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Mind you, Windows does install stuff without even asking. I guess - for a while - that's easier than typing a one-liner or clicking on items in a long list. (-:

And before you go on about lock-in to a single supplier (compared with Microsoft? Ahuk, ahuk...), you can add as many alternate package sources as you wish (GUI here, complete URPMI insructions here), some people have begun to notice how easy it is and even the putative lockers-in endorse it.

I contemplated moving from Mandrake to RedHat on my desktop machine after hearing all the good praises of RH 8.0. However, once I learned how to use urpmi from the PLF website, I chose to stick it out with Mandrake. PLF (and TexStar) packages software that the main Mandrake distro fails to include due to licensing issues and such. For example, just the other day I wanted to install gnapster. Previously in RedHat 6.2, I had to painstakingly search for RPMs and their dependencies at RPMFind.net or at google.com and hoped and prayed that the programs don't break any other software in my system. Urpmi (much like apt-get) made software installation so easy--less time-consuming, less mentally draining, less frustrating.

In fact, once I learned about urpmi, I questioned how LindowsOS was going to revolutionize Linux implementation with their supposed "easy to use" software installation system to install programs on-the-fly. Urpmi has got to be just as easy as that of Lindows software manager (although I haven't tested it). The only requirement on the user's side is to make sure to correctly include source sites of RPMs. Short of trying out 9.1 RC's, I cannot see how Mandrake will fold, even if they don't pull out of this bankruptcy.

Since urpmi.setup (see the web version) went into main, it will actually be even easier.

Just hope they install it by default and put an icon in the menu and Mandrake Control Center. Will mean urpmi is trivial to setup.

To those mentioning apt/apt4rpm, remember that you have to install non-RH tools to get this functionality. For people looking for an ultra-stable distro (apparently the only reason for subjecting yourself to RH), you would not want to install 3rd-party software that you don't need.

Mandrake comes with it's own tool, integrated into all the other tools (will RH-config tools install software via apt when it realises you need something? - I would guess not), plus the genhdlist tool to generate your own urpmi sources.

Plus, there are a number of guaranteed sources for additional software that can be used with urpmi, including all the commercial software that normally ships on the CDs at Mandrake Club.

Sorry, apt on RH just does not measure up to urpmi.

Plus, there are many advanced features (and more coming), such as parallel installation (via ssh for real networks or ka-run for clusters), usage of ssh or rsync for accessing urpmi sources, plus in 9.1 the ability to install (with solved dependencies) directly from a url (if you just want a few packages without setting up a source).

Finally, one important aspect security-wise, is that if you keep your urpmi sources current (specifically updates sources), Mandrake tools will always install the most up-to-date package, so you should never have an old (ie potentially compromised) package on your system.

Many cooker users and all the Mandrake developers keep their systems up-to-date with urpmi. Do RH developers use apt in-house daily?

Mandrake packages who's legal or licencing status is uncertain are not supplied in the distribution.

However, many are available (including mplayer) in Mandrake RPM format via PLF (the embarrassingly-named Penguin Liberation Front).

Instructions are even included for setting that site up as a URPMI repository ('urpmi' being Mandrake's equivalent to 'apt-get' - installation of packages, automatically resolving and installing dependencies). Note however, that some PLF packages require packages from Mandrake contrib repositories.

I would normally agree that switching distributions just to get an app (or class of apps) to work is a little nutty, but if you *REALLY* want to play videos, the plf rpms for Mandrake make installing quite a bit of video software for linux super easy (though I imagine there are apt-get repositories that do the same). All you need to do is go here to configure and add a urpmi source from one of the plf mirror sites, and it is literally as easy as "urpmi.update -a && urpmi mplayer".

Side note on what a kick ass program mplayer is: plays DVDs, mpg, wmv, mov (sorenson!), divx, xvid, on and on and on. Moreover, the low CPU usage is really quite incredible and makes it possible to watch DivX movies on my laptop that absolutely crawl on winders. Good stuff.

It seems like the UI annoyances Jamie Zawinski complains about with Mplayer are really quite trivial when you consider the immense benefits. I'm sure that there is a skin out there that would conform to the UI principles he wants (if not, how hard could it be to roll your own mplayer skin, especially for someone with his skills?). Find it. Use it. Stop complaining.

(OT: can we please cut the "JWZ" crap? Though I admire the things he has done for Linux, I think he seems to take himself a little too seriously, so when I see "JWZ" I'll think shortcut for "gee wiz", not that whining diva)

Visit PLF

-- Your friendly neighborhood karma whore.

And for urpmi (Mandrake) users simply configure urpmi to use the plf mirror nearest you. eg:

urpmi.addmedia plf http://ftp.club-internet.fr/pub/linux/plf/cooker with hdlist.cz

Then just type:

urpmi mplayer

(and maybe "urpmi mplayer-gui mplayer-fonts mplayer-skins" for the nice looking interface and extra skins!)

Once again it's the Penguin Liberation Front to the rescue for Mandrake RPS's of festival.

Um... don't know about RedHat, but Mandrake RPMS are signed. When you want to install packages from a different source, say, like Penguin Liberation Front, you'll get some warning about failing to verify the packages-signature.
To get rid of the warning and to verify the source, you'll have to add the public key of PLF to your root's keyring.

For multimedia Mandrake has an unofficial package site (they dont host it/or are affiliated in any official way) located at Penguin Liberation Front (TM). Silly name ;).

The packages are mostly plugins to xine/mplayer/gstreamer for codecs that arent free or the ones that mandrake doesnt feel safe to include(legal issues). So Divx/wma/dvd etc. shouldnt be a problem.

Other noteworthy stuff includes

Game emulators

Extra funky themes, an example is the KDE Liquid theme.

Various usable p2p apps.

And yet more stuff. The way it works is just like adding another source to your apt-get. Mandrake has a similar tool for rpm packages.

BTW you can upgrade to Mandrake 9.0, it's finished now.

I agree with the xine recommendation, have a look here: here it talks about mplayer, but you can surf down to the middle of the page. What you want is avifile -- grab that.

Have a look at section 4 of the Xine Faq about where to put them, and exactly which files your after.

How about this from our friends at Linux Liberation Front, the win32codecs (half-way-down(win32-codecs-1.0-1plf.i586)) all packed up for 'ya.

Enjoy!