Ubuntu Wiki

• Launchpad Entry: https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/easy-codec-installation

• Created: 2005-11-02 by SebastienBacher

• Contributors: SebastienBacher

• Packages affected: rhythmbox, sound-juicer, totem

Summary

At the moment the messages about not supported formats have no indication on what codecs/packages you need to installation to be able to read the corresponding file. It would be nice to make easy for user to install the corresponding package.

Rationale

The current message is not useful for users, we should make it easy to play their files rather trying to explain what they are trying to do doesn't work on a fresh installation.

Use cases

• Frederic used to use window. He has a usbkey player with mp3 files on it. He plugs it on his new Ubuntu installation, a nautilus window is opened on it which is great. He doubles clicks on one of the file as usually and get this weird window saying that totem doesn't know about "mp3". He wonders why is that happening and what he has to do to play his files.
• Vincent who tried to play some movie trailers from the Apple website just got a window with no movie and a message saying that this format is not supported. He asks what to do to his friend Sebastien who installed the required package an they watched the videos. It should be easy to get that working without having to ask to somebody else what do to.

Scope

• rhythmbox
• sound-juicer
• totem

Design

Implementation

Code

Data preservation and migration

Outstanding issues

BoF agenda and discussion

Suggestions from VideoPlaybackRoadmap

ATM, when you try to play an unhandled video with totem, it tells you that he cannot found the corresponding plugin. What I suggest he must do is :

- Tell you what format you are trying to view and what plugin you need. - If available with apt-get, it must suggest "Install this plugin now", so you can install the corresponding plugin in one click. - If not available via apt-get for known issues (patents), it must explain why it is not avalaible and offer a "click here to know more" that send you to a page on this wiki (or on the website), telling you how to install w32codecs, libdvdcss, ... (it can perhaps download and install it automatically after asking you if you are in a country with software patents)

Another way is to have a standalone application that manage gstreamer plugins