I have installed ubuntu on my laptop,and am online via a router, and I am very happy at how well it runs.

However, I tried to play an mp3 CD ,and I get a message telling me that a plugin is needed in order that the CD may be played......so I click on "OK".....and nothing happens....

Can anyone please tell me how and where to find these plugins,and how I can know that they are the correct things needed.....?

Let me add this.....I am not a geek and do not speak or read geek.....so any explanations will need to be in simple, plain English......in fact, if answering, please assume that I barely qualify as a computer cretin!

Edited February 11, 200719 yr by ronw

Because of licensing restrictions, MP3 and other popular codecs aren't included in Ubuntu by default, but they are easy to install:

1) Enable Universe and Multiverse repositories:

Basically System->Administration->Software Sources then check Universe and Multiverse

https://help.ubuntu.com/6.10/ubuntu/desktop....html#id2580924

2) Install Restricted Formats

All the details are here:

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

Basically open a terminal and copy+paste this command in (it's one long line):

sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.10-pitfdll gstreamer0.10-ffmpeg gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad-multiverse gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-multiverse gxine libxine-main1 libxine-extracodecs ogle ogle-gui

Detailed instructions:

- Highlight the above text (from sudo->ogle-gui) in your browser and press CTRL-C

- Open Applications->Accessories->Terminal

- Hold down CTRL and SHIFT together and press V (or use Edit->Paste)- the text should appear in the terminal

- Press Enter, input your password if requested, and confirm the install by typing Y+Enter when asked.

- Once you get the command prompt back it's finished and you can type exit + Enter to close it.

Now you should be able to play mp3s (and some other stuff)

The Ubuntu Desktop Guide has loads of easy how-to's:

https://help.ubuntu.com/6.10/ubuntu/desktop...de/C/index.html

I used Ubuntu for a while. I installed "Easy Ubuntu" and got all those codecs, and a bunch of other stuff too.

http://easyubuntu.freecontrib.org/

I tried your solution Silvero but after doing an apt-get update your script gave me "Couldn't find package gstreamer0.10-pitfdll" I play MP3's with "XMMS" available with 'Administration' - 'Add application' and it works great...

Colin

I don't know why that might be but that package isn't necessary for mp3s anyway.

Glad to hear it's working.

I tried your solution Silvero but after doing an apt-get update your script gave me "Couldn't find package gstreamer0.10-pitfdll"

Colin

And I get exactly the same thing..................Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! what to do next?

The information is straight from help.ubuntu.com and it works fine on my system so I'm not sure

@ronw if you got the same error as Niloc then your mp3's should be working already.

What version of Ubuntu are you using? I believe this should work for 6.10 and 6.06 but I've not checked the older releases.

First, double check that step 1 was successful by opening System->Administration->Software Sources and make sure the top three boxes are already checked.

Then check that the system has reloaded the repository information, open a terminal window and type or paste this command:

sudo apt-get update -o Acquire::http::No-Cache=true

If you have any errors then repeat.

Then try the command in step 2 again.

If it still doesn't work, then try downloading it from here:

http://mirror.in.th/ubuntu/archive/pool/mu...buntu3_i386.deb

double-click the package and select Install

The package which is causing difficulty is for playing some Windows codecs. There is another package which you can use for WMV, WMA and RealMedia which won't cause any problems, I recommend you install it anyway:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Restricte...s/WindowsCodecs

Open a terminal and copy/type these two commands:

wget -c http://www.debian-multimedia.org/pool/main/w/w32codecs/w32codecs_20061022-0.0_i386.deb

sudo dpkg -i w32codecs_20061022-0.0_i386.deb

Edited February 12, 200719 yr by silvero

We are using Ubuntu 5.10 and the command "System->Administration->Software Sources" does not exist on this system.

I have seen it but I am not sure where, I am going around to Ron's house tomorrow and will fix him up with XMMS which works for me no problem...

Yes, if you are using 5.10 that would explain it!

The equivalent process for 5.10 is:

1. Enable universe and multiverse in Synaptic Package Manager as per this link:

https://help.ubuntu.com/5.10/ubuntu/faq/C/f...#addinguniverse

2. Install the codecs using the Synaptic Package Manager as per here:

https://help.ubuntu.com/5.10/ubuntu/faq/C/s...ies.html#codecs

just search for each one and select it, once you have selected all of them apply the changes

3. You can use the same instructions from my last post for w32 codecs, it should work fine.

This installs codecs for a wide range of multimedia files, if you just want mp3 then I'm sure Niloc's solution will sort it.

Please upgrade to Dapper or Edgy (6.10).

Once you do, one of the great joys is the Thai mirror (mirror.co.th) for Ubuntu & applications, which is fast, and you can get all you need, with no futzing with S/N and the like. Seamless. Begone Bill! Steve!

Tks to all in this forum for showing me the way.