EasyUbuntu not being easy

[Odyssey]

This must the fourth time I have tried to get audio set up in a Linux computer and I still find it a slog. Have d/l'd EasyUbunut to my desktop and clicked on it to do the install (having run the shell command mentioned on the download page). It set up an Applications/System Tools/Easyubuntu which I clicked on. It asked me for my password and then disappeared.

Repeated and got same result.

Both Trev and Gina mentioned ticking the checkboxes they wanted. How did you get to the screen offering you the selection?

[Gina]

I have not really used EasyUbuntu I'm afraid. I used ... now what did I use?? ... trying to remember... Think I used the command line - just two or three lines. Anyway, I added the Medibuntu repository then installed the GStreamer utils and w32codecs. Once you've got the Medibuntu repository added to your list, Totem and others will ask you to install the libraries when you try to open an MP3, WMA etc. file. From then on music playing is fine. Other apps work too. The latest Ubuntu - 7.04 - is a big improvement in this respect.

I'll post the info again shortly. In fact, it could do with a separate HowTo.

I'm in the process of setting up a website containing all the basic HowTo's - I feel this could be useful as, although all the info is out there, it's not always easy to find. I'll still continue posting answers here though (and no doubt, questions too :lol )

[Gina]

As a start, here's the link to Medibuntu :- https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Medibuntu

Once you have added the Medibuntu repositioy and (for later convenience and safety) the check code, you can use Synaptic to install what you want. Or let Feisty Fawn choose them for you.

More on this later...

[Phaedrus]

I`ve installed EasyUbuntu on 3 machines and know others who have installed it. In all cases it installed fine. Added to the menu etc. Once clicked it should launch the Easy Ubuntu interface and its simply a matter of ticking the boxes for the codecs etc that you require. The only issue I have come across with it is sometimes you have to add one item at a time (on other machines you can tick everything in one go).
Sounds like the interface isn`t launching? Have you tried to remove and reinstall it?
I`ll have a look round today to see if its a known thing. If it still doesn`t work then it looks like you`ll have to use a different method to install your required codecs.
Keep us posted.

Trev.

[Phaedrus]

OK looks like you`re not on your own Odyssey :rolleyes:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=easy+ubuntu+won%60t+launch%3F&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a

Not had time to read any of that lot yet. Hope its a solvable issue coz EasyUbuntu is the simplest method... when it works :lol

Trev.

[Gina]

Ah yes, I remember now... I installed EasyUbuntu when I was running 6.06 (Dapper) and ticked the boxes and let it find and install things one at a time. I never did quite get everything working in Dapper but all OK with Feisty and using the command line to add Medibuntu.

I'll see what I can find out.

[Gina]

Just been to the easyubuntu website and only Dapper and Edgy are stated as supported. About to install it and see what happens.

It doesn't work! :( I get no response from the menu and trying command line I get gina@gina-laptop:~$ easyubuntu
Unable to determine desktop environment, falling back to gksudo
/usr/lib/easyubuntu
When you get a 'Password: ' prompt, type in your user password.
System sanity check: PASSED!
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "./easyubuntu.in", line 81, in <module>
main()
File "./easyubuntu.in", line 75, in main
gtkfrontend.launcher(datadir, confdir, userPackageListPath)
File "/usr/lib/easyubuntu/EasyUbuntu/gtkfrontend.py", line 208, in launcher
pkglist = minidom.parse(os.path.join(datadir,userPkg))
File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/_xmlplus/dom/minidom.py", line 1915, in parse
return expatbuilder.parse(file)
File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/_xmlplus/dom/expatbuilder.py", line 924, in parse
fp = open(file, 'rb')
IOError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/usr/lib/easyubuntu/packagelist-feisty.xml'
gina@gina-laptop:~$

So it looks like the current version of EasyUbuntu is not compatible with the Feisty version of Ubuntu :(

All I can suggest is adding the Medibuntu repository and it's GPG check to your repository list. Feisty will then prompt you for installing the required codecs and libraries when you try opening a media file. If you've installed EasyUbuntu and followed their instructions you should already have the Medibuntu GPG code installed.

[Phaedrus]

Its a known issue. This fix might work for you:
By going into the /usr/lib/easyubuntu directory and copying packagelist-edgy.xml to
packagelist-feisty.xml will successfully launch.

Oh! if you haven`t got a packagelist-edgy.xml in your /usr/lib/easyubuntu directory I have uploaded mine and will pm the link if you need to download it.

Trev.

[Oldun]

Gina , if you can find the time to set up a " How To " File I`ll be your friend for life :)
I sure quite a few of us will find it invaluable .

[Gina]

OK I'll see what I can do :)

I have the makings of a HowTo but before publishing it as final I shall need to test it out on a clean install to make sure everything is there from using the instructions - my current installations have been messed about with so much I've lost track :lol

Here's the first attempt...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
How To Play Proprietary Format Media Files in Ubuntu

Because these formats require proprietary software to play them and this software is not free in the GPL sense, this cannot be provided in the Ubuntu distribution for legal reasons. However, there is Community support for these formats but you have to add the repository yourself. Here is a quote from the appropriate documentation :- 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).

Adding the Repositories
First, add Medibuntu's GPG key to your system's list of trusted APT keys.
wget -q http://medibuntu.sos-sts.com/repo/medibuntu-key.gpg -O - | sudo apt-key add -

Next, add Medibuntu's external sources.list. Make sure to use the correct sources.list that corresponds to your current distribution. This is for Feisty.
sudo wget http://medibuntu.sos-sts.com/sources.list.d/feisty.list -O /etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list
(The above all on one line)

Finally, update APT's package information to acquire information about packages in the Medibuntu repository.
sudo apt-get update

----------------------------------------------------------------------

I think I'll probably use my no.3 PC for testing - I don't want to upset either my main desktop or laptop (not enough HD space for multi-boot on the laptop anyway). The old desktop has nothing particularly useful on it and can be used entirely for testing (assuming it's up to Feisty).

[Odyssey]

Have just returned from short trip to find all the great info.

Trev, there does not appear to be a directory by that name in the /lib, so if you would be so kind as to let me have the link, I would be much obliged.

Gina, since I have already installed Easyubuntu, will try Trev's method first and then Medibuntu if that fails.

In any case, your diligent work on this looks very good indeed and no doubt will be helpful to anyone attempting to do this. :beer

Edit: P.S. The how-to for those of us at a somewhat similar stage sounds better and better to me. Will start a new thread on this.

[Gina]

I had in mind starting a new thread once I'd finished writing the HowTo.

... So much to do - so little time ...

[Odyssey]

I know what you mean. My to-do list is longer than the wait for a new beer at the pub.

[Odyssey]

WooHoo! I had already forgotten what a right royal time-consuming pain it is to install Windoze, all the necessary security proggies, browsers, mail, etc.

Give me Ubunutu. I would rather be solving new challenges than forever repeating the same old stuff