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Ubuntu and Kubuntu 6.06 Multimedia and Plugin Tips

Multimedia and Plugins

Note: For some alternate instructions on getting multimedia stuff installed check out RestrictedFormats in the Ubuntu wiki.

Enable playback of mp3s in XMMS

  1. Enable access to more software packages
  2. Run this command:

    sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.10-fluendo-mp3

Enable playback of MPEG, ASF, and WMV movie files

  1. Install "w32codecs" (adapted from the Ubuntu PLF wiki page:

  2. Add the following lines to your /etc/apt/sources.list file:

    # For Java and w32codecs
    deb http://packages.freecontrib.org/ubuntu/plf/ breezy free non-free
    deb-src http://packages.freecontrib.org/ubuntu/plf/ breezy free non-free
  3. Update package list:

    sudo apt-get update
  4. Install "w32codecs"

    sudo apt-get install w32codecs
  5. Install more codecs:

    sudo apt-get install ffmpeg 
    sudo apt-get install streamer0.10-ffmpeg gstreamer0.10-gl
    sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.10-plugins-base
    sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.10-plugins-good gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly
    sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-multiverse gstreamer0.8-faac
    sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.8-faad gstreamer0.8-flac gstreamer0.8-lame
    sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.8-mad gstreamer0.8-vorbis

Easily install the Macromedia Flash Plugin for Firefox

  1. First, enable the Ubuntu Multiverse
  2. Run the following command:
    sudo apt-get install flashplugin-nonfree
  3. Restart Firefox and flash should now be working. Note: Websites requiring Flash 8 will not work because there is not a version 8 of Macromedia Flash for Linux yet.
  4. To get the plugin working in Konqueror do the following

    1. Click "Settings -> Configure Konqueror"
    2. On the left click on "Plugins"
    3. Under the "Netscape Plugins" heading click the "Scan for New Plugins" button.
    4. Click "OK", Flash should now work in Konqueror.

If you have problems downloading see What's up with macromedia Flash Player thread in the Ubuntu forums.

Get playback of MIDI files embedded in webpages working

  1. Install timidity:

    sudo apt-get install timidity
  2. Install mozplugger:

    sudo apt-get install mozplugger

Get Shockwave in Firefox working

Follow the Macromedia Shockwave Installation Guide in the Ubuntu Wiki.

Get PDFs to open in a separate window in Acrobat Reader (acroread) in Firefox with mozplugger installed

  1. Install mozplugger:

    sudo apt-get install mozplugger
  2. Install acroread:

    apt-get install acroread
  3. Mozplugger needs to be fixed to work with acroread.

    Open /etc/mozpluggerrc and replace:

    repeat swallow(documentShell) fill: acroread -geometry +9000+9000 +useFrontEndProgram "$file"

    with:

    repeat swallow(documentShell) fill: acroread "$file"

Get embedded WAV files working in Firefox

Install the newer version of MPlayer-Plugin for Mozilla from Debian.

Easily install Java plugin for Firefox

  1. Enable the Universe
  2. Update package list:

    sudo apt-get update
  3. Install the Java Plug-in which enables applets written to the Java Platform 5.0 specification to be run in Mozilla and other web browsers.

    sudo apt-get install sun-java5-plugin
  4. Restart any open Firefoxes you have running.

There you are. You should now have the Java plugin installed.

Use MPlayer for video files that don't play right

I have some WMV and ASF video files that don't seem to play right in any media player except MPlayer. So if you run into a video file that won't play correctly try opening it in MPlayer.

Easily Install Realplayer

See the Re: Installing Real Player 10 Gold The Right Way post in the Ubuntu Forums.