PunupTech

For some time, the folks at Ubuntu have been trying their best to make Granny — and most everyone else — happy. They’ve attempted to build a Linux distribution that’s easy to install, use, configure, and maintain — one that’s at least as easy as Windows, and whenever possible, even easier. As a result, Ubuntu is one of the Linux distributions that has been most directly touted as an alternative to Windows.

In this feature, I’m going to compare the newly-released Ubuntu 7.10 (codenamed “Gutsy gibbon”) with Microsoft Windows Vista in a number of categories. To keep the playing field as level as possible, I’m looking wherever I can at applications — not just in the sense of “programs,” but in the sense of what the average user is going to do with the OS in a workday. Sometimes the differences between the two OSes are profound, but sometimes the playing field levels itself — OpenOffice.org, for instance, is installed by default in Ubuntu, but adding it to Vista isn’t terribly difficult.

I tried to stick whenever possible with preinstalled software, although this rule sometimes had to be bent a little — for instance, to see what backup solutions were available for Ubuntu through its own software catalog.

Also, while I was tempted to compare Vista’s Aero interface to the Beryl window manager (which has a similar palette of visual effects), I decided that pretty graphics, while nice, had more to do with personal preference than efficiency. In addition, Beryl isn’t installed by default in Ubuntu, and Aero isn’t available on all PCs.

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Adobe Reader allows more securely view, print, search, sign, verify, and collaborate on PDF documents, online as well as offline, from your home or office. Reader has a completely redesigned interface, new tools, and new options for viewing information more efficiently. Access to an online, real-time meeting in seconds.

Reader is integrated with Adobe Connect software, which enables users to instantly communicate and accelerate approvals with virtually anyone, anywhere, at any time. Add more security to your documents, forms, and drawings with digital signatures. Leverage Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server and the new Adobe Online Services Document Center to enforce access rights at the document level. Version 8.1.1 includes unspecified updates.

Using medibuntu Repository

Medibuntu (Multimedia, Entertainment & Distractions In Ubuntu) is a repository of packages that cannot be included into the Ubuntu distribution for legal reasons (copyright, license, patent, etc).

Add gpg key using the following command

wget -q http://packages.medibuntu.org/medibuntu-key.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add -

Edit sources.list with new repo data

sudo wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/gutsy.list -O /etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list

Update the source list using the following command

sudo apt-get update

Install acrobat reader 8.1.1 with firefox plugin in Ubuntu

sudo apt-get install acroread mozilla-acroread acroread-plugins

This will complete the installation of

version 8.1.1
If you want to open acrobat reader go to Applications -> Office -> Adobe Reader

Once it opens you should see similar to the following screen here you need to click on accept the license 

Once it opens you should see similar to the following screen

Have Fun.

:)

MPlayer: A movie and animation player that supports a wide range or codecs and file formats, including MPEG 1/2/4, DivX 3/4/5, Windows Media 7/8/9, RealAudio/Video up to 9, Quicktime 5/6, and Vivo 1/2. It has many MMX/SSE (2)/3DNow(Ex) optimized native audio and video codecs, but allows using XAnim’s and RealPlayer’s binary codec plugins, and Win32 codec DLLs. It has basic VCD/DVD playback functionality, including DVD subtitles, but supports many text-baased subtitle formats too. For video output, nealy every exising interface is supported. It’s also able to convert raw/divx/ mpeg4 AVI (pcm/mp3 audio), and even video grabbing from V4L devices.

You need to add the following lines to /etc/apt/sources.list file or you need to make sure you have enabled Universe and multiverse repositories in /etc/apt/sources.list file

gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

enter these two lines and save your file

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy universe multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy universe multiverse

Now you need to run the following command to update the source list

sudo apt-get update

Install mplayer using the following command

sudo apt-get install mplayer

if you want to Open Mplayer just type

gmplayer

or

You can Open from Applications—>Sound&Video—> Mplayer Movie Player

Once it opens you should see the following screen

Installing libdvdcss2 and w32 video codecs in Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon

Support for WMV, RealMedia and other formats has been bundled into the w32codecs package. This package is not available from the Ubuntu repositories due to licensing and legal restrictions.

For Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon Users run the following command

sudo wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/gutsy.list -O /etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list

Now you need to copy the key using the following command

wget -q http://packages.medibuntu.org/medibuntu-key.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add -

Update the source list using the following command

sudo apt-get update

Install Codecs using the following command

sudo apt-get install w32codecs libdvdcss2

Using above download locations you can install most of the mutimedia codecs for ubuntu.

sudo apt-get update

Mplayer Plugin for Firefox

If you want to install Mplayer with plug-in for FireFox run the following command

sudo apt-get install mozilla-mplayer

:)

Another Way(Gui)

Configuring Synaptic Package Manager for installing MPlayer

To install MpPlayer on Ubuntu you will need to change the default repository settings of SPM as MPlayer is not contained in the default repository. To do this you will need to open the Synaptic Package Manager and you can do this via the System menu. If you haven’t changed the default Desktop of Ubuntu then the System menu can be accessed at the top left of your screen:

If all is good you will be prompted for a password.

Here you must enter your password (the same one you use to log into the system). If you don’t know the password then you have a problem and its probably caused by the fact that the computer you are using is not yours. In this case you have to find the computers owner and ask them for the password (which is usually not polite unless you know them well) or ask them to input the password while you look casually in the other direction.

Assuming the password entered is correct – you will now see the SPM open infront of you. It may be that you first see the following ‘Quick Introduction’ (this appears if you haven’t used SPM before).

Just click Close and move on. Lets look at the Synaptic Package Manager interface…

Lets not worry about the details of the interface for now. All we want to do is change the repository settings. To do this click on the Settings and choose Repositories

Now we get to where we can do some business. You should already have Canonical-supported Open Source software (main) selected :

Make sure that Software restricted by copyright or legal issues (multiverse) is checked :

Also make sure that Community-maintained Open Source software (universe) is also checked.

Now close that window by pressing the big close button at the bottom right.

Next, you will see a warning telling you the repository has changed :

Click the Close button and move on to SPM so you can refresh the repositories as the warning suggests. To do this, do as the warning says – click on Reload :

You should then get some feedback saying the repositories are being updated and showing the progress.

Installing MPlayer with Synaptic Package Manager

Now the real business. Its pretty easy. Click on the nice big Search button:

The search window will open and now enter ‘mplayer’ in the field:

Great. Now press Search at the bottom right of the above window. The search should not take very long and when it is complete you will see mplayer listed :

If you highlight mplayer (by clicking once on the name) you will see some information about mplayer displayed :

Now you can read the information if you wish but there is nothing critical there. Best thing to do is just to double-click on mplayer. By doing this you are ‘marking’ (choosing) the software for installation. If you do so then an additional window appears:

Now click Mark:

You have now told Synaptic Package Manager that you want to install MPlayer. If all is well then the package will be highlighted (if you click on another item you will see that MPlayer is marked in another color):

Now press the Apply button with the nice big tick next to it :

Next SPM informs you of how much space will be taken by the installation :

Now you can just click Apply at the bottom right of the screen and the installation will start. A progress bar will be shown:

When completed (downloading and installing) you will have this screen :

That means all is well. Pat yourself on the back and press Close. Synaptic Package Manager will then return to its original state. Close it :

Now you can open MPlayer…just browse to the Applications menu, choose Sound & Video, select MPlayer and release the mouse :

Enjoy

:)

 

Happy Ubuntuing

Mono under Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon – released in October 2007 is a good combination so I decided to Give the Installation Procedure after Trying.I will describe quickly the steps that you need to do in order to have Mono environment running.

1. Download the last Mono version(1.2.6) from here.You will need the Linux Installer for x86 at the bottom of the page.After downloading it you just have to click twice and it’s automatically started.
2. In order to make .aspx pages to work we have to configure and test the xsp2 web server.Detailed description that I followed can be found on Timani’s Blog.
3. You will need the MonoDevelop (1.8.1) environment for writing and testing applications.I find a good detailed installation guide from the How to Geek.You can follow the commands and install the last version.

You Can Also Install Mono From Add/Remove option in the Application menu in Ubuntu itself.The easiest way to install Mono and MonoDevelop is to go in Application-> Add/Remove then you choose Programming and just write in the Search menu above “mono”.Then you have to think/enable the mono and monodevelop installation and that’s all. The only problem is that it’s not always the last version.

Mono is Very Cool Tool FOr Building Applications Based on the Languages Like VB .Net,C#,j#,C++,Asp.Net etc.

Mono Screen Shot

:)