What I don't like about Linux

[Clay]

I guess a lot of newbies can list something here.

I recently switched to Linux and I'm having problems with multimedia. I also am frustrated by a lack of detailed instructions to follow. Thank heavens for this forum!

(1) I have a Real Audio 8 Plug In, but my browser won't use it to play Netscape's radio stations. :-[

(2) I'm having trouble getting my XMMS to play online .wav files. Hopefully, someone here will guide me through it. I haven't been able to find any documentation to resolve the problem.

(3) My Mozilla browser, which came with RedHat 8.0, did not have a java plug in, so I couldn't use a Chat Room. I downloaded it. It wasn't hard, but Windows browsers come with java already, even if it is Microsoft java.

(4) The browser did not have a Real Audio Player plug-in, and I had to download it. As I stated above, the browser doesn't play the plug-in when I try to access Netscape Radio.

(5) I can't get my CD Player to play music CDs.

:-[

I didn't have such problems with Windows. Everything worked out of the box, or so it seemed.

Another thing I don't like about Linux is that documentation is often inadequate. Newbies, such as me, try to follow instructions when installing applications, but (1) we don't know the tar commands, and (2) sometimes the diections are lacking, or assume we have knowledge and experioence with Linux which we haven't yet acquired. >

Well, that's my venting for now!

[trommaster]

I guess a lot of newbies can list something here.

I recently switched to Linux and I'm having problems with multimedia. I also am frustrated by a lack of detailed instructions to follow. Thank heavens for this forum!

woo

(1) I have a Real Audio 8 Plug In, but my browser won't use it to play Netscape's radio stations. :-[

I can't seem to get to the radio url, what page are you playing from, and what does it say the specs are?

(2) I'm having trouble getting my XMMS to play online .wav files. Hopefully, someone here will guide me through it. I haven't been able to find any documentation to resolve the problem.

im working on it..... :P

(3) My Mozilla browser, which came with RedHat 8.0, did not have a java plug in, so I couldn't use a Chat Room. I downloaded it. It wasn't hard, but Windows browsers come with java already, even if it is Microsoft java.

Microsoft are proprietary bastards, they want you to use their products full stop. thats why ms java comes installed with doze, it means you can't use the sun one.
I think one of the reasons that java doesn't ship with linux is that it is a closed source product. and basicly it is 'morally incorrect' for distros to include it. this may be wrong - its just a guess...

(4) The browser did not have a Real Audio Player plug-in, and I had to download it. As I stated above, the browser doesn't play the plug-in when I try to access Netscape Radio.

see above comment on java

(5) I can't get my CD Player to play music CDs.

care to elaborate?

I didn't have such problems with Windows. Everything worked out of the box, or so it seemed.

but did you have the freedom that you have in linux? i don't think so...

Another thing I don't like about Linux is that documentation is often inadequate. Newbies, such as me, try to follow instructions when installing applications, but (1) we don't know the tar commands,

i learnt them, they're not really that hard..

and (2) sometimes the diections are lacking, or assume we have knowledge and experioence with Linux which we haven't yet acquired. >

experience is a big factor, i'd give it some time, soon you'll be a pro

Well, that's my venting for now!

feel better?
Alastair

[JimH]

1) This is not a Linux issue. The blame needs to be put on Real or Netscape for poor Linux support.

2) What do you mean by online. click a link on a webpage, play the file?

3) The Java license does not allow for redistribution. This is why it is not included in the distribution. The only way Red Hat would be allowed to ship it is if they were to pay a HUGE license fee to Sun

4) Same as number 3

5) Are you using KDE or Gnome? If you are using KDE you need to change the "output plugin" under options/preferences to "aRTS".

Jim H

[Clay]

Thanks for all the help. Really!

I could have started a topic about what I don't like about Windows, but I think everyone would have the same answers. Its buggy and expensive. AND - I don't like feeling like a software pirate if I install the same Windows package on 3 family PCs.

I'm not dissing Linux either. It is the OS of the future. AND - I'm writing from the perspective of someone who wants to cross over from Windows. I imagine my gripes are the same as those of others trying to do the same thing.

I LIKE Linux, and I'm not changing back. I do hope that different Linux packages take into account how lost people like me feel when we first take the plunge.

Now, back to my immediate problems. Let's keep them in perspective, too. They aren't crucial. I can survive with them! But, I sure would like to have my system doing the same thing it did with Microsoft's OS (other than crash). I'd hate to tell others that you can't do things with Linux which they do with Windows. Know what I mean?

Alastair, thanks for your help. I know you'll get me through the .wav plug-in problem. It is the same on Lindows and RedHat 8.0, so I wonder whether it could be a browser problem? I checked the Mozilla bug reports page, but didn't find anything about it. Netscape 7.0 does the same thing. Could be XMMS or the browser, maybe?

Here is one of the .wav files which won't play:

ftp://ftp.buffnet.net/pub/Annie_Wave...lyhaveeyes.wav

It downloads and XMMS Player appears, but then I get a page entitled "Load Files." It has three buttons on top entitled, "Create Directory, Delete File, and Rename File." I'm not sure why that page appears, or what I should do about it, but no music plays.

I am active on another Discussion Board, and I like to add links to music and relevant audio files in my messages. I can add them now while using Linux, but can't listen to them.

I will post about the CD Player later. It can wait. In the meantime, should I post "bug" reports, or complaints either to Netscape/Mozilla and Real Player, or all of them about Real Audio not working well? I would have thought someone else had mentioned it to them earlier, particularly with Netscape making its radio a big thing.

Thanks again!

Clay D

[JimH]

It doesn't play for me either. click the ink you posted, it opens Real, Real looks like it is playing the wav,. but there is no sound. Wierd. I have never tried to play .wav's off a website like that before.

[mugs]

The same thing happened for me, with Real. So, I saved it to my desktop and used XMMS to play it, and it worked fine.

[JimH]

Yep, that was the only way I could play it xmms too.

[Clay]

Hi Jim, mugs,

Jim, you can do some really nice messages on a discussion board with links to images, music, audio clips (like the 3 stooges), or to news stories. And there are some nice .wav sites online with big selections! there are also Real Audio sites, but that doesn't seem to be a problem for me.

It also went to Real Audio for me at first. But, I knew that was wrong, so I changed it. Alastair helped in another topic. I went to advanced and typed in XMMS in the application box. Alastair said that worked for him.

It didn't work for me, but I figure it must be a configuration problem. I'm hoping to find out what I've done wrong configuration wise.

[friskydrifter]

Alastair said that worked for her

mahahahahaha

[trommaster]

ARGH