoary Hedgehog" from the drop-down list, check the repositories you want (universe and/or multiverse - but possibly including main/restricted if you haven't added these yet), and press OK. You should now be set to use Universe and/or Multiverse - just update your package lists by clicking "Reload" in Synaptic and the packages from the sources you selected will be available to install.

=== 2.2 HOARY-EXTRAS: ===

Not supported by Canonical Ltd. or Ubuntu!!!

To use some multimedia codecs/plugins, you will need to use the Hoary-extras repository.
To use this, in the Synaptic repositories dialog box, click Add and then Custom. In the dialog box, type in the following APT line:

{{{
   deb http://backports.ubuntuforums.org/backports hoary-extras main universe multiverse restricted
}}}

Click OK and you should be good to go - just reload the package list.

Please note that whenever you install packages from this source, an authentication warning
may appear. This just means that the packages are not signed, and can be safely disregarded
if you are installing packages from this particular source.

== 3. Sound and third party software ==

Ubuntu uses a program called esd to allow multiple applications to access the sound card at one time.
However, many third party applications not in Ubuntu main aren't designed to use esd to access the card.
On some sound cards, this causes these applications to not produce sound. To work around this problem,
esd must be configured to release the sound card when it is not using it. To do this, edit /etc/esound/esd.conf and change the line that begins with spawn_options to begin with default_options. Finally, change the -as 5 to -as 2.

{{{[esd]
auto_spawn=0
spawn_wait_ms=100
default_options= -terminate -nobeeps -as 2}}}

You will need to restart the sound server, whether from gnome preferences, or by
logging out and back in. You should then be able to change System -> Preferences ->
Multimedia System Selector, set Default Sink and Source to Alsa (or OSS), and then successfully use the test buttons. Other GNOME applications which depend on being able to access the native audio devices include GnomeMeeting.

Note: this problem only occurs on the Ubuntu Hoary release and newer. Kubuntu is not affected as it uses KDE Arts, although the default timeout for the sound server in KDE may be set rather long, can someone confirm?

== 4. Java ==

Although the Java API itself is open, the only certified Linux implementations of Java with wide compatibility are derived from Sun's implementation. All of these implementations carry non-Free licensing terms.

The [http://www.kaffe.org Kaffe] project and the [http://www.gnu.org/software/classpath/ GNU Classpath] project are working on Free implementations of Java, but they are not yet comparable to the Sun-based implementations in performance, completeness, or compatibility.

There are detailed instructions for installing Sun's [Java] available. Daniel Robitaille has instructions on installing [IBM Java] on Ubuntu x86.

== 5. Macromedia Flash ==

There is a free player for this ([http://gplflash.sourceforge.net GPLFlash]), however it does not support many modern Flash applications. Macromedia has a player that supports up-to-date Flash applications, but it is considered "non-free" and as such is not included in the main Ubuntu archive. However, it can be installed from multiverse (see below for details), or by visiting the official [http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash Macromedia Flash Player for Linux] page and following their simple instructions.

Install (from MULTIVERSE) the following package:

   flashplugin-nonfree

This will install Flash and the plugins needed to view it in Firefox and Mozilla.


== 6. MP3 and Windows Media Audio ==

=== 6.1 MP3 Playback: ===

MP3 is patent-encumbered, for both encoding and decoding, these patents are being actively enforced.

[http://www.xiph.org/ogg/vorbis/ Ogg Vorbis] is a flexible and Free lossy audio codec with a proven track record. This format is now supported by some DVD players and some portable music players (usb keys, mp3 players).

However, you can still play your MP3s in Ubuntu with rhythmbox, amaroK, XMMS and others.

RhythmBox is installed by default on Ubuntu (in the Applications menu, Sound & Video -> Music Player). It's a music player similar to Windows Media Player, with iPod support and a music library system.

To play MP3s with Rhythmbox or amaroK, you must install the {{{gstreamer0.8-mad}}} package. This package is in the universe repository (see section 2 above).

To install XMMS (a media player very similar to Winamp), you must install the {{{xmms}}} package. XMMS will play MP3s without needing the gstreamer0.8-mad package. Note : you must choose the eSound output plugin in the options of XMMS (XMMS freezes if you use ALSA). There is also the beep-media-player package (in the universe repository - see section 2 above), a version of XMMS with a more modern interface.

=== 6.2 MP3 Encoding: ===

=== 6.2.1 Sound Juicer ===

To encode MP3s, you can use Sound Juicer (installed by default) which uses gstreamer and the LAME mp3 encoder. The following should also work with other programs that use gstreamer:

First, install the {{{gstreamer0.8-lame}}} package (available in the HOARY-EXTRAS repository). Create a new profile in {{{gnome-audio-profiles-properties}}}. Edit this profile and set Gstreamerpipeline to {{{audio/x-raw-int,rate=44100,channels=2 ! lame name=enc}}}. Optionally, you can add bitrate=<some bitrate> to the end of this line if you want a specific (constant) bitrate other than the default of 128. Finally, set File Extension to mp3, click the Active checkbox and then OK.

Before the first use of Sound Juicer, launch the command {{{gst-register-0.8}}}. Now, you should be able to rip MP3s.

=== 6.2.1.1 Creating a new profile ===

To have a look on all settings available for mp3 you can use Gstreamer Pipeline Editor or simply run {{{gst-inspect-0.8 lame}}} in terminal.

After installing gstreamer pipline editor, run it from the programming menu. From the Utility Palette window select Codec->Encoder->Audio->lame and look at all the properties you can select in the Properties window (you may need to enable it from the View menu item if it is not visible).

Executing gst-inspect-0.8 in your terminal, all lame-options are listed with an short description and available values.

With your optionlist on hand, you can now launch the command {{{gnome-audio-profiles-properties}}} and create a new profile. Enter any options as listed in Gstreamer Pipeline Editor or gst-inspect-0.8 into the pipeline key of your profile as shown below:

{{{Profilename: New MP3 Profile
Description: As You like
Gstreamerpipeline: audio/x-raw-int,rate=44100,channels=2 ! lame name=enc OPTION_1=VALUE_1 ...
Fileext: mp3}}}

For example you could create this profile with VBR-New using default quality:
{{{Profilename: VBR-New-Profile with default quality
Description: As You like
Gstreamerpipeline: audio/x-raw-int,rate=44100,channels=2 ! lame name=enc vbr=4 vbr-quality=5
Fileext: mp3}}}

Remember to run gst-register-0.8 before running Sound Juicer to get the created/changed profile!

(According to will_rat, http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-957.html , 03-04-2005, 04:41 AM
and alexp, http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=22010&page=3, 04-11-2005, 11:55 AM)

=== 6.2.2 Goobox ===

Alternatively, you can install goobox (in the universe repository) along with gstreamer0.8-lame. Goobox requires no manual configuration to rip MP3s on Ubuntu once gstreamer0.8-lame is installed, and it will allow you to easily choose the audio quality to rip to through its graphical user interface.

=== 6.2.3 Other ===

For other programs (non GStreamer), you need to install the "lame" package (MULTIVERSE repository). For example, grip (gnome cd ripping program) and kaudiocreator (KDE cd ripping program) work fine with just the "lame" package. Just set your ripper to use LAME and you should be ready to go.

=== 6.2.4 Ripping speedup ===

After stopping autoplay on CD insertion the ripping speed may increase. Also could an decreasing speed occur after playing the CD.

(According to timeoff, http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=30888&page=2, 05-09-2005, 01:45 AM)

== 7. AAC and iTunes Music Store ==

=== 7.1 AAC Decoding ===

The default audio format used by Apple's iTunes and iPod is AAC. This is a variant of the MPEG
standard, and as such has patent issues. However, you can listen to AAC files in rhythmbox or amaroK by installing gstreamer0.8-faad (from HOARY-EXTRAS). You will need this for listening to any AAC file, including those bought from the iTunes Music Store (see below for more info on using the music store on Linux). Warning, songs purchased from the iTunes music store (.m4p) are encyrpted, and will not just play using gstreamer0.8-faad. You will need to decrypt them first.

=== 7.2 AAC Encoding: ===

FAAC can be used to encode AACs, although this is somewhat experimental compared to MP3 encoding at this point.. For encoding programs which use gstreamer, there is a gstreamer plugin called gstreamer0.8-faac (install from HOARY-EXTRAS). However, this currently is problematic, and does not produce usable AAC files, though this may change in the future.

For other programs, you may be able to utilize FAAC directly to encode to AACs - just install the "faac" package. You can make iPod-compatible AACs this way, but this requires some additional configuration in your CD ripping utility.

=== 7.3 iTunes Music Store ===

Apple's iTunes Music Store sells music online with a large selection of artists. Songs are in 128K AAC format, and cost varies by country. Apple only has Mac and Windows clients, but it also can be used on Linux. There are two different methods by which this can be done.

First of all, you can use CodeWeavers CrossOver Office (available at http://www.codeweavers.com) to install the Windows version of iTunes on Ubuntu. This will allow you to buy iTunes songs on Linux and listen to them. However, the main caveats of this approach is that 1) it costs money 2) it is not a fully Linux-native solution.

As an alternative to using CrossOver, there is a new, Free program called PyMusique which allows basic usage of the iTunes Music Store on Linux. This works better than using iTunes on CrossOver, but PyMusique has less features than the official iTunes client at this point and may be in violation of the iTunes Music Store terms of service. To use this on Ubuntu, first install gstreamer0.8-faad (from HOARY-EXTRAS) and libmcrypt4 (from UNIVERSE). Then, go to http://fuware.nanocrew.net/pymusique/ or a mirror (google "pymusique 0.4" for mirrors) and download the pymusique, python2.4-mcrypt, python2.4-vlc, and python2.4-mp4ff packages. Finally, install all the packages you downloaded from the above website. You can now launch PyMusique from the Applications-Internet menu, and purchase songs (although you may have to restart your system for this to work). 		||<tablestyle="float:right; font-size: 0.9em; width:40%; background:#F1F1ED; margin: 0 0 1em 1em;" style="padding:0.5em;">'''Contents'''[[BR]][[TableOfContents]]||
= Disclaimer and Legal Notice =

attachment:IconsPage/IconDialog-Warning1.png Patent and licensing restrictions on media formats can complicate a free operating system's ability to distribute software that will support those formats. Ubuntu actively supports the FreeFormats. This page will walk you through getting support for the most popular non-free media formats.

Some of the packages listed here may be illegal in your country. This page is not legal advice.

= Before You Start =
  * You must have '''administration privileges''' to install packages. RootSudo explains how Ubuntu provides the necessary privileges.

  * Nearly all the applications and packages mentioned on this page are found in the '''Universe''' and '''Multiverse''' repositories. See AddingRepositoriesHowto for instructions on enabling the Universe and Multiverse repositories.

  * Some additional packages are found in repositories not controlled by Ubuntu. Please do not file bugs about these specific packages.

= Media Players =
== The Ubuntu Media Players ==
  Ubuntu comes with ''Totem'' (a movie player) and ''Rhythmbox'' (a music player); Kubuntu includes ''Kaffeine'' and ''Amarok''. These applications play free formats (Ogg Vorbis, Ogg Theora, and the like) 'out of the box'. However, they can also play most non-free media formats if you install some additional packages.

=== MP3s ===
  [:AddingRepositoriesHowto: Enable the multiverse and universe repositories] and install the proper package. Use your favorite package manager or type in a terminal:

  '''Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger)'''
  {{{
sudo aptitude install gstreamer0.8-mad
}}}
attachment:IconsPage/IconNote.png '''''KDE/Kubuntu users:''' Your specific configuration may require you to install the {{{akode-mpeg}}} package to enable mp3 playback.''

  '''Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake)'''
  {{{
sudo aptitude install gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly
}}}
attachment:IconsPage/IconNote.png '''''KDE/Kubuntu users''' you will need to install the package {{{libxine-extracodecs}}} for mp3 support.''

  If your portable music player does not support FreeFormats, the page [:CDRipping] explains how to convert your CDs to MP3 and AAC.

=== Other Non-Free Formats ===

  [:AddingRepositoriesHowto: Enable the universe and multiverse repositories] and install the necessary packages with your favorite package manager. Alternatively, you could type in a terminal:

  '''Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger)'''
  {{{
sudo aptitude install gstreamer0.8-plugins gstreamer0.8-plugins-multiverse gstreamer0.8-ffmpeg
}}}
attachment:IconsPage/IconHint2.png ''Note: This is a single command. Don't write in multiple lines.''

  '''Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake)'''
  {{{
sudo aptitude install gstreamer0.10-ffmpeg gstreamer0.10-gl gstreamer0.10-plugins-base gstreamer0.10-plugins-good gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-multiverse libxine-extracodecs ffmpeg lame faad sox mjpegtools libxine-main1
}}}
attachment:IconsPage/IconHint2.png ''Note: This is a single command. Don't write in multiple lines.''

== Alternative Media Players ==
  Currently, the best support for most non-free video media (that is, media encoded as MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, QuickTime and others) is provided by ''Totem-Xine'', ''MPlayer'', and ''Xine''. Playing WMV or RealVideo requires a package that Ubuntu is unable to distribute (See [#w32codecs Windows Codecs] below for installation instructions).

  ''Totem-Xine'' is recommended for most users since ''MPlayer'' and ''Xine'' can be complicated to configure and use. If you would like to try these media players, [:AddingRepositoriesHowto: enable the universe and multiverse repositories] and type the following in a terminal:

'''Ubuntu 5.10 and earlier'''
  {{{sudo aptitude install totem-xine xine-ui
}}}

  For instructions on installing ''Mplayer'', see MplayerInstallHowto

'''Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake)'''
  {{{sudo aptitude install totem-xine xine-ui mplayer
}}}

[[Anchor(w32codecs)]]
== Windows Codecs ==

=== i386 ===
   Support for WMV, RealMedia and other formats has been bundled into the ''w32codecs'' package. Since this package is not supported by Ubuntu, you will need to install it from an unoffical repository. Simply type in a terminal:

  {{{
wget -c ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat/pool/main/w/w32codecs/w32codecs_20050412-0.4_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i w32codecs_20050412-0.4_i386.deb
}}}

attachment:IconsPage/IconDialog-Warning1.png '' WMV files encoded with DRM (Digital Rights Management) are not playable by the codecs.''

attachment:IconsPage/IconHint2.png '' If you are experiencing choppy audio when playing WMV files, try [http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=136306&postcount=2 this] fix.''

=== AMD64 ===
  The [#w32codecs Windows Codecs] cannot be used directly by the AMD64 distribution. Some people solve this problem by installing the i386 Ubuntu distribution inside a ''chroot'' (for example, [:VServer:Linux Vserver] or [http://packages.ubuntu.com/breezy/admin/dchroot dchroot]), and this works very well.

=== PowerPC ===
  The PowerPC distribution cannot use the [#w32codecs Windows Codecs].


== Playing Streaming Video from the Internet ==

  There are a variety of plugins that allow you to play streaming video in your browser. The recommended plugin is ''totem-xine-firefox-plugin'', which is available in the universe repository. You should install the [#w32codecs Windows Codecs], [:AddingRepositoriesHowto: enable the multiverse repository] and, in a terminal, type:
{{{
sudo aptitude install totem-xine-firefox-plugin
}}}

  If you prefer MPlayer over Totem-Xine, you can install ''mozilla-mplayer'' instead. install the [#w32codecs Windows Codecs], [:AddingRepositoriesHowto: enable the multiverse repository] and, in a terminal, type:

{{{
sudo aptitude install mozilla-mplayer
}}}
Line 189: Line 102:
== 8. DVD-Video ==

Non encrypted !DVDs should play, however be aware that mpeg2 is somewhat patent encumbered and is not shipped on the !CDs (though is in 'main')

Full DVD-Video support requires support of the Content Scrambling System (CSS). Though the encryption is weak, using libdvdcss to avoid this is classed as a 'circumvention device' and is such illegal in the United States and some other Jurisdictions.

However, as you can read at [http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/dvd.htm the DeCSS information page], in most European countries, DVD backup is legal. In fact, you can backup anything that you own in, eg. Norway, Sweden, etc. If you do not require compatibility with a DVD player, consider encoding your videos in [http://www.theora.org/ Ogg Theora].

If you would like full DVD support, run the following script: /usr/share/doc/libdvdread3/examples/install-css.sh . Then, install the DVD playing software of
your choice (xine-ui from universe is good).

If your video playback software (e.g. Xine, MPlayer, Totem, etc.) locks up when attempting to access a DVD, you will need to: (1) Install regionset; and (2) Run regionset WITH a DVD in your drive.


If DVD playback is jerky or you notice optical data transfer (i.e burning a CD/DVD) is slower than it should be then you need to enable DMA transfer for that drive by editing the file:

/etc/hdparm.conf

You will need to know the device name of your DVD drive (e.g /dev/hdc) and then enable DMA with the 'dma = on' command. Then, either reboot or run the following command:

{{{
sudo /sbin/hdparm -d 1 /dev/hdc
}}}
(where your DVD drive is hdc)

(I think some players access your DVD from the device /dev/dvd. I had to enable DMA on that too before my video became smooth.) You should now be able to play DVD's smoothly with the correct software.


== 9. !DivX / !XviD, other MPEG-4 variants, and miscellaneous proprietary video formats ==

These formats are patent-encumbered. If you do not require compatibility with MPEG-4 players, consider [http://www.theora.org/ Ogg Theora]

**Note:** these are unsupported and may be illegal in your jurisdiction, we in no way endorse the use of these packages.

=== 9.1 Mplayer: ===

MPlayer is a movie player for Linux (runs on many other Unices, and non-x86 CPUs, see the documentation). It plays most MPEG, VOB, AVI, Ogg/OGM, VIVO, ASF/WMA/WMV, QT/MOV/MP4, FLI, RM, NuppelVideo, YUV4MPEG, FILM, RoQ, PVA files, supported by many native, XAnim, and Win32 DLL codecs. You can watch VideoCD, SVCD, DVD, 3ivx, DivX 3/4/5 and even WMV movies, too (without the avifile library).

[http://www.mplayerhq.hu/homepage/design7/news.html Homepage].

Choose between the various packages as follows (all are from UNIVERSE):

Depending on your cpu: 386s and 486s should use mplayer-386; Intel Pentiums and newer should use mplayer-586; AMD Athlons and newer may use mplayer-k6 (find your cpu using "uname -m" in a Terminal).

The following packages may optionally be installed:

   mplayer-fonts
   mozilla-mplayer
   mplayer-doc (optional)

The "mixer" setting may need to be changed to avoid errors during playback.
Right click on the MPlayer screen, select Preferences and then select the Audio tab.
Select OSS (or your mixer if you use a different one) from the types and OK everything (accepting the default mixer location etc).

== 9.2. Other codecs ==

Not all mpgs are created equal. If you are getting sound but no video with some mpgs, you probably need the ffmpeg libraries.

{{{
    gstreamer0.8-ffmpeg (from UNIVERSE)
}}}

Additionally, other codecs may be required for various formats. Some of these can be found on the Mplayer home page at http://www.mplayerhq.hu and on various apt repositories around the web, but note that many of these may not be legally used or distributed.

== 10. Real Player ==

RealPlayer is a multimedia player for Linux which allows you to view RealAudio, RealVideo, and other content. RealPlayer is good for listening to BBC Radio, among otherthings.

=== 10.1 RealPlayer on x86 ===

You are required to manually download Realplayer from [http://www.real.com/linux/ here].

Once it is downloaded, move it to your home folder (if its not there already), then open up a terminal and type

{{{
 chmod u+x RealPlayer10GOLD.bin
 sudo ./RealPlayer10GOLD.bin
}}}

You are then prompted for an installation directory. I chose

{{{
 /opt/realplayer
}}}

Answer yes to creating symbolic links, and let it use the default directory.

Realplayer should now be in your Gnome menu, under the Sound&Video section.

To install the firefox plugins, run realplayer from the gnome menu. You will be asked to agree to a licence (this is free as in beer, not free as in speech). The you will be asked if you want to check for updates and configure mozilla helpers, check both and click ok. Now head over to [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/] and you should be able to listen.

=== 10.1 Real Player for PPC ===

To install Realplayer on PPC, download the Experimental build installer from [https://player.helixcommunity.org/2004/downloads/ Helix]

make the file executable (chmod 770) and execute (./realplayer-xxxxxx.bin)

Answer the questions and Realplayer should work by executing /path-to-Realplayer-directory/realplayer.
To make life easier add an alias in your .bashrc (ie alias = '/path-to-Realplayer-directory/./realplayer&') or create a soft link to /usr/local/bin (sudo ln -s /path-to-Realplayer-directory/realplayer /usr/local/bin/).

=== 10.2 Real Player issues ===

1. If realplayer doesn't immediately work, go to the realplayer install directory and remove the swf plugins. For some reason, it works perfectly most of the time after you do this. If you still have problems, it may be the way that your soundcard handles esd. Go on to 2. (Keith Bassett)

2. If you have trouble hearing any sound in realplayer, change the `auto_spawn` item in /etc/esound/esd.conf from its default setting of 0 to 1.

From OzOnE Fri May 13 04:51:57 +0100 2005
From: OzOnE
Date: Fri, 13 May 2005 04:51:57 +0100
Subject: RealPlayer Issues Continued...
Message-ID: <20050513045157+0100@https://www.ubuntulinux.org>

After 10.2 if realplayer doesnt start then in Hoary
go to system ->preferences ->sound

uncheck the box that says Enable Sound Server Startup.

it worked.. but you won't get the fancy sound when you start your ubuntu

via : http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/topic-32811.html

PS: This happened to me. Dunno why?

- Actually, you can fix RealPlayer without disabling ESD. Follow the instructions in this post: http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=80282&postcount=21 and Real will output OSS through ALSA, fixing the conflict problem.

24.05.05 Re-added Section 2.2 Hoary-extras (backports) someone removed it. Don't understand why some destroys others' work.

- For section 6.2.1.1: make sure to check the "active" box on {{{gnome-audio-profiles-properties}}}
== Playing DVD's ==
  Most commercial DVDs are encrypted with CSS (the Content Scrambling System). The movie players provided in Ubuntu are capable of reading DVDs that are not encrypted. If it is legal for you to circumvent CSS, then you can enable reading encrypted DVDs in ''vlc'', ''mplayer'', ''xine'' and ''totem-xine'' by installing libdvdcss2. Type in a terminal:{{{
sudo aptitude install libdvdread3
sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread3/examples/install-css.sh}}}

{i} ''Note: To execute the above install-css.sh script, you will require some basic tools already installed into your Ubuntu system. Namely, you will require dpkg-dev, fakeroot, debhelper, and build-essential. To accomplish this with one fell swoop, simply type:''{{{
sudo aptitude install dpkg-dev fakeroot debhelper build-essential}}}

{i} ''Note: If all of thise seems like a lot of work to get DVD playback up and running, consider that we as free-software users are forced to kludge these workarounds thanks to poor optics in technological legislation. Please look to the future and make sure that DRM and like concepts are carefully monitored by you -- the open-source community and free-software users.''

{i} ''Note: With Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake), the gstreamer dvd plugin has not been ported to the new version of gstreamer, 0.10. Please use the xine backend.''

=== DVD Lockup ===
  If your movie player locks up when attempting to access a DVD, you will need to place a DVD movie in your DVD drive, then do the following:{{{
sudo aptitude install regionset
regionset}}}

  Alternatively, you can do this without a DVD in your drive if you know your region number. ''Be warned the software claims you can only change regions 4 times, so that the effects of this procedure are irreversible and may render your drive permanently unable to read DVDs encoded for a particular region.''

=== Jerky Playback ===
  If DVD playback is jerky or you notice optical data transfer (i.e burning a CD/DVD) is slower than it should be, then you need to '''enable DMA transfer''' for that drive. See the ["DMA"] page for details.

== RealPlayer ==
  To install ''Real''''''Player 10'', use your browser to download the package [ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat/pool/main/r/realplay/realplayer_10.0.7-0.0_i386.deb realplayer_10.0.7-0.0_i386.deb] to your Desktop, and install it (along with a support package needed by ''Real''''''Player'') by typing in a terminal:{{{
cd ~/Desktop
sudo aptitude install libstdc++5
sudo dpkg -i realplayer_10.0.7-0.0_i386.deb}}}
  See RealplayerInstallationMethods for other ways to install ''Real''''''Player''.

  Most of Real's non-free media formats can also be played by ''mplayer'', ''xine'', and ''totem-xine'' when the native or w32codecs are installed.

=== Smil ===
  Use the File Manager to navigate to a folder containing a '''Smil''' file.
  Click the file with the right mouse button, select '''Properties''', and then the tab '''Open With'''. Click the radio button next to '''Real''''''Player 10''', and close the dialog window.

=== RealMedia ===
  If you want ''Real''''''Player'' to be the default application to open ''Real''''''Media'' files, use the File Manager to navigate to a folder containing a ''Real''''''Media'' file. Click the file with the right mouse button, select '''Properties''', and then the tab '''Open With'''. Click the radio button next to '''Real''''''Player 10''', and close the dialog window.


== Macromedia Flash ==
  Macromedia's Flash Player is only available for i386 based machines, and Shock Wave is not available at all. There are projects that are attempting to provide free support for Flash, and currently they are the only way to get Flash support for the '''PPC''' and '''AMD64''' distributions of Ubuntu.

  Flash can be problematic, so if you have problems (and solutions), read '''Flash''' '''Issues''' below.

=== Flash for i386 ===
  To add Flash Player support for ''konqueror'', ''mozilla'', ''firefox'', ''epiphany'' and other browsers, [:AddingRepositoriesHowto:enable the multiverse repository] and, in a terminal, type:


==== for Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake) ====
  {{{
  sudo aptitude install flashplugin-nonfree
  sudo update-flashplugin
  }}}

{i} ''Note: With Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake Flight 5), aptitude does not seem to activate flashplugin, so you will have to use the update-flashplugin to allow Mozilla Firefox to use it.''

{i} '''Note to Kubuntu Users:''' Konqueror DOES NOT auto-detect flash. There are a few steps you must use for flash to work:
  {{{
   In the menu bar of konqueror click settings (Next to help) --> configure konqueror' --> scroll down the side to plugins --> click scan for new plugins
  }}}
   It should now work

==== for Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger) ====

  {{{
  sudo aptitude install flashplugin-nonfree
  }}}

{i} ''Note: If you are using Ubuntu 5.10 or prior and installed FireFox 1.5.x from [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/FirefoxNewVersion ff1.5] than you will need to make a symlink for flash by typing the following.''

  {{{
  sudo ln -s /usr/lib/mozilla-firefox/*flash* /opt/firefox/plugins
  }}}

{i} '''Note to Kubuntu Users:''' Konqueror DOES NOT auto-detect flash. There are a few steps you must use for flash to work:
  {{{
   In the menu bar of konqueror click settings (Next to help) --> configure konqueror --> scroll down the side to plugins --> click scan for new plugins
  }}}
   It should now work

==== for Ubuntu 5.04 (Hoary Hedgehog) ====
  {{{
  sudo aptitude install flashplugin-nonfree
  }}}


=== Flash for AMD64 and PPC ===

  "For those of us with 64-bit processors (or Mac) there is no non-free flash implementation available because the manufacturer does not support them. However, there are two free implementations. One is ''gplflash'' and the other is ''swfdec''. There is also ''gplflash2'' in development that aims to be the proper free, open source replacement for all the platforms. While you can install them using aptitude, they tend not to work very well and are unstable, so that option is not great. Better to install one of them (I recommend gplflash) manually." If you are determined, another option is to install a i386 ubuntu in a DebootstrapChroot and launch your browser with flash plugin from there.

=== GPLFlash ===

==== Installing from repository ====

To install ''GPLFlash'' [:AddingRepositoriesHowto:enable the universe repository] and type in a terminal:
{{{
  sudo aptitude install libflash-mozplugin
}}}

==== Installing from source ====

Since the ''GPLFlash'' in Ubuntu can be unstable, a better method is to compile it from source. To do this, first install some needed build packages by typing:
{{{
  sudo aptitude install libx11-dev xlibs-dev libmad0-dev libjpeg-dev checkinstall build-essential
}}}

Then, get the ''GPLFlash'' source from [http://sourceforge.net/projects/gplflash/ sf.net], compile and install it:
{{{
  wget -c http://heanet.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/gplflash/gplflash-0.4.13.tar.bz2
  tar xvjf gplflash-0.4.13.tar.bz2
  cd gplflash-0.4.13
  ./configure --with-plugin-dir=/usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/
  make
  sudo checkinstall
}}}

When you restart your web browser you should have a working, stable flash plugin.

=== Flash Issues ===

==== Sound ====

===== Symptoms =====

  * Flash videos stop playing after 1 second.

  * Firefox freezes when going to another page ater having tried to view a flash video.

  * The firefox process not correctly ending after having tried to view a flash video.

===== Possible Fixes =====

  After Flash is installed, if the sound is not working properly, or you experience one of the above symptoms, try one of the following solutions:

  Open:
  {{{
  gedit ~/.mozilla/firefox/rc
  }}}
  Add the line:
  {{{
  FIREFOX_DSP="none"
  }}}


  As an alternative solution, if the above doesn't solve the problem:
  Type the following in a terminal:
  {{{
  sudo ln -s /usr/lib/libesd.so.0 /usr/lib/libesd.so.1
  }}}


==== Video ====
  If you use an '''Intel 855GM''' video card, ensure you set the X server colour depth to 24 bits, otherwise you will probably experience Firefox crashes.

==== Fonts ====
  If you are viewing a Flash video and you do not see any text, the following command should help:
  {{{
  sudo aptitude install gsfonts gsfonts-x11
  }}}

== Macromedia Shockwave ==
=== Installation ===
  The Shockwave player is unfortunately only available for Windows, but it's possible to run (some) Windows programs on Linux using Wine. '''Wine will only work on a PC''', and users of 64-bit Ubuntu may encounter problems with it. Then you will need mozplugger, which is a program that lets you "embed" other programs in your web browser.

  First, install Wine and mozplugger. Open a terminal and type:
  {{{
  sudo aptitude install wine mozplugger
  }}}

  Then you need to install the '''Windows''' version of Firefox (yes you read that right). Download it from here: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/all.html . Choose to open the installer with Wine and follow the instructions on the screen. When the installation has finished '''go to a web site that requires Shockwave''' and choose to get the missing plugin. When the plugin has installed and is working you may close Firefox.

  Now you need to configure mozplugger to use the Windows version of Firefox for Shockwave files. From a terminal, type this:
  {{{
  sudo -b gedit /etc/mozpluggerrc
  }}}

  Add the following two lines to the end of the file:
  {{{
  application/x-director: dir,dcr,dxr,cst,cct,cxt,w3d,fgd,swa: Macromedia Director file
 swallow(firefox.exe) fill: wine "C:\\Program Files\\Mozilla Firefox\\firefox.exe" -chrome "file://Z:$file"
  }}}

  Finally you need to make Firefox reload the plugin database. Close all Firefox windows and do this in a terminal:
  {{{
  rm ~/.mozilla/firefox/pluginreg.dat
  }}}

  Now Shockwave should (hopefully) work for you. However some Shockwave objects may not work (see below).

=== Shockwave Issues and Workarounds ===

 * Objects appear in a small window of its own.
  '''Cause 1:''' Wine or Shockwave is still running in the background
  '''Workaround 1: ''' Type this in a terminal to end all wine processes:
  {{{
  killall wine-preloader -s KILL
  }}}
  '''Cause 2:''' mozplugger does not handle multiple objects. I don't know how to fix this.
 * Objects claim they're being run from the harddisk
  '''Cause:''' The files are first downloaded and then run from the Windows version of Firefox.
  '''Workaround:''' Change the /etc/mozpluggerrc file so that streaming is enabled:
    Change this line:
    {{{
    swallow(firefox.exe) fill: wine "C:\\Program Files\\Mozilla Firefox\\firefox.exe" -chrome '''"file://Z:$file"'''
    }}}
    Into:
    {{{
    swallow(firefox.exe) fill stream: wine "C:\\Program Files\\Mozilla Firefox\\firefox.exe" -chrome '''"$file"'''
    }}}
    Then remove ~/.mozilla/firefox/pluginreg.dat and restart Firefox. This may not work if you are connected using IPv6 or a proxy.

 * Objects claim they're "stolen"
  '''Cause (when using streaming):''' The Shockwave object expects the "Referrer" HTTP header to be set, and it's not when using mozplugger.
  '''Workaround:''' None yet

== AAC and iTunes Music Store ==
=== AAC decoding ===
  The default audio format used by Apple's iTunes and iPod is AAC. This is a variant of the MPEG standard, and as such has patent issues. However, you can listen to AAC files in '''rhythmbox''' or '''amarok''' by installing '''gstreamer0.8-faad'''. You will need this for listening to any AAC file, including those bought from the iTunes Music Store (see below for more info on using the music store on Linux). Warning: songs purchased from the iTunes music store (.m4p) are encrypted and will not just play using '''gstreamer0.8-faad'''. You will need to decrypt them first.
=== For Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake): ===
  Install the '''gstreamer-plugins-bad-multiverse''' package.
   {{{
   sudo aptitude install gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad-multiverse
   }}}
=== AAC encoding: ===
  FAAC can be used to encode AACs, although this is somewhat experimental compared to MP3 encoding at this point. For encoding programs which use gstreamer, there is a gstreamer plugin called '''gstreamer0.8-faac'''. See CDRipping for how to encode CDs to AAC.

  For other programs, you may be able to utilize FAAC directly to encode to AACs using the "faac" package.

=== iTunes Music Store ===
  Apple's iTunes Music Store sells music online with a large selection of artists. Songs are in 128K AAC format, and cost varies by country. Apple only has Mac and Windows clients, but it also can be used on Linux. There are two different methods by which this can be done.

  First of all, you can use CodeWeavers CrossOver Office (available at http://www.codeweavers.com) to install the Windows version of iTunes on Ubuntu. This will allow you to buy iTunes songs on Linux and listen to them. However, the main caveats of this approach are that 1) it costs money 2) it is not a fully Linux-native solution.

  As an alternative to using CrossOver, there is a new, Free program called PyMusique which allows basic usage of the iTunes Music Store on Linux. This works better than using iTunes on CrossOver, but PyMusique has fewer features than the official iTunes client at this point and may be in violation of the iTunes Music Store terms of service. To use this on Ubuntu, first install gstreamer0.8-faad and libmcrypt4. Then, go to http://fuware.nanocrew.net/pymusique/ or a mirror (google "pymusique 0.4" for mirrors) and download the pymusique, python2.4-mcrypt, python2.4-vlc, and python2.4-mp4ff packages. Finally, install all the packages you downloaded from the above website. You can now launch PyMusique from the Applications-Internet menu, and purchase songs (although you may have to restart your system for this to work).

  PyMusique has been superceded by SharpMusique, available from http://www.nanocrew.net/software/sharpmusique/. It is available as a .deb for Breezy Badger and allows you to preview songs, signup for an account, buy songs and albums, redownload songs that you bought, and more.

= Getting Java =

== Blackdown Java ==
For Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger), the easiest method is to use the Blackdown Java 1.4 installer from Multiverse. To install Java with the installer, just do:
{{{
  sudo aptitude install j2re1.4
}}}

Ubuntu PPC, please see: ["JavaPPC"]. Ubuntu AMD64, please see: ["JavaAMD64"].


== Sun Java in 6.06 (Dapper Drake) ==
Thanks to a redistribution license change from Sun, official Sun java packages are now available in the ''multiverse'' repositories. Install it from the {{{Applications}}} -> {{{Add/Remove...}}} menu, or type:
{{{
  sudo aptitude install sun-java5-bin
}}}

== Sun Java directly from Sun ==
The alternative method it to get the latest version from Sun. This version of Java works better for most applications. Sun's implementation of Java and Java plugin for browsers however is non-free. Free Java is in active development and will be the preferred choice once it is released.

Blackdown Java is non-free. It is a direct port of Sun's Java implementation, and is subject to the same licenses, as stated in the [http://www.blackdown.org/java-linux/docs/faq/FAQ-java-linux-2.html#intro-licensing Blackdown FAQ]. The only current advantage of using Blackdown over Sun is that Blackdown is to have the the i386 package show up in apt. Those interested in a free (GPL) Java implementation may wish to look at [http://www.kaffe.org/ Kaffe], which is available in the universe repository.

Go to http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/download.jsp and click on “'''Download JRE 5.0 Update 6'''”. Ensure you do ''not'' choose one of the JDK or J2EE versions unless you are going to develop Java applications.

You must first accept the licence, then click on “'''Linux self-extracting file'''” (jre-1_5_0_06-linux-i586.bin). Save this file to your hard drive.

Make the downloaded file executable. At the command line, change to the directory where you downloaded the file, and type:
{{{
  chmod +x jre-1_5_0_06-linux-i586.bin
}}}

Install the ''java-package'' and ''java-common'', as well as ''fakeroot'' (which allows a non-root user to create the package derived from Sun's bin file):
{{{
  sudo aptitude install fakeroot java-package java-common
}}}

If you get an error when installing java-package, you need to enable the multiverse repository (see ["AddingRepositoriesHowto"]).

Use ''make-jpkg'' to translate Sun's bin file into a debian package:
{{{
  fakeroot make-jpkg jre-1_5_0_06-linux-i586.bin
}}}

{i} ''Note: You can see warning mesages like the ones below, but there is nothing to worry about.''
{{{
  mkdir: cannot create directory `/etc/.java': Permission denied
  ./jdk-1_5_0_06-linux-i586.bin: line 507: /usr/share/mime-info/java-archive.keys: Permission denied
}}}

{X} ''Note: If you get an error similar to this:''
{{{
  Loading plugins: blackdown-j2re.sh blackdown-j2sdk.sh common.sh ibm-j2re.sh ibm-j2sdk.sh j2re.sh j2sdk.sh j2se.sh sun-j2re.sh sun-j2sdk.sh

  No matching plugin was found.
}}}

Try:
{{{
  DEB_BUILD_GNU_TYPE=i386-linux fakeroot make-jpkg jre-1_5_0_06-linux-i586.bin
}}}

or similar command if you are not using i386 architecture.

Install the created package using ''dpkg'':
{{{
  sudo dpkg -i sun-j2re1.5_1.5.0+update06_i386.deb
}}}

{i} Note: in above example, ''i386'' might have to be ''i586''.

=== Sun Java SDK (Software Development Kit) ===

The same procedure can also be used to install Sun's Java SDK instead of just the runtime environment (JRE). Just choose "'''Download JDK 5.0 Update 6'''" when downloading the package from Sun, and replace the file name with '''jdk-1_5_0_06-linux-i586.bin'''

== Selecting the default Java version ==

In Ubuntu 5.10 (or Dapper), if you want to use Sun's Java instead of the open source GIJ (GNU Java bytecode interpreter) you need to set it as default. Run:
{{{
  sudo update-alternatives --config java
}}}
and select your preference from the list.

{i} ''Note: You might want to do the same with jar, javac, javadoc, javah, javap and javaws:
{{{
  sudo update-alternatives --config jar
}}}

To get common java applications (installed using .deb-packages) to run under your JVM of choice, make sure you also edit the JVM configuration file:
{{{
  sudo -b gedit /etc/jvm
}}}
and add the line:
{{{
  /usr/lib/j2sdk1.5-sun
}}}
Packages such as '''ant''' starts the first JVM found in this file.

=== Sun Java J2EE SDK ===

At the moment, there's no possibility to create a deb as described above for the J2EE SDK
so you have to download the jdk from the site http://java.sun.com and then install:
{{{
  sudo aptitude install libstdc++2.10-dev
}}}
then install as user the binary file that you have downloaded before.

{i} Note:Remember to add the jar j2ee.jar in your IDE e.g. eclipse if you want to develop JSP and/or Servlet

== Java on Mozilla Firefox ==

Installing Java without following the previous steps does not alert Firefox to its presence. If you simply executed the .bin file you downloaded, you will need to tell Firefox or Mozilla where to find the plugin library:

If you do not have a .mozilla/plugins directory in your home directory, create one:
{{{
mkdir -p /home/username/.mozilla/plugins
}}}

Then create links to plugin files:
{{{
  cd ~/.mozilla/plugins
  ln -s /usr/lib/j2re1.5-sun/plugin/i386/ns7/libjavaplugin_oji.so libjavaplugin_oji.so
  sudo ln -s /usr/lib/j2re1.5-sun/plugin/i386/ns7/libjavaplugin_oji.so /usr/lib/mozilla-firefox/plugins/
}}}

You can skip these steps if you used the make-jpkg command.

If you have downloaded more than one, you need to modify the command to be more specific.

== Java on amd64 computers ==

Unfortunately, Sun's Java for 64-bit PC's does't work very well yet, but the Blackdown version of Java works and is available in the Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger) Multiverse repository.
{{{
  sudo aptitude install j2re1.4 j2re1.4-mozilla-plugin
}}}

Afterwards restart Firefox and you should have a working Java plugin.

----
CategoryDocumentation CategoryCleanup

Disclaimer and Legal Notice

attachment:IconsPage/IconDialog-Warning1.png Patent and licensing restrictions on media formats can complicate a free operating system's ability to distribute software that will support those formats. Ubuntu actively supports the FreeFormats. This page will walk you through getting support for the most popular non-free media formats.

Some of the packages listed here may be illegal in your country. This page is not legal advice.

Before You Start

  • You must have administration privileges to install packages. RootSudo explains how Ubuntu provides the necessary privileges.

  • Nearly all the applications and packages mentioned on this page are found in the Universe and Multiverse repositories. See AddingRepositoriesHowto for instructions on enabling the Universe and Multiverse repositories.

  • Some additional packages are found in repositories not controlled by Ubuntu. Please do not file bugs about these specific packages.

Media Players

The Ubuntu Media Players

  • Ubuntu comes with Totem (a movie player) and Rhythmbox (a music player); Kubuntu includes Kaffeine and Amarok. These applications play free formats (Ogg Vorbis, Ogg Theora, and the like) 'out of the box'. However, they can also play most non-free media formats if you install some additional packages.

MP3s

  • [:AddingRepositoriesHowto: Enable the multiverse and universe repositories] and install the proper package. Use your favorite package manager or type in a terminal:

    Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger) 

    sudo aptitude install gstreamer0.8-mad

attachment:IconsPage/IconNote.png KDE/Kubuntu users: Your specific configuration may require you to install the akode-mpeg package to enable mp3 playback.

  • Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake) 

    sudo aptitude install gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly

attachment:IconsPage/IconNote.png KDE/Kubuntu users you will need to install the package libxine-extracodecs for mp3 support.

  • If your portable music player does not support FreeFormats, the page [:CDRipping] explains how to convert your CDs to MP3 and AAC.

Other Non-Free Formats

  • [:AddingRepositoriesHowto: Enable the universe and multiverse repositories] and install the necessary packages with your favorite package manager. Alternatively, you could type in a terminal:

    Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger) 

    sudo aptitude install  gstreamer0.8-plugins gstreamer0.8-plugins-multiverse  gstreamer0.8-ffmpeg

attachment:IconsPage/IconHint2.png Note: This is a single command. Don't write in multiple lines.

  • Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake) 

    sudo aptitude install gstreamer0.10-ffmpeg gstreamer0.10-gl gstreamer0.10-plugins-base gstreamer0.10-plugins-good gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-multiverse libxine-extracodecs ffmpeg lame faad sox mjpegtools libxine-main1

attachment:IconsPage/IconHint2.png Note: This is a single command. Don't write in multiple lines.

Alternative Media Players

  • Currently, the best support for most non-free video media (that is, media encoded as MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, QuickTime and others) is provided by Totem-Xine, MPlayer, and Xine. Playing WMV or RealVideo requires a package that Ubuntu is unable to distribute (See [#w32codecs Windows Codecs] below for installation instructions).

    Totem-Xine is recommended for most users since MPlayer and Xine can be complicated to configure and use. If you would like to try these media players, [:AddingRepositoriesHowto: enable the universe and multiverse repositories] and type the following in a terminal:

Ubuntu 5.10 and earlier

  • {{{sudo aptitude install totem-xine xine-ui

}}}

Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake)

  • {{{sudo aptitude install totem-xine xine-ui mplayer

}}}

Anchor(w32codecs)

Windows Codecs

i386

  • Support for WMV, RealMedia and other formats has been bundled into the w32codecs package. Since this package is not supported by Ubuntu, you will need to install it from an unoffical repository. Simply type in a terminal: 

  • wget -c ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat/pool/main/w/w32codecs/w32codecs_20050412-0.4_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i w32codecs_20050412-0.4_i386.deb

attachment:IconsPage/IconDialog-Warning1.png WMV files encoded with DRM (Digital Rights Management) are not playable by the codecs.

attachment:IconsPage/IconHint2.png If you are experiencing choppy audio when playing WMV files, try [http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=136306&postcount=2 this] fix.

AMD64

  • The [#w32codecs Windows Codecs] cannot be used directly by the AMD64 distribution. Some people solve this problem by installing the i386 Ubuntu distribution inside a chroot (for example, [:VServer:Linux Vserver] or [http://packages.ubuntu.com/breezy/admin/dchroot dchroot]), and this works very well.

PowerPC

  • The PowerPC distribution cannot use the [#w32codecs Windows Codecs].

Playing Streaming Video from the Internet

  • There are a variety of plugins that allow you to play streaming video in your browser. The recommended plugin is totem-xine-firefox-plugin, which is available in the universe repository. You should install the [#w32codecs Windows Codecs], [:AddingRepositoriesHowto: enable the multiverse repository] and, in a terminal, type: 

sudo aptitude install totem-xine-firefox-plugin

  • If you prefer MPlayer over Totem-Xine, you can install mozilla-mplayer instead. install the [#w32codecs Windows Codecs], [:AddingRepositoriesHowto: enable the multiverse repository] and, in a terminal, type: 

sudo aptitude install mozilla-mplayer

Playing DVD's

  • Most commercial DVDs are encrypted with CSS (the Content Scrambling System). The movie players provided in Ubuntu are capable of reading DVDs that are not encrypted. If it is legal for you to circumvent CSS, then you can enable reading encrypted DVDs in vlc, mplayer, xine and totem-xine by installing libdvdcss2. Type in a terminal:

    sudo aptitude install libdvdread3
sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread3/examples/install-css.sh

(i) Note: To execute the above install-css.sh script, you will require some basic tools already installed into your Ubuntu system. Namely, you will require dpkg-dev, fakeroot, debhelper, and build-essential. To accomplish this with one fell swoop, simply type:

sudo aptitude install dpkg-dev fakeroot debhelper build-essential

(i) Note: If all of thise seems like a lot of work to get DVD playback up and running, consider that we as free-software users are forced to kludge these workarounds thanks to poor optics in technological legislation. Please look to the future and make sure that DRM and like concepts are carefully monitored by you -- the open-source community and free-software users.

(i) Note: With Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake), the gstreamer dvd plugin has not been ported to the new version of gstreamer, 0.10. Please use the xine backend.

DVD Lockup

  • If your movie player locks up when attempting to access a DVD, you will need to place a DVD movie in your DVD drive, then do the following:

    sudo aptitude install regionset
regionset

    Alternatively, you can do this without a DVD in your drive if you know your region number. Be warned the software claims you can only change regions 4 times, so that the effects of this procedure are irreversible and may render your drive permanently unable to read DVDs encoded for a particular region.

Jerky Playback

  • If DVD playback is jerky or you notice optical data transfer (i.e burning a CD/DVD) is slower than it should be, then you need to enable DMA transfer for that drive. See the ["DMA"] page for details.

RealPlayer

  • To install RealPlayer 10, use your browser to download the package [ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat/pool/main/r/realplay/realplayer_10.0.7-0.0_i386.deb realplayer_10.0.7-0.0_i386.deb] to your Desktop, and install it (along with a support package needed by RealPlayer) by typing in a terminal:

    cd ~/Desktop
sudo aptitude install libstdc++5
sudo dpkg -i realplayer_10.0.7-0.0_i386.deb

    See RealplayerInstallationMethods for other ways to install RealPlayer.

    Most of Real's non-free media formats can also be played by mplayer, xine, and totem-xine when the native or w32codecs are installed.

Smil

  • Use the File Manager to navigate to a folder containing a Smil file. Click the file with the right mouse button, select Properties, and then the tab Open With. Click the radio button next to RealPlayer 10, and close the dialog window.

RealMedia

  • If you want RealPlayer to be the default application to open RealMedia files, use the File Manager to navigate to a folder containing a RealMedia file. Click the file with the right mouse button, select Properties, and then the tab Open With. Click the radio button next to RealPlayer 10, and close the dialog window.

Macromedia Flash

  • Macromedia's Flash Player is only available for i386 based machines, and Shock Wave is not available at all. There are projects that are attempting to provide free support for Flash, and currently they are the only way to get Flash support for the PPC and AMD64 distributions of Ubuntu.

    Flash can be problematic, so if you have problems (and solutions), read Flash Issues below.

Flash for i386

  • To add Flash Player support for konqueror, mozilla, firefox, epiphany and other browsers, [:AddingRepositoriesHowto:enable the multiverse repository] and, in a terminal, type:

for Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake)

  •   sudo aptitude install flashplugin-nonfree
  sudo update-flashplugin

(i) Note: With Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake Flight 5), aptitude does not seem to activate flashplugin, so you will have to use the update-flashplugin to allow Mozilla Firefox to use it.

(i) Note to Kubuntu Users: Konqueror DOES NOT auto-detect flash. There are a few steps you must use for flash to work: 

  •    In the menu bar of konqueror click settings (Next to help) --> configure konqueror' --> scroll down the side to plugins --> click scan for new plugins
    • It should now work

for Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger)

  •   sudo aptitude install flashplugin-nonfree

(i) Note: If you are using Ubuntu 5.10 or prior and installed FireFox 1.5.x from [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/FirefoxNewVersion ff1.5] than you will need to make a symlink for flash by typing the following. 

  •   sudo ln -s /usr/lib/mozilla-firefox/*flash* /opt/firefox/plugins

(i) Note to Kubuntu Users: Konqueror DOES NOT auto-detect flash. There are a few steps you must use for flash to work: 

  •    In the menu bar of konqueror click settings (Next to help) --> configure konqueror --> scroll down the side to plugins --> click scan for new plugins
    • It should now work

for Ubuntu 5.04 (Hoary Hedgehog)

  •   sudo aptitude install flashplugin-nonfree

Flash for AMD64 and PPC

  • "For those of us with 64-bit processors (or Mac) there is no non-free flash implementation available because the manufacturer does not support them. However, there are two free implementations. One is gplflash and the other is swfdec. There is also gplflash2 in development that aims to be the proper free, open source replacement for all the platforms. While you can install them using aptitude, they tend not to work very well and are unstable, so that option is not great. Better to install one of them (I recommend gplflash) manually." If you are determined, another option is to install a i386 ubuntu in a DebootstrapChroot and launch your browser with flash plugin from there.

GPLFlash

Installing from repository

To install GPLFlash [:AddingRepositoriesHowto:enable the universe repository] and type in a terminal: 

  sudo aptitude install libflash-mozplugin

Installing from source

Since the GPLFlash in Ubuntu can be unstable, a better method is to compile it from source. To do this, first install some needed build packages by typing: 

  sudo aptitude install libx11-dev xlibs-dev libmad0-dev libjpeg-dev checkinstall build-essential

Then, get the GPLFlash source from [http://sourceforge.net/projects/gplflash/ sf.net], compile and install it: 

  wget -c http://heanet.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/gplflash/gplflash-0.4.13.tar.bz2
  tar xvjf gplflash-0.4.13.tar.bz2
  cd gplflash-0.4.13
  ./configure --with-plugin-dir=/usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/
  make
  sudo checkinstall

When you restart your web browser you should have a working, stable flash plugin.

Flash Issues

Sound

Symptoms
  • Flash videos stop playing after 1 second.
  • Firefox freezes when going to another page ater having tried to view a flash video.
  • The firefox process not correctly ending after having tried to view a flash video.

Possible Fixes
  • After Flash is installed, if the sound is not working properly, or you experience one of the above symptoms, try one of the following solutions: Open: 
      gedit ~/.mozilla/firefox/rc
    Add the line: 
      FIREFOX_DSP="none"
    As an alternative solution, if the above doesn't solve the problem: Type the following in a terminal: 
      sudo ln -s /usr/lib/libesd.so.0 /usr/lib/libesd.so.1

Video

  • If you use an Intel 855GM video card, ensure you set the X server colour depth to 24 bits, otherwise you will probably experience Firefox crashes.

Fonts

  • If you are viewing a Flash video and you do not see any text, the following command should help: 
      sudo aptitude install gsfonts gsfonts-x11

Macromedia Shockwave

Installation

  • The Shockwave player is unfortunately only available for Windows, but it's possible to run (some) Windows programs on Linux using Wine. Wine will only work on a PC, and users of 64-bit Ubuntu may encounter problems with it. Then you will need mozplugger, which is a program that lets you "embed" other programs in your web browser. First, install Wine and mozplugger. Open a terminal and type: 

      sudo aptitude install wine mozplugger

    Then you need to install the Windows version of Firefox (yes you read that right). Download it from here: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/all.html . Choose to open the installer with Wine and follow the instructions on the screen. When the installation has finished go to a web site that requires Shockwave and choose to get the missing plugin. When the plugin has installed and is working you may close Firefox. Now you need to configure mozplugger to use the Windows version of Firefox for Shockwave files. From a terminal, type this: 

      sudo -b gedit /etc/mozpluggerrc
    Add the following two lines to the end of the file: 
      application/x-director: dir,dcr,dxr,cst,cct,cxt,w3d,fgd,swa: Macromedia Director file
        swallow(firefox.exe) fill: wine "C:\\Program Files\\Mozilla Firefox\\firefox.exe" -chrome "file://Z:$file"
    Finally you need to make Firefox reload the plugin database. Close all Firefox windows and do this in a terminal: 
      rm ~/.mozilla/firefox/pluginreg.dat
    Now Shockwave should (hopefully) work for you. However some Shockwave objects may not work (see below).

Shockwave Issues and Workarounds

  • Objects appear in a small window of its own.

    • Cause 1: Wine or Shockwave is still running in the background Workaround 1: Type this in a terminal to end all wine processes: 

        killall wine-preloader -s KILL

      Cause 2: mozplugger does not handle multiple objects. I don't know how to fix this.

  • Objects claim they're being run from the harddisk

    • Cause: The files are first downloaded and then run from the Windows version of Firefox. Workaround: Change the /etc/mozpluggerrc file so that streaming is enabled:

      • Change this line: 
            swallow(firefox.exe) fill: wine "C:\\Program Files\\Mozilla Firefox\\firefox.exe" -chrome '''"file://Z:$file"'''
        Into: 
            swallow(firefox.exe) fill stream: wine "C:\\Program Files\\Mozilla Firefox\\firefox.exe" -chrome '''"$file"'''
        Then remove ~/.mozilla/firefox/pluginreg.dat and restart Firefox. This may not work if you are connected using IPv6 or a proxy.
  • Objects claim they're "stolen"

    • Cause (when using streaming): The Shockwave object expects the "Referrer" HTTP header to be set, and it's not when using mozplugger. Workaround: None yet

AAC and iTunes Music Store

AAC decoding

  • The default audio format used by Apple's iTunes and iPod is AAC. This is a variant of the MPEG standard, and as such has patent issues. However, you can listen to AAC files in rhythmbox or amarok by installing gstreamer0.8-faad. You will need this for listening to any AAC file, including those bought from the iTunes Music Store (see below for more info on using the music store on Linux). Warning: songs purchased from the iTunes music store (.m4p) are encrypted and will not just play using gstreamer0.8-faad. You will need to decrypt them first.

For Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake):

  • Install the gstreamer-plugins-bad-multiverse package. 

    •    sudo aptitude install gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad-multiverse

AAC encoding:

  • FAAC can be used to encode AACs, although this is somewhat experimental compared to MP3 encoding at this point. For encoding programs which use gstreamer, there is a gstreamer plugin called gstreamer0.8-faac. See CDRipping for how to encode CDs to AAC. For other programs, you may be able to utilize FAAC directly to encode to AACs using the "faac" package.

iTunes Music Store

  • Apple's iTunes Music Store sells music online with a large selection of artists. Songs are in 128K AAC format, and cost varies by country. Apple only has Mac and Windows clients, but it also can be used on Linux. There are two different methods by which this can be done.

    First of all, you can use CodeWeavers CrossOver Office (available at http://www.codeweavers.com) to install the Windows version of iTunes on Ubuntu. This will allow you to buy iTunes songs on Linux and listen to them. However, the main caveats of this approach are that 1) it costs money 2) it is not a fully Linux-native solution.

    As an alternative to using CrossOver, there is a new, Free program called PyMusique which allows basic usage of the iTunes Music Store on Linux. This works better than using iTunes on CrossOver, but PyMusique has fewer features than the official iTunes client at this point and may be in violation of the iTunes Music Store terms of service. To use this on Ubuntu, first install gstreamer0.8-faad and libmcrypt4. Then, go to http://fuware.nanocrew.net/pymusique/ or a mirror (google "pymusique 0.4" for mirrors) and download the pymusique, python2.4-mcrypt, python2.4-vlc, and python2.4-mp4ff packages. Finally, install all the packages you downloaded from the above website. You can now launch PyMusique from the Applications-Internet menu, and purchase songs (although you may have to restart your system for this to work).

    PyMusique has been superceded by SharpMusique, available from http://www.nanocrew.net/software/sharpmusique/. It is available as a .deb for Breezy Badger and allows you to preview songs, signup for an account, buy songs and albums, redownload songs that you bought, and more.

Getting Java

Blackdown Java

For Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger), the easiest method is to use the Blackdown Java 1.4 installer from Multiverse. To install Java with the installer, just do: 

  sudo aptitude install j2re1.4

Ubuntu PPC, please see: ["JavaPPC"]. Ubuntu AMD64, please see: ["JavaAMD64"].

Sun Java in 6.06 (Dapper Drake)

Thanks to a redistribution license change from Sun, official Sun java packages are now available in the multiverse repositories. Install it from the Applications -> Add/Remove... menu, or type: 

  sudo aptitude install sun-java5-bin

Sun Java directly from Sun

The alternative method it to get the latest version from Sun. This version of Java works better for most applications. Sun's implementation of Java and Java plugin for browsers however is non-free. Free Java is in active development and will be the preferred choice once it is released.

Blackdown Java is non-free. It is a direct port of Sun's Java implementation, and is subject to the same licenses, as stated in the [http://www.blackdown.org/java-linux/docs/faq/FAQ-java-linux-2.html#intro-licensing Blackdown FAQ]. The only current advantage of using Blackdown over Sun is that Blackdown is to have the the i386 package show up in apt. Those interested in a free (GPL) Java implementation may wish to look at [http://www.kaffe.org/ Kaffe], which is available in the universe repository.

Go to http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/download.jsp and click on “Download JRE 5.0 Update 6”. Ensure you do not choose one of the JDK or J2EE versions unless you are going to develop Java applications.

You must first accept the licence, then click on “Linux self-extracting file” (jre-1_5_0_06-linux-i586.bin). Save this file to your hard drive.

Make the downloaded file executable. At the command line, change to the directory where you downloaded the file, and type: 

  chmod +x jre-1_5_0_06-linux-i586.bin

Install the java-package and java-common, as well as fakeroot (which allows a non-root user to create the package derived from Sun's bin file): 

  sudo aptitude install fakeroot java-package java-common

If you get an error when installing java-package, you need to enable the multiverse repository (see ["AddingRepositoriesHowto"]).

Use make-jpkg to translate Sun's bin file into a debian package: 

  fakeroot make-jpkg jre-1_5_0_06-linux-i586.bin

(i) Note: You can see warning mesages like the ones below, but there is nothing to worry about. 

  mkdir: cannot create directory `/etc/.java': Permission denied
  ./jdk-1_5_0_06-linux-i586.bin: line 507: /usr/share/mime-info/java-archive.keys: Permission denied

(X) Note: If you get an error similar to this: 

  Loading plugins: blackdown-j2re.sh blackdown-j2sdk.sh common.sh ibm-j2re.sh ibm-j2sdk.sh j2re.sh j2sdk.sh j2se.sh sun-j2re.sh sun-j2sdk.sh

  No matching plugin was found.

Try: 

  DEB_BUILD_GNU_TYPE=i386-linux fakeroot make-jpkg jre-1_5_0_06-linux-i586.bin

or similar command if you are not using i386 architecture.

Install the created package using dpkg: 

  sudo dpkg -i sun-j2re1.5_1.5.0+update06_i386.deb

(i) Note: in above example, i386 might have to be i586.

Sun Java SDK (Software Development Kit)

The same procedure can also be used to install Sun's Java SDK instead of just the runtime environment (JRE). Just choose "Download JDK 5.0 Update 6" when downloading the package from Sun, and replace the file name with jdk-1_5_0_06-linux-i586.bin

Selecting the default Java version

In Ubuntu 5.10 (or Dapper), if you want to use Sun's Java instead of the open source GIJ (GNU Java bytecode interpreter) you need to set it as default. Run: 

  sudo update-alternatives --config java

and select your preference from the list.

(i) Note: You might want to do the same with jar, javac, javadoc, javah, javap and javaws: 

  sudo update-alternatives --config jar

To get common java applications (installed using .deb-packages) to run under your JVM of choice, make sure you also edit the JVM configuration file: 

  sudo -b gedit /etc/jvm

and add the line: 

  /usr/lib/j2sdk1.5-sun

Packages such as ant starts the first JVM found in this file.

Sun Java J2EE SDK

At the moment, there's no possibility to create a deb as described above for the J2EE SDK so you have to download the jdk from the site http://java.sun.com and then install: 

  sudo aptitude install libstdc++2.10-dev

then install as user the binary file that you have downloaded before.

(i) Note:Remember to add the jar j2ee.jar in your IDE e.g. eclipse if you want to develop JSP and/or Servlet

Java on Mozilla Firefox

Installing Java without following the previous steps does not alert Firefox to its presence. If you simply executed the .bin file you downloaded, you will need to tell Firefox or Mozilla where to find the plugin library:

If you do not have a .mozilla/plugins directory in your home directory, create one: 

mkdir -p /home/username/.mozilla/plugins

Then create links to plugin files: 

  cd ~/.mozilla/plugins
  ln -s /usr/lib/j2re1.5-sun/plugin/i386/ns7/libjavaplugin_oji.so libjavaplugin_oji.so
  sudo ln -s /usr/lib/j2re1.5-sun/plugin/i386/ns7/libjavaplugin_oji.so /usr/lib/mozilla-firefox/plugins/

You can skip these steps if you used the make-jpkg command.

If you have downloaded more than one, you need to modify the command to be more specific.

Java on amd64 computers

Unfortunately, Sun's Java for 64-bit PC's does't work very well yet, but the Blackdown version of Java works and is available in the Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger) Multiverse repository. 

  sudo aptitude install j2re1.4 j2re1.4-mozilla-plugin

Afterwards restart Firefox and you should have a working Java plugin.

CategoryDocumentation CategoryCleanup

RestrictedFormats (last edited 2008-08-06 16:22:52 by localhost)