I worked out my sound card problem with Ubuntu Linux by swapping out the existing card and replacing it with Creative Labs' Audigy 2. Bingo - instant sound as Linux detected a card it supported and poured forth system sounds. Now to listen to my MP3s - or so I thought. When I double-clicked on a Ben Webster Quintet tune, I received a message that the format was not supported.
Linux distributions such as Ubuntu try, as much as possible, to use only open-source, non-restricted formats that have no licensing or patent issues. A Linux purist could convert all his or her MP3 files to the patent-free ogg vorbis format, but for many of us this is impractical. Fortunately, the Ubuntu Linux documentation provides clear instructions on how to install restricted support software.
Once the required support files are installed, Linux will play MP3, Divx, commercial DVD, Quicktime, Realmedia files or view Flash and Java. For most of us, it's a no-brainer to go this route. After I added the easily installed support, I was able to listen to MP3s and watch commercial DVDs.
Audio Players
In Ubuntu Linux, the Totem Movie Player is the default multimedia application. It's similar to Windows Media Player and anyone using that product will feel very comfortable with Totem. When you insert a music CD or movie DVD, Totem starts up automatically. It's a good general-purpose player.
For my large collection of MP3 files, I prefer Rhythmbox to Totem. Rhythmbox is an application that is a little more like iTunes. It will build an index of artists and albums on media, and it can be used to listen to Internet radio and subscribe to podcasts. You can also create and use custom playlists. It also offers generic support for portable MP3 players, but nothing iPod-specific. Unfortunately for iTunes fans, iTunes itself is not available for Linux.
I don't yet have an iPod, so I couldn't test them out, but there are three Linux applications that offer full iPod support, including synchronizing files: Amarok, Banshee and Listen. There is also an application called gtkpod that can manage songs and playlists on an iPod. If I get an iPod for my next birthday, I'll report back on these apps.
DVD Players
Not surprisingly, Totem Movie Player is Ubuntu's default application for viewing DVDs. Designed with movies in mind, it provides the usual controls for stopping, starting, pausing and changing screen sizes and aspect ratios. What it doesn't provide yet is menu support, so you can only watch a commercial DVD straight through with no chapter titles. The forward/backward buttons do not respond when a DVD is playing.
Because I found Totem too limited for my DVD viewing tastes, I installed and tried Ogle, another DVD viewer, and it has some advantages. The default viewing size is larger, there are more controls available, and it can go to chapters. The downsides are that movies cannot be resized, and the chapters are generically titled, e.g., Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Title 1, Title 2 etc. On the plus side, however, it plays the entire DVD including the trailers at the front, and goes to the DVD menu where you can use a mouse to select what you want to watch. The forward/backward and other controls work as expected.
Given that most of my previous experience with Linux had been on the server side of things, I was amazed at how far Linux has progressed on the desktop. It may not provide all the features and polish of Windows and Mac multimedia applications, but what it offers is more than adequate and being improved daily. It's a tribute to the dedicated open-source programmers worldwide that you can now use Linux comfortably as a solid, enjoyable and very modern workstation.
Linux distributions such as Ubuntu try, as much as possible, to use only open-source, non-restricted formats that have no licensing or patent issues. A Linux purist could convert all his or her MP3 files to the patent-free ogg vorbis format, but for many of us this is impractical. Fortunately, the Ubuntu Linux documentation provides clear instructions on how to install restricted support software.
Once the required support files are installed, Linux will play MP3, Divx, commercial DVD, Quicktime, Realmedia files or view Flash and Java. For most of us, it's a no-brainer to go this route. After I added the easily installed support, I was able to listen to MP3s and watch commercial DVDs.
Audio Players
In Ubuntu Linux, the Totem Movie Player is the default multimedia application. It's similar to Windows Media Player and anyone using that product will feel very comfortable with Totem. When you insert a music CD or movie DVD, Totem starts up automatically. It's a good general-purpose player.
For my large collection of MP3 files, I prefer Rhythmbox to Totem. Rhythmbox is an application that is a little more like iTunes. It will build an index of artists and albums on media, and it can be used to listen to Internet radio and subscribe to podcasts. You can also create and use custom playlists. It also offers generic support for portable MP3 players, but nothing iPod-specific. Unfortunately for iTunes fans, iTunes itself is not available for Linux.
I don't yet have an iPod, so I couldn't test them out, but there are three Linux applications that offer full iPod support, including synchronizing files: Amarok, Banshee and Listen. There is also an application called gtkpod that can manage songs and playlists on an iPod. If I get an iPod for my next birthday, I'll report back on these apps.
DVD Players
Not surprisingly, Totem Movie Player is Ubuntu's default application for viewing DVDs. Designed with movies in mind, it provides the usual controls for stopping, starting, pausing and changing screen sizes and aspect ratios. What it doesn't provide yet is menu support, so you can only watch a commercial DVD straight through with no chapter titles. The forward/backward buttons do not respond when a DVD is playing.
Because I found Totem too limited for my DVD viewing tastes, I installed and tried Ogle, another DVD viewer, and it has some advantages. The default viewing size is larger, there are more controls available, and it can go to chapters. The downsides are that movies cannot be resized, and the chapters are generically titled, e.g., Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Title 1, Title 2 etc. On the plus side, however, it plays the entire DVD including the trailers at the front, and goes to the DVD menu where you can use a mouse to select what you want to watch. The forward/backward and other controls work as expected.
Given that most of my previous experience with Linux had been on the server side of things, I was amazed at how far Linux has progressed on the desktop. It may not provide all the features and polish of Windows and Mac multimedia applications, but what it offers is more than adequate and being improved daily. It's a tribute to the dedicated open-source programmers worldwide that you can now use Linux comfortably as a solid, enjoyable and very modern workstation.
Atom Feed (xml)
No comments:
Post a Comment