How to fix multimedia experience in Ubuntu 8.04

| User Environment | Ubuntu | Custom DVD | User Documentation | Linux Sound | Webcams | Video Streaming |

This procedure will improve overall multimedia experience for Hardy users.

Also see how to:

1. enable MP3, MPEG4, AAC, and other restricted encoding in FFmpeg
2. fix PulseAudio and add system-wide equalizer

Procedure

Install medibuntu keys

wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/intrepid.list -O /etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list
wget -q http://packages.medibuntu.org/medibuntu-key.gpg -O- | sudo apt-key add - && sudo apt-get update

Add medibuntu repositories

gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ hardy free non-free
deb-src http://packages.medibuntu.org/ hardy free non-free

Refresh repositories

apt-get update

Deinstall obsolete and low quality non-commercial packages

apt-get remove gnash gnash-common icedtea-gcjwebplugin libflash-mozplugin libflashsupport
               mozilla-plugin-gnash openjdk-6-jre openjdk-6-jre-headless openjdk-6-jre-lib swfdec-mozilla

Install core set of packages

apt-get install alsa-oss faac faad flashplugin-nonfree gstreamer0.10-ffmpeg gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad 
        gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad-multiverse gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-multiverse
        gstreamer0.10-pitfdll liblame0 non-free-codecs sun-java6-fonts sun-java6-jre sun-java6-plugin unrar

Install latest macromedia flash from adobe site

Correct any possible errors

apt-get install -f

Replace previous plugins with gecko media player

apt-get remove kaffeine-mozilla mozilla-helix-player mozilla-mplayer mozilla-plugin-vlc totem-mozilla xine-plugin
apt-get install gnome-mplayer gecko-mediaplayer

Audio/video conversion

apt-get install soundconverter oggconvert

DVD playback

apt-get install libdvdcss2 libdvdread3 libdvdnav4 vlc
apt-get install gxine libxine1-ffmpeg
gedit /etc/gnome/defaults.list

search for "x-content/video", then change the "totem.desktop" entries to "vlc.desktop"