“All you need to do is open the package manager, enable the multiverse repositories and install the ubuntu-restricted-extras package.”

Actually its easier than that:

Click the Ubuntu symbol, select add-remove applications icon, search for flash, install ubuntu-restricted-extras. (This also installs microsoft core fonts.)

http://packages.ubuntu.com/jaunty/ubuntu-restricted-extras

The only thing left is to enable DVD playback if you have a DVD player. A link with instructions is included on the same page listed above.

I was a dedicated Windows user from 3.1 through every iteration of Vista, and I don’t remember a single install or upgrade that didn’t take hours, and result in some program or utility being trashed or changed from the way it was working nicely before.

In contrast, my install/changover to Ubuntu (on an old XP level box similar to yours) went smoothly and cleanly, and everything worked again when I rebooted, including a hard drive that WinXP couldn’t find anymore.

Every OS change (MS or otherwise) requires downloading new drivers, latest patches, and checking for compatible versions of software. To write something that implies that this is solely a problem with Ubuntu is irresponsible at best.

The distro I used was the very latest from the Ubuntu page.

I am sure that with a good deal of messing around I could rectify most of the things I did not like, but, I do not class myself as an expert, and would have to go through a learning curve. These days I am a reviewer not a computer guy, the computer is just a tool.

If I want to bang a nail in the wall I would buy a hammer, I am not a master craftsman and I know that the only thing I will ever use the hammer for is banging nails in the wall, a dollar store hammer work fine, I do not need the caddilac I just need the Yugo. Likewise I do not need a hammer that comes with a 1000 page instruction manual, it is overkill for the job.

I understand that fonts are proprietary, however little care seems to have been taken to try and remain similar. The most glaring example from yesterdays adventure was displaying this very site. The font we use for the main body of articles is without question a sans serif font, yet firefox displayed it in a serif font.

Do not get me wrong, I am sure that Ubuntu is a very fine OS, and the issues that I encountered would be considered cosmetic defects that could be fixed by someone with expertise.

Under different circumstances I would be happy to tinker and learn, however I flat out do not have the time. Every hour that my ‘tool’ is broken is an hour where I am not earning money, so I had to cut my losses and revert back to a system that I knew would work.

Simon

ttf-bitstream-vera
ttf-dejavu
ttf-freefont
ttf-liberation
ttf-ms-fonts

I’m not currently using Ubuntu so these will be a little different there. Add artwiz-fonts ppants for designer fonts. The ttf-ms-fonts are the Microsoft fonts the same that Simanek suggested. For Firefox you need to edit the configuration Edit > Preferences and set your fonts. I suggest going to:

http://www.danielgreene.com/fontprop.html

And looking at font-size medium to set a good base font size. If Ubuntu doesn’t work out for you consider Fedora - a very good popular distro too. Their font rendering is a bit different than Ubuntu’s so you might want to look at this post if you decide to try it:

http://fedoraforum.org/forum/showthread.php?t=224944

The fonts you are looking for are most likely the standard Microsoft TrueType kit of Times New Roman, Helvetica, Georgia, etc. Ubuntu cannot legally be distributed with those fonts pre-installed. However, they are legal and easy to install after you’ve installed Ubuntu. Linspire, as a commercial distro, probably came with those fonts out of the box.

Second, your comment about finding a download site suggests that you didn’t download the latest version of Ubuntu from ubuntu.com. Can you tell us which version of the distro you installed? You could be using 5.04 or 7.10. You aren’t specific in the article, but any bugs that you are experiencing could be a well known bug of an outdated version. You might even be using a version of Ubuntu that is older than your Linspire system.

Here’s the official download page:
http://www.ubuntu.com/GetUbuntu/download

Third, I’m wondering if you are indeed using an older version of the distro with an older version of Firefox. On the latest versions of Ubuntu the installation of the Flash browser plugin is only a matter of pressing a few buttons.

The lack of specifics in this article are very frustrating. If you had paid money for the system in question I could understand you being irate, but since this a free and open source software distribution I am not sure what you hope to accomplish by publishing such a shallow and uninformed statement.

If the latest version of Ubuntu is still unsatisfactory for you, you might want to try Linux Mint. As I understand it they include things like Flash and fonts as part of the default install.

http://www.linuxmint.com

Good luck. I hope you find an updated Linux distro that fulfills your needs as well as Linspire.

The new MAC commercials r great!
PC sucks! Lol