Neowin.net

I haven't read it yet but I'm sure you can install XMMS

You can simply install XMMS and/or drop the mp3 encoder.

I guess that was too hard for the writer.

Ah, yes.... The Wonderful World of Patents. The mp3 encoding algorithm must be licensed, so on a free (as in freely distributable and installable) distro, this becomes an issue that is potentially litigable.

So, this comes from a combination of two philosophies: "software patents are good" and "suing companies for money in a 'litigation lottery' is good".

I was gonna look for an e-mail address so I could tell the guy off about this. He's written so many articles, yet he obviously has no clue that nearly all distros don't include mp3 playback, not just the red hat he claims is the ONLY other one...

I read the whoe article and it doesn't seem like he is any more than a linux noob anyways. Installing the mp3 codec really isn't that hard...especially on distros such as suse and red hat which have package managers

found his e-mail...I'll respond to his ignorance

Here's a copy of the e-mail I'm sending him:

I was given a link to an article you wrote about Suse 9.3 pro. I must say I was very disappointed in the writing of this article. I see you've written many more, but I can not be bothered to read them. It became apparent that you really know very little about linux itself and the reasons some packages are included and some are excluded in different distros. A little bit of ignorance like that I can get past, however when you mentioned the mp3 playback being lacking you tipped the scale. MP3 playback is missing from 90% of the distros out there now and to say Red Hat's the ONLY one without it is horribly wrong. Fraunhofer now requires licences to distribute his mp3 codec. Distros either have to pay for a licence or simply not include it in their distros. Most opt to not include it because it is so blatantly easy to install afterwards. I have no idea why you complain that it's hard to install the mp3 codec. It is one of the easiest things (possibly THE easiest thing) to do in linux and if you can't master that then I suggest you re-evaluate your knowledge of the linux operating system.

Last edited by 26264 on 06 Apr 2005 - 18:52

he responded. He really seems like an egotistical idiot. Still deciding whether or not to respond back to him:

Thanks for the wonderfully worded email. I love being insulted right from my inbox. I mean, I didn't even have to venture out and piss on someone's shoes to get it either. Makes my day. Truly it does. Now, on to more important things...

I think before you start insulting someone's intelligence, perhaps you should get a little time in with the distro in question. Have you used this distro yet? Considering the fact that it's not available to the general public yet _and_ judging by your misguided comments here, I'd say you haven't seen anything past a screenshot or two. It would have also done you good to dig through my older reviews of SUSE because, surprisingly enough, you'll find that I really love that distro. Matter of fact, I've been known to enjoy Fedora as well... which as you know has also crippled MP3 playback (although easily cured in that case). In any case, I like SUSE, always have, always will. Got that?Ok.

On that topic, name some distros that don't support MP3 playback? Since I tipped the scales so badly please correct me. What other distros have been crippled like that? Gentoo? Slackware? Ubuntu? which ones? Maybe I've been missing something here. I've sat in front of so many distros it would make your head spin... and not once have I seen this problem before. Please enlighten me since your knowledge level is so much higher than mine....

Now, let me explain _again_ that they've crippled media support in such a way on this release that it's completely unreasonable. Sure, I fixed it, but it was not worth the time it took to do so. I review desktop distributions for a living and the main goal of a desktop distro is primarily ease of use, and in this case, SUSE got a big black mark for what they did to the media foundation of this release. Sure, it's crippled in Fedora, but not to this extent. I said this in the review but still people either don't seem to listen or didn't really read it in the first place. It's one thing to not ship your distro with MP3 playback support (or whatever media format they choose) to avoid the possibility of Fraunhofer Institute legal action... but it's an entirely different thing to attempt to block it from ever being installed. Sure, most of us can work our way around it, but considering that SUSE publicly states that the majority of their target audience is new users... do the math. It's not hard. Basic human nature dictates that you've got a very limited period of time to get someone's attention, sometimes only a matter of seconds. Marketing 101. Novell/SUSE knows this, and I have a strong feeling it will be remedied fairly quickly. In the mean time, media functionality is broken.

Regarding Linux knowledge, rather than immediately insulting my intelligence, why not prove yours by offering some real information such a quick fix for the simple end user? Seriously. That's what this is really all about in the end: the end user. Do you think I review these types of distros for developers? Hell no. This is a distro aimed at simple end users. Novell has said so itself. Sure, we're all going to be super impressed because you can compile software from source or you can roll your own RPMs or <insert extraordinary super power here> but can you stop to look at this issue from an end user perspective? I can. I work with them all of the time and I hear the same things about Linux over and over. I am their voice. Computer geeks in most cases do not have the best interest of the consumer at heart, and it shows. I am trying to point out those things that will frustrate end users. Period. It's really that simple.

That being said, until you can go to the bookstore and find your name on the front cover of popular Linux books I'd watch who you're telling to re-evaluate their knowledge of anything. If you don't like what you've read, move one. Don't read it. Either that or do as I said, read my other SUSE columns. I really do like this distro. I just hate to see it put in this state because in the end it means that less consumers will really enjoy it and pass it along.

Have a nice day.

Adam

Actually, he did a pretty good job of making you look like the jerk that you are. His points are extremely valid for the intended audience for SuSE 9.3, and all you did was misinterpret the intentions of the review, then attack him personally.

You got exactly what you deserved.

Don't respond back.... Unless you want to be humiliated once more...

But for the love of god, if you do and he replies to you, please post his reply!!! I have a sadistic taste for people been humiliated

QUOTE

That being said, until you can go to the bookstore and find your name on the front cover of popular Linux books I'd watch who you're telling to re-evaluate their knowledge of anything.

I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh, but he really did get you there

Well, just want to point out that at the time of the review, the guy did not have the required repositories set up to access the updated media files to fix the mp3 playback, but now he does and he's written an addendum to his review on the last page. The fix is no harder than simply updating the packages affected.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trackback

What Linux distro isn't better then Windows?

All. If it were, we'd all be using Linux.

Come on... Let's avoid trolling, people....

Linux itself is free. But they can charge for the CD/DVD, Box, Printed Documentation, etc. though.

They are can also change for the installer (assuming they don't use an open source installer). Most people would not be able to install Linux without its installer, so there you go...

^ Interesting, I did not know that. Learn something new every day!

Nonononononon!

You guys have misunderstood bigtime. They can charge whatever they like for any open source application they bundle. There are no restrictions in the GPL, BSDL or LGPL that states that you cannot charge for the software. What they cannot do, however, is making copyleft code (GPL etc.) non-free (as in freedom) aka. proprietary.

But they also have to provide the source code when requested.

That's why Linux distros are free. Sure something like RHEL costs money, but there are so many RHEL distros that just requested the source code and recompiled without redhat's logos so they could redistribute.

Also most big distros are selling support with your software if you decide to buy from them.

They have to provide the source code IF that source code is derived from other GPL software. If they make their own installer (app, library.. whatever), they can charge what they want for the distro, the installer (app, library.. whatever) is not free and they do NOT have to make the source available.

QUOTE

They have to provide the source code IF that source code is derived from other GPL software. If they make their own installer (app, library.. whatever), they can charge what they want for the distro, the installer (app, library.. whatever) is not free and they do NOT have to make the source available.

True, if they use an independent non-GPL installer to install Linux, they can withhold the code for that installer, but they must still release their version of Linux. If they use GPL code, and "tweak" it, they must release that code. If they don't then they are violating the GPL and no longer entitled to distribute the code at all.

SUSE doesn't lack multimedia funcationality, really. They just cannot freely distribute the MP3 algorithm due to the specific license that the MP3 code is under. If you believe you are properly licensed, you can add it yourself easily enough.

I guessed you missed this part:

Many people were upset over the comments I made about the lack of system-wide MP3 support in SUSE LINUX 9.3 and I would like to clarify the issue with MP3 support. Since the writing of this review, SUSE has made multimedia updates available for the 9.3 release allowing full control back to the end user.

Oops.

looks like my comments finally reached him

So you told him about the YOU update to fix the issue? Somehow, I doubt it based upon the email that you sent him.

the YOU update's not new at all. Granted it isn't on the american server for some reason, it is not new though

QUOTE

the YOU update's not new at all. Granted it isn't on the american server for some reason, it is not new though

Dude. Not new? The dates on the patches are yesterday (If you had even thought to look). The updates are indeed VERY new and were NOT available when he wrote the review.

Maybe it was too many options/choices. Some Windows users expect to be told "this is your system", and wonder why there are 6 different text editors, 4 different browsers, and so forth.