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Idea #22741: Add medibuntu repository by default and uncheck the box

Written by enedene the 30 Nov 09 at 10:21. Category: Multimedia. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: New
Rationale
Many newcomers to Ubuntu have the following questions:
- how do I watch movies and listen to mp3 where do I get the codecs?
- how do I install google earth or picasa?
- is there VLC player for linux?
...

The answer is always medibuntu repository, and the instructions from medibuntu site, have the following lines:
sudo wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/$(lsb_release -cs).list --output-document=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list && sudo apt-get -q update && sudo apt-get --yes -q --allow-unauthenticated install medibuntu-keyring && sudo apt-get -q update

Someone who just came from Windows environment will them remember what everyone has told him "linux is for geeks, you need to do everything from command line".
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180
votes
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Solution #1: Add medibuntu repository by default and uncheck the box
Written by enedene the 30 Nov 09 at 10:21.
So I propose that Medibuntu repository be added to software sources by default. Let the box be unchecked and a warning issued that repository is not officially supported by Canonical and that it contains non open source stuff. And also it should contain a little description what that repository is for.
Also it would be nice if you click on a movie that requires some strange codec and that pop-up arises and asks you if you want to enable medibuntu repository and should it download the necessary codecs.
19
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Solution #2: Integrate missing packages with Ubuntu repositories
Written by Dataphile the 6 Dec 09 at 23:50.
I haven't had a problem with this. Reading the comments below, it appears that much of this functionality is already available from the repositories. Apparently the only things that are not are Google Earth and Picasa, which I don't use.

Just to play devil's advocate here, I propose what seems to me to be an obvious alternative solution: include Google Earth and Picasa in the repositories, even if it's not Canonical maintained.
7
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Solution #3: Install ubuntu-restricted-extras
Written by Grackle the 23 Dec 09 at 20:32.
Ubuntu already has a solution for this problem: Install the (ubuntu|kubuntu|xubuntu)-restricted-extras package. This is not done by default for various legal reasons.
1
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Solution #4: Add also partner repository by default to install Sun Java and uncheck the box
Written by sandrex the 2 Jan 11 at 14:40.
Mostly open source java can`t run some Java codes correctly.

Propose your solution

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Lifewalker wrote on the 30 Nov 09 at 19:19
It's really interesting idea. I think it must be implemented so fast as it possible.

Pierre Chef wrote on the 1 Dec 09 at 15:45
Maybe because I'm in France, but reading a mp3 or a divx under ubuntu is so easy : i open the file, then ubuntu says i don't have the codec and propose me to install it. I check a box, i put my password and that's all folks.

Under Windows XP, you have to find codecs, or a "codec pack". There are a lot, all don't have the same codecs, and some have spyware inside.
Then he may propose you to install a shitty player, or (not shitty) Media Player Classic, not to be confused with Windows Media Player.
For qt you have to install the shitty quicktime (thanks there is quicktime alternative), for real the shitty real player (thanks there is real alternative). I'm wondering which one is the shittier.

Yep, it's not fair to compare XP sp2 from 2004 and ubuntu from 2008, maybe vista or seven have easier way to read files.

Darwin Survivor (Brainstorm moderator) wrote on the 1 Dec 09 at 20:41
I don't understand what medibuntu has to do with any of this. Installing ubuntu-restricted-extras fixes the mp3/etc codecs. VLC is in the repos already. Google-Earth and picasa are the only exceptions, and they can be downloaded off google's site pretty easily (which Windows users should be used to anyways!)

Otus wrote on the 3 Dec 09 at 07:33
How does the solution differ from current behaviour? Why would it be better to get the codecs from Medibuntu instead of where they currently come from?

krs wrote on the 4 Dec 09 at 13:06
Medibuntu is not required for all of that...

And you don't need command line for adding patented codecs.

TwistedLincoln wrote on the 8 Dec 09 at 20:14
Medibuntu contains libdvdcss, which is ILLEGAL in the United States, and other countries with DMCA-like laws. While it is important to make it reasonable for end-users who want to enable DVD support to do so easily, we don't want to blatantly encourage the use of illegal software in the default install. Doing so will only hurt adoption in the business and corporate side, which is much more concerned with the legality of things than end-users.

Remember, we don't want Ubuntu (and by extention) Linux to start gettting percieved with illegal activities like unauthorized video distribution, warez, hacking, etc. Even though such a perception might be unfair, doing things like officially recognizing Medibuntu in the default repos could easily have that effect.

enedene wrote on the 9 Dec 09 at 22:54
@Darwin Survivor
My mistake, I was quite sure that ubuntu-restricted-extras and VLC were the part of Medibuntu repository. From major software that most of people use there is still Skype.

@TwistedLincon
User is the one that actually installs the software. There is nothing illegal in having mediuntu repository available for users.

enedene wrote on the 10 Dec 09 at 11:49
@AndrewLuecke
The same can be said for including torrent application, someone could download a movie.
You can't defend your self from that. Some journalist can put the title "UBUNTU SUPPORTS ILLEGAL ACTIONS BY ENABLING TORRENT SOFTWARE" and you will have problems in US. It can be done for pretty much everything. Society wants absolute freedom and 0 responsibility for their actions.

enedene wrote on the 10 Dec 09 at 20:20
@AndrewLuecke
"The big issue is actually that installing external software in linux and managing it is a pain. Users shouldn't need medibuntu, what they need are universal packages that work on any distro they can download from the original creators websites."

I couldn't agree more with this statement. But I don't think we'll see this any time soon.

TWO wrote on the 9 Jan 10 at 20:46
If people are concerned about the legal ambiguity of using the restricted format codecs, then they can readily purchase the codecs from canonical:

http://shop.canonical.com/index.php?cPath=19&osCsid=27cc282bd9fb742a1846185703f 01ec9 to use with Ubuntu.

Either way, unless you buy a system with Ubuntu pre-installed like how Dell does, expect to always have to install these codecs manually as integrating them is against Ubuntu's software policy of using only free software.

But if this is too much of an inconvenience, and you're not overly concerned about the legal aspect, opt for Linux Mint which is exactly the same as Ubuntu, bar one or two tweaks and with pre-installed codecs and repositories to programs such as Adobe Reader and Google Earth.


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