Why is Fedora a multimedia disaster? - Here is why.

[Robin Laing]

Valent Turkovic wrote:
> I install a fresh Fedora7 (test 3) then run web browser and go to
> fedora magazine page - from there I download some video ogg files from
> it.
> 
> Why is it that when I click on the file I can't view the video? Player
> just crashes! And the default player is kamboodle! Why is that?!? That
> is the worst video player I have seen ever! On any platform!
> Opensource or not there is no excuse to put that player as the default
> one!
> 
> Fedora 7 experience was a bit better than FC6 one - because in FC6
> when I tried the same experiment I got an error message that ogg is a
> unknown format and system doesn't know how to open it!
> 
> Great! And that was an OGG file with 0% proprietary fibers in it :)
> How do you expect to get people to use linux as a destop when the MOST
> simple multimedia desktop scenario doesn't work!?!
> 
> If you can't play "official" video form redhat pages then this is a
> serious case of TERRIBLE multimedia desktop usability!
> 
> I know about all the great effort that has gone into fedora releases,
> and I love it. It is the best linux distro for me, but I know how to
> set it up, iron out the quirks that mess up the destop experience and
> configure it for optimal work/play flow.
> 
> But please, please make it a lot easier on non-geek people so that
> they can also use this great stuff called fedora. And belive me there
> are people wanting to do so, but they can't because we don't let them.
> They need some features to be enabled by default or else they won't
> know how that they even exist.
> 
> So please change the default video player to totem or something else,
> just NOT kamboodle because it just doesn't work and it sucks GUI vise.
> 
> Regarding proprietary video codecs RedHad developers just say
> something like this: "We talked with out lawyers and they said no."
> Ok? And? Where can we see this discussion? I know that you can't put
> MP3 support in fedora, but that you can't even put an link for some
> European server that has all the codecs? Lawyers say that RedHat can
> be sued even for puting links that enable multimedia. Ok, maybe I
> believe it but it is maybe possible that some one would sue, but
> hardly win that case.
> 
> But there are legal ways around that, you can put a text saying that
> it is legal to enable multimedia codecs only if you live in a country
> that doesn't have software patents - like I do.
> 
> It is possible if you want it - Ubuntu has shown that because they
> will be doing just that, and even a step beyond that. Ubuntu will have
> a Ubuntu for European market and other countries that don't have
> software patents (my country doesn't!) with all multimedia codecs
> embedded within the distro!
> 
> So please let's start the discussion because believe me there is a
> great  need for this because there are lot's media files that are
> every where (internet, youtube, divx rips of dvds, etc...) that people
> have a need to watch and listen.
> 
> Hope to hear from Fedora/RedHat developers and Desktop usability
> experts what are their opinions.
> 

Now I agree with your frustrations but with RedHat in the US, they are 
libel for so many ways of litigation that they are being overly cautious.

With all the Microsoft FUD, it is better to be safe than feed the FUD.

As for linking to an offshore WWW site, this has been discussed in the 
past.  In the case of DVD Jon and DeCSS and I believe 2600 web site that 
linked to the software.  They were found to be breaking the law and thus 
were found guilty.

You can search for more details.

There are many good sites that give the necessary instructions on how to 
install all the necessary software to make Fedora a fully multimedia 
capable computer.

Search the archives for this thread.
   Fedora/RH policies sometimes suck

You will see to what extremes RedHat goes to make sure there is no or 
almost no chance of litigation.  Heck, even OpenOffice has stuff removed 
to lower the chances.

You comments about Ubuntu are correct and I am looking at moving that 
way as well, at least for my home machine.  Even the RedHat/Fedora users 
here at work are also looking at moving away from Fedora due to some of 
the weird and wonderful changes that RedHat/Fedora do to software.

Now remember that Ubuntu is not located in the US so the laws affecting 
their business operations are much different.  There is no DMCA that can 
be used to sue someone for making a universal remote for garage door 
openers or generic ink cartridges.

As for being sued over codecs.  Microsoft has just lost a major court 
case on this matter over mp3's.  A codec that they had a license for. 
Microsoft was ordered to pay US$1.52Billion.  Yes that is with a 'B'.

   http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/02/23/yourmoney/msft.php

Now I don't thing RedHat has pockets this deep.

I have thought about this over the years and I would like RedHat to put 
other repositories in Yum that would make things easier but then there 
are issues with which repository and conflicts between repositories.

And as you also point out, what player is the best?  That is a personal 
preference.  Evolution is the default email client and I hate it with a 
passion even though it is the only one that will work with Exchange 
server (without pop or imap).

Maybe a commercial Multimedia upgrade to cover the costs of licenses. 
Of course many companies may not license to RedHat or any other Linux 
provider.

I hope you reported your problems with FC7T3 to bugzilla.

-- 
Due to the move to M$ Exchange Server,
    anything that is a priority, please phone.
Robin Laing