A Few Small Issues

[linux]

I have a few small issues that I would love to get ironed out today or tomorrow, or some time in the near future.

1. MP3 Support
I understand that mp3 files aren't supported by default by audio players such as amaroK, but I followed a short tutorial at
http://winanga.wordpress.com/2006/03/18/amarok-mp3-support-in-ubuntu-dapper/
And put the terminal line in, which spit an error message back at me.

alex@alex-laptop:~$ sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly libxine-extracodecs
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Package gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly is not available, but is referred to by another package.
This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
is only available from another source
E: Package gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly has no installation candidate
alex@alex-laptop:~$

How can I install these plugins and get my mp3s to work again?

2. M4A and MP4 Support
I believe these types of files are also not supported. However, I remember reading somewhere about using these with some "faam" plug-in. Where/how can I get/install this plugin?

3. Synaptic Package Manager
Solved

4 (and final). Flash Plugin for Firefox
How do I install it, and why do the installers for all of these plugins fail when trying to install them? ie: Shockwave, etc.
Thanks for your time in reading this!

[jbennet]

Ubuntu?

Go into settings -> system -> software sources
*enable all repos and refresh them*

Go into add/remove programs in the gnome menu and install the package "ubuntu restricted extras"

Then open up Synaptic and install the Gstreamer codecs.

Install flash through Synaptic. Its named something like "flashplugin-nonfree". Java is there too

This will enable the MS media player formats, mp3 etc.....

check this page out:

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

DO NOT download LibdvdCSS in the USA. Its illegal.

[linux]

Hold on. The GStreamer plugins. Will those enable mp3 playback?

[linux]

Update: I installed ubuntu-restricted-extras, but I still can't play mp3s in Amorak. What did I do wrong?

I understand why I can't play my m4as, which I'd love to get sorted out, but mp3 should work.

And also, by following the tutorial here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PortableDevices/iPhone

I should be able to mount my iPod. However, I get this error when I try to mount it:

alex@alex-laptop:~$ sudo ipod-touch-mount
[sudo] password for alex:
Please add yourself to the fuse group, logout/in and try again.
alex@alex-laptop:~$

[John A]

For mp3 playback, you need the gstreamer0.8-mad package installed. For AAC (m4a), you'll need gstreamer0.8-faad .

Installing Flash is very simple. Download the tar.gz file from Adobe's website. If you're using Firefox, copy libflashplayer.so to your Mozilla plugins directory. If not, there is an installation script. Just make sure you close your browser before beginning installation. If you want to install Flash system-wide, you'll also need to authenticate yourself as root (prefix the script command with 'sudo').

As for Shockwave, sorry, it isn't available for Linux. You can however install wine, run the Windows version of Firefox using it, and from there install Shockwave. You'll have to run the Windows version of Firefox every time you wish to use Shockwave, however.

[jbennet]

you also want gstreamer-good, gstreamer-bad and gstreamer-ugly

[linux]

I installed EVERY gstreamer plug-in available from Synaptics. Should I reboot when I get home? Because after I installed them, I still couldn't play anything in Amarok.

Shit, maybe if I restart Amarok afterwards >.<

Hey, can you guys check the *NIX Software forum and check my post about iPod touch + Ubuntu 7.10? If you know anything regarding this, then please, please, PLEASE reply there. Thank you!

Anyways thanks for your mp3 / m4a help!

[jbennet]

try playing them in th rythmbox music manager

[linux]

I can play them in Rythmbox, but I can't in Amarok, even after restarting it. Every time I try, it gives me an error saying "Amarok can't play this file" "INSTALL MP3 SUPPORT" etc.

[jbennet]

wierd

[linux]

Do you know how I can fix it?

[jbennet]

dunno, i never use armarok , i just use rythmbox and totem

[linux]

Damn. I can't use those to sync my iPod with.

How do I add myself to fuse though? It tells me to:

alex@alex-laptop:~$ sudo ipod-touch-mount
[sudo] password for alex:
Please add yourself to the fuse group, logout/in and try again.
alex@alex-laptop:~$

[John A]

If you've installed all the necessary gstreamer plugins, then the problem is probably that Amarok isn't using gstreamer (I can't remember, but I don't think it uses gstreamer by default). In the settings window, there should be a configuration option that allows you to choose which sound engine you wish to use. Choosing gstreamer should fix the problem.

>How do I add myself to fuse though? $ sudo usermod -G fuse alex

[linux]

What the hell? gstreamer isn't shown in that window at all under Amarok!

[John A]

Hmm. It's using xine right now, isn't it? Try installing libxine-extracodecs . That should at least get mp3 support working.

[linux]

Oh great. Now my sound isn't working AT ALL. I rebooted last night (left it off all night) and then started it up right now, and this happened. I can't even play system sounds. Whenever I right click and try to open volume control, that window comes up. I used to be able to before this reboot.

And also, whenever I try to run a sudo command, it does nothing. For example, sudo apt-get install <insert application name> just brings me back to the prompt with alex@alex-laptop$.

What did I do wrong, and how can I fix it? Aaah.

[linux]

GREAT. In Applications, it's missing Add/Remove Programs, and also, in System > Administration, it's missing like 20 icons.

And also sound support is gone, and my ability to use any command with "sudo" before it fails to run.

What did I do wrong? And how, PLEASE how, can I fix this as soon as possible?

Also: alex isn't added to the sudeoers list, apparently... Is this my problem?

[John A]

>GREAT. In Applications, it's missing Add/Remove Programs, and also, in System >
>Administration, it's missing like 20 icons.

Your system sounds pretty far gone. Correcting the sudoers problem would be fairly straightforward, but that still wouldn't account for the missing applications or the strange responses from the terminal when running apt-get (if sudo was the problem, you would get a permission denied error when running "sudo apt-get").

Just wondering, could you post the output of the following command at the terminal:

$ cat /etc/sudoers

[linux]

Alright, actually I fixed this all on my own! As a 15 year old kid with NO Linux knowledge, I feel pretty damn awesome right now.

My solution:

1. Booted up the Ubuntu 7.10 Live CD that I burned to install Linux. Everything booted up fine.
2. Applications->Accessories->Terminal
3. sudo visudo /media/disk/etc/sudoers
(where disk is the name of my harddisk with the Ubuntu install on it)
4. Added a new line underneath root with the same thing as root, only with alex instead of root.
5. Rebooted

Everything works! All of my applications are back, etc.
And to fix my sound:
http://linux.dsplabs.com.au/no-volume-control-gstreamer-plugins-and-or-devices-found-no-sound-or-voume-control-bug-on-ubuntu-p31/

Brilliant tutorial, easy to follow.
I'm back up, and all I need now is iPod touch syncing support, which I'll work out eventually, if not today, sometime in the near future.

Thank you, everyone, for your support and helpfulness. Every one of my questions here is finally solved.
Thanks!

[jbennet]

it sounds to me like you corrupted the sudoer file. You ONLY EVER edit the sudoers file with the visudo command, NEVER vi, gedit or nano etc...

[linux]

That's what I read somewhere.

But why? What's so bad about vi(m) or nano?

[jbennet]

visudo decrypts and recrypts the file when opened/saved rather than just editing it as text

[linux]

I finally found what caused this.

When I added myself to fuse, it removed all of my other groups, including admin.

How can I use "sudo usermod -G fuse alex" with the -a flag (I think) to keep my groups and add fuse?

EDIT: Woohooo! I'm awesome. I put -a before -G and it worked. Then I logged out and back in, but still:

alex@alex-laptop:~$ groups
alex adm uucp dialout cdrom floppy audio dip video plugdev scanner [B]fuse[/B] lpadmin admin netdev powerdev
alex@alex-laptop:~$ sudo ipod-touch-mount
Please add yourself to the fuse group, logout/in and try again.
alex@alex-laptop:~$

What am I doing wrong here?

[John A]

>visudo decrypts and recrypts the file when opened/saved rather than just editing it as text
No. /etc/sudoers is not encrypted. No sane person opening a file full of encrypted gibberish would be foolish enough to modify it, for one thing. The actual reason visudo is supposed to be used when editing /etc/sudoers is purely safety: it provides a lock to ensure that only one instance of it can modify the file, and provides sanity and syntax checks before saving it, to prevent the user from accidentally locking themselves out from sudo due to an error in the file (and in the case of Ubuntu, sudo is the only way to get root).

>When I added myself to fuse, it removed all of my other groups, including admin.
My bad, I forgot the -a flag with usermod. I apologize for this, and take full responsibility for your system going bonkers. Congratulations on solving it on your own.

>What am I doing wrong here?
What happens if you run the command as root? I.e.

$ sudo su
[enter password]
# ipod-touch-mount

[jbennet]

you can modify users/groups with a gui. Should be under settings -> system. If not then its downloadable, probably called something like gnome-users

[linux]

alex@alex-laptop:~$ sudo su
root@alex-laptop:/home/alex# ipod-touch-mount
Please add yourself to the fuse group, logout/in and try again.
root@alex-laptop:/home/alex#

That's my output.

[linux]

(Also, can someone tell me why the package "ipod-convenience" won't update? Even in apt-get and aptitude, it won't update. It gets held back.)

[linux]

Well, I logged out and back in, and now mounting the iPod works, even without root access:

alex@alex-laptop:~$ ipod-touch-mount
root@192.168.1.200's password: 
alex@alex-laptop:~$

So I guess I'm good now! I just need to get gtkpod all set up with my music, and see if it all syncs!

Thank you all for your help! I might be posting again if this doesn't sync properly, however.