More Ubuntu Testing
Looks like I will be able to go with a Linux-only system. After running more tests, it seems that I can do everything under Linux that I typically ask of my computer.
Getting a DVD to play was the most complicated part. Because DVDs are usually copy-protected using the content scrambling system (CSS), you need to use a workaround which has "uncertain legal status." Basically, you have to break the CSS encryption to play a DVD. Why would you have to break an encryption scheme to play content you own? An excellent (but sadly unresolved) question.
Anyway, you need something called libdvdcss2.
1. Go to http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-debian.html, at the bottom of the page are a couple of lines of code that contain the URLs for the codec and some Linux gobelty-gook.
2. In the top menu in Ubuntu, go to System > Administration > Software Sources.
3. Enter your admin password.
4. In the resulting window, go to the "Third-Party Software" tab. Hit "Add...". Copy and paste the code from the website. This will add libdvdcss2 to the "packages" available through the Synaptic Package Manager. Hit close in the software sources dialog and go into the Package Manager. Search for 'libdvdcss2' and install as usual.
With this in hand, Totem and Ogle both played copy-protected DVDs. I could have done without the work-around. You can also do a command-line install if you prefer, several forums have instructions posted to do it this way.
The good news is that DivX movies are no problem, the same codec pack I downloaded to play MP3s also works for the other common audio and video formats. My printer was recognized and installed automatically, which is a bit of a surprise because it did not plug-and-play in Windows, I had to manually install a driver to get it going in XP. My scanner was not recognized, but I bought it for school and hardly ever use it anyway. I'll just hook it up to a Windows desktop that I also have in the apartment and use it from there on the off chance that I need it.
As for antivirus, the feeling I get from various sources (including the official Ubuntu documentation site) is don't bother unless you are also running Windows. In that case, the antivirus primarily serves to get the crud off your Windows partition since hardly anything actually attacks Linux and a basic firewall should be plenty for most users. I looked it up on Wikipedia, there are a grand total of 9 worms and 14 viruses that infected Unix/Linux and none of them where able to spread very far. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Linux_computer_viruses_and_worms
The only thing I have not tried that I regularly use is BitTorrent, but I don't see it being a problem.
Getting a DVD to play was the most complicated part. Because DVDs are usually copy-protected using the content scrambling system (CSS), you need to use a workaround which has "uncertain legal status." Basically, you have to break the CSS encryption to play a DVD. Why would you have to break an encryption scheme to play content you own? An excellent (but sadly unresolved) question.
Anyway, you need something called libdvdcss2.
1. Go to http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-debian.html, at the bottom of the page are a couple of lines of code that contain the URLs for the codec and some Linux gobelty-gook.
2. In the top menu in Ubuntu, go to System > Administration > Software Sources.
3. Enter your admin password.
4. In the resulting window, go to the "Third-Party Software" tab. Hit "Add...". Copy and paste the code from the website. This will add libdvdcss2 to the "packages" available through the Synaptic Package Manager. Hit close in the software sources dialog and go into the Package Manager. Search for 'libdvdcss2' and install as usual.
With this in hand, Totem and Ogle both played copy-protected DVDs. I could have done without the work-around. You can also do a command-line install if you prefer, several forums have instructions posted to do it this way.
The good news is that DivX movies are no problem, the same codec pack I downloaded to play MP3s also works for the other common audio and video formats. My printer was recognized and installed automatically, which is a bit of a surprise because it did not plug-and-play in Windows, I had to manually install a driver to get it going in XP. My scanner was not recognized, but I bought it for school and hardly ever use it anyway. I'll just hook it up to a Windows desktop that I also have in the apartment and use it from there on the off chance that I need it.
As for antivirus, the feeling I get from various sources (including the official Ubuntu documentation site) is don't bother unless you are also running Windows. In that case, the antivirus primarily serves to get the crud off your Windows partition since hardly anything actually attacks Linux and a basic firewall should be plenty for most users. I looked it up on Wikipedia, there are a grand total of 9 worms and 14 viruses that infected Unix/Linux and none of them where able to spread very far. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Linux_computer_viruses_and_worms
The only thing I have not tried that I regularly use is BitTorrent, but I don't see it being a problem.
posted by Colin at
10:26 a.m.
1 Comments:
some random desktop eh? that's if you're nice...
By
Unknown, At
3:10 p.m.
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