Dvd ready distro

[VoiDeR]

Are there any distros that are all setup and ready to play encrypted dvd's. Im going to install linux on my sisters laptop before she goes to collage and i cant get Debian to play dvd's. Ive install libdvdcss and the 3 other libdvd* files. I would prefer it to have a good package manger like apt or emerge or something so i can easily install software for her while shes away.

Thanks
VoiDeR

[Icarus]

I've heard that SuSE offers the support, and I know that Gentoo handles it well (have dvd in your USE flags)

It shouldn't be difficult to get it running in Debian, that is unusual. Any Debian users have a tip for DVDs?

[Sgood1971]

Originally posted by Icarus
I've heard that SuSE offers the support

My install of SuSE 9.1 Pro will not play encrypted DVD's without installing additional components. I have not looked to see what they are because I have no need for it. I only tried once out of curiosity and found out it wouldn't do it. They cite "Legal Reasons" as why they do not include it.

[andysimmons]

SuSE and Fedora Core 2 are ready to go (FC2 may require some yumming first).

[rocketpcguy]

fedora will need a lot of yumming, by default it doesn't even play mp3s. also, it uses gnome by default which your sis won't like much, so choose kde in the login screen.

[AndrewLubinus89]

In gentoo it's just an emerge libdvdcss and a quick edit of /etc/devfsd.conf (or something like that) to add a symlink to /dev/dvd. But gentoo's probably not that great of an option for your sister (unless she's good at this sort of stuff and then it wouldn't be trouble to install libdvdcss anyways)

[hard candy]

If you can find a non-US, Canada, England, Germany, Australia, Japan server to download the cd image from, I believe some of the smaller distros may have it enabled from the start-up. But I know in those countries, it is against the law to provide DVD de-encryption software, so you have to add it in by getting the software from a non-signatory (to the DVD copyright agreement) nation's servers.
Italy, Hungary, Russia, Finland, China, Malaysia, ( I'm not sure about France), all allow the de-encrytion software.

[palsyboy]

I'm with Sgood1971. SuSE 9.1 doesn't come with the ability to play DVDs. When I was running it, I looked around for DVD support but could never find a straight answer.

[hard candy]

try this:
Videolan (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/)

You may need to turn on DMA for your DVD player. YAST-->Hardware-->IDE DMA modes.
And you may need to install the gtk-devel packages if not already installed.

Pacman (http://packman.links2linux.org/index.php4?action=cat&cat=1)

also has some Suse rpm's available.

[Sgood1971]

Originally posted by andysimmons
SuSE and Fedora Core 2 are ready to go (FC2 may require some yumming first).

I retried last night with SuSE 9.1 pro and there is no built in DVD support. When you try, XINE pops up a warning stating that due to legal reasons, DVD decryption was not built in. I am pretty sure that 8.2 did decrypt DVD's though.

[Davy]

Originally posted by hard candy
If you can find a non-US, Canada, England, Germany, Australia, Japan server to download the cd image from, I believe some of the smaller distros may have it enabled from the start-up. But I know in those countries, it is against the law to provide DVD de-encryption software, so you have to add it in by getting the software from a non-signatory (to the DVD copyright agreement) nation's servers.
Italy, Hungary, Russia, Finland, China, Malaysia, ( I'm not sure about France), all allow the de-encrytion software.

forgive my ignorance: do you mean cd images of the distro?

[VoiDeR]

Thanks for all the posts guys but i have found the distro that will be replaceing every distro on all of my computers . Best of all its dvd ready. Its Vida linux (http://desktop.vidalinux.com/) I just installed in and its is awsome. It has an excellent gui installer, kinda like red hats. Gnome gui with some nice eyecandy. Tons of great apps including Mplayer, Xine, Mozilla Fire Fox, Gdesklets, Gimp, Ximian Evolution, and lots more. Best of all its Gentoo. IF you ever wanted to try gentoo id recommend giving this a try.

Thanks again
VoiDeR

[hard candy]

After reading the home page on Vida liux's site, I hope you have sent a donation. It sounds as if they could really use some help.
I'm going to send $20 since it sounds like a worthy project. I figure since anyone who uses a linux distro will save around $90 (the cost of WinXP upgrade), a little bit of money will not be missed that much.
(And take if from me, a donation to a worthy cause helps the self esteem better than any self help book/therapy session).
I'll try it out this weekend. Meanwhile, Voider, how about a brief summary of the installation, configuration, and a summing up?

[VoiDeR]

Instead of a donation im going to pre order there cd (http://store.vidalinux.com/product_info.php?products_id=64&osCsid=dec8d63e9a8750533b2260145df23d91) I'd love to write something up but im not very good at reveiwing. Maybe you could give me a guildline. Honestly its easier to install than suse or mandy.
Aslong as you can setup your own partitions your golden.
I have yet to do any configuration post install.

VoiDeR

[hard candy]

Just a brief summary of how the installation went, any problems, things to watch out for. Any hardware that needs configuring like a monitor, sound card, mouse, etc. And your impression. Remember, you "discovered" this distro, tell us why we should consider it. You can do like I do, pretend you are describing a date with a beautiful girl, what went right and what went wrong. (You reckon I'm spending too much time around computers?:D )

Maybe you can send a copy to the maintainers and mayby they'll post it. That's a contribution right there plus you'll have your work displayed on the internet.
Then you can tell your friends you are a published author. :)