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The problem is that Schilling wants linux to behave exactly like Solaris' incomprehensable s,b,l format even though Linux has to support more devices and refuses to even read patches that make things easier for Linux users. It's at the point that if cdrecord accidentally supports something that doesn't look like the solaris way Schilling will add code to disable it.

Combine that with the fact that the DVD tools from Schilling are no longer open source and requires a License key The project has been forked.

If your having trouble with cdrecord I'd suggest using the alternate version instead.

The problem is that Schilling wants linux to behave exactly like Solaris' incomprehensable s,b,l format even though Linux has to support more devices and refuses to even read patches that make things easier for Linux users. It's at the point that if cdrecord accidentally supports something that doesn't look like the solaris way Schilling will add code to disable it.

Combine that with the fact that the DVD tools from Schilling are no longer open source and requires a License key The project has been forked.

If your having trouble with cdrecord I'd suggest using the alternate version instead.

while i applaud lindows and seagate for this, I personally use Ark Linux arklinux.com which does the auto-login thing that lindows does but in a safer way. Plus the fact that arklinux is community based is a big plus as well. the way lindows runs as root is just wrong, arklinux created a program called kapabilities that makes it simple to give a user access to certain configuration things. plus its one of the few linux distros thats apt-rpm based. its really hard for me to weigh in on lindows. sometimes they seem like a smart and helpful company and sometimes they seem SCO/Caldera like. still, anything that gets more people using linux on the desktop is great to see.

Ark Linux www.arklinux.com is an apt-get based red hat derivative linux that is very desktop oriented. its in its late alpha stages right now but is very stable. If you run debian testing its probably more than stable enough for your needs.. here is a link to a review of arklinux at extremetech ... It is very KDE-centric and uses the keramik/geramik theme sets to make kde and gnome look similar. I've been using it for months and its by far the best linux distribution ive ever used (and ive used them all)

I've been using KMPlayer almost exclusively since I began using Ark Linux a few months back. It's a desktop apt-rpm based distro and its great. It uses the Keramik/Geramik themes by default which gives the gnome and kde programs a mostly consistant look. Theres going to be a new alpha coming out soon, but they've been pretty stable for me. It's like debian without the excessive zealotry and instead of debs, rpm's, and instead of a crappy installer and configuration utilities, it lets you play tetris on the install! Anyways, it has KMPlayer in its apt sources list and its great (though I prefer kaffeine, the frontend for xine, for dvd's, as it does menus fairly flawlessly in dvd's) in conclusion, KMPlayer rocks (so help out the developer to make it even better :)

final is due out next week, also with KDE 3.1 and other goodies. Free to download

I've heard the free download will only be available once the boxed sets hit the stores. Given how long it's taken in the past, it could be a fairly significant delay. I'm more hopeful for Ark Linux, which is a non comercial desktop linux distro. I can both not pay for it, and not feel guilty!

.. might want to try looking at Ark Linux, the latest alpha of which was recently featured in an OS News interview.

Red Hat compatible RPMs, latest KDE (the CVS of 3.1.1), simplified configuration (looks a bit like WinXP, I'm tempted to see if my folks back home would like it), and the lead developer is Bero of Red Hat KDE and dvdrecord fame.

And did I mention Apt? :)