Desktop Linux: When and how to add proprietary software
Linked by David Adams on Tue 27th Jul 2010 07:35 UTC, submitted by sjvn
Linux Some people hate the idea of adding proprietary software to their desktop Linux. For these people, there are Linux distributions such as gNewSense that use only free software. For the rest of us, who use distributions such as Fedora, openSUSE and Ubuntu, there are times we either want to, or feel forced to, add proprietary programs such as Adobe Flash or Skype or the ability to play proprietary audio and video formats such as MP3 or commercial DVDs to your Linux desktop. Here's how to do it.
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nt_jerkface
Member since:
2009-08-26


H.264 is deeply, deeply, entrenched outside the web. In theatrical production, broadcast, cable and sattelite distribution, cellular, home video, industrial and military applications.

The MPEG LA licensors are dominated by manufacturers, and in particular the Asian mega-corporations like Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and Mitsubishi. Google is big, but not that big.


You obviously haven't read the OSNews guidelines on acceptable H.264 opinions.

Here is an example of an acceptable opinion:
H.264 is the product of an alliance of evil and I hope Google destroys this alliance with (latest favored open source codec).

Any opinion that deviates too far from this position will be modded down.

Now OSNews readers please vote parent down to teach him a lesson.

Reply Parent Score: 1

westlake Member since:
2010-01-07

H.264 is the product of an alliance of evil and I hope Google destroys this alliance with (latest favored open source codec).

That is - a little - unfair. The problem is that the geek is web-centric. The problem is that the geek expects the world to turn on a dime.

For example, production and marketing decisions for this year's back-to-school and Christmas shopping seasons have been made - and we are already into the next cycle.

The "Flip" pocket camcorder that supports WebM is at least two or three years down the road. It may never happen.

Reply Parent Score: 1

Zifre Member since:
2009-10-04

nt_jerkface, please stop being a troll, and please make your name less self-descriptive.

You really never add anything to the discussions, you just troll. It's okay to have a different opinion about something, but please be nice about it. Most OSNews commenters seem to do that fine - the people on this site are much smarter and more respectful than any other site I know of. So please don't be a jerk.

And, I don't quite see how the part of the parent comment that you quoted is opinion. He simply stating the fact that it will be very hard for anything to overcome H.264 because it is so ubiquitous. And that's true. (And this is coming from one of the usual open source advocates.)

Reply Parent Score: 2

nt_jerkface Member since:
2009-08-26

My post was sarcasm, sorry if you didn't catch that.

His post was originally voted down to -2.

Reply Parent Score: 2

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