[TriLUG] Fedora core 8

Cristóbal Palmer cristobalpalmer at gmail.com
Sat Sep 29 01:09:32 EDT 2007


On 9/29/07, WA Brown <brownwa at ftc-i.net> wrote:
> I have installed Fedora Core 8.

That isn't out yet. I suggest you stick with 7 unless you have a
powerful reason to need 8 and know what you're getting into. Also,
they've dropped the "core" bit. It's just Fedora Project now.

> 1.Java does not work and I have installed it but it still doesn't work.

Which Java? Sun Java from the Sun website? All of Java? Just the JRE?

> 2.Streaming audio and video does not work.

What codecs? Proprietary ones? Fedora is every bit as zealous as
Debian in terms of being about Free as in Freedom. You won't find easy
support for proprietary codecs from Fedora. If you want Clicknrun, try
Linspire: http://www.linspire.com/products_cnr_whatis.php?tab=whatis

IANAL, but my impression is that if you want to flagrantly disregard
the DMCA and other such things, try Ubuntu and install the codecs you
need through the pointy-clicky interface.

> 3.Quicktime plugin does not work.

??

Use mplayer? http://www.mplayerhq.hu/MPlayer/releases/codecs/

Again, IANAL, but I believe use of mplayer, libdvdcss and other such
things is considered illegal by the people who have the money to sue
you. Why not stick to Free formats?

If you really, really want the non-Free stuff but don't want to pay
anything for it, this page has guidance for Ubuntu users that could
perhaps be applicable to others:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats

> 4.Other plugins will not work.

Which plugins? We can't help you if we don't know what plugins. Are
you on a 64-bit system?

> I know this is a general overveiw of some of the problems. I dont know
> why but these issues need to be fixed but I cant do it. Is there some
> help that I have missed?

With the possible exception of Java, nothing that you've cited above
is or should be "fixable" by the Fedora Project, assuming you're
talking about proprietary codecs and plugins. What you're calling
failures are the result of a conscious, principled stand on the part
of the Fedora Project to be on the side of Free Software and Free
Formats.

Interoperability with closed formats that are anti-consumer to begin
with is not a central concern for Fedora. That makes me very happy.
That's why I'll proudly wear a Fedora shirt. That's a big part of why
I respect Red Hat.

Don't bash on a not-yet-released OS that doesn't do what you want
because you're not its target audience. If you're going to level a
complaint, do it in the form of a bug report, or, better yet, offer to
help fix what you think is broken:
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/BugZappers

But again, I guarantee you that the rest of the Fedora Project is not
going to agree with you if you tell them that inability to play
quicktime files counts as broken.

DISCLAIMER: I work for ibiblio.org, which benefits from a partnership
with Red Hat and the Fedora Project. I'm also an Ubuntu user for all
my personal machines.

Cheers,
-- 
Cristóbal M. Palmer
celebrating 15 years of sunsite/metalab/ibiblio:
http://tinyurl.com/2o8hj4


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