unable to play a dvd, & how can I get a flash player to get installed onto ubuntu? New usre to ubuntu linux...

Thank you for taking the time to report this issue and helping to make Ubuntu better. Examining the information you have given us, this does not appear to be a bug report so we are closing it and converting it to a question in the support tracker. We appreciate the difficulties you are facing, but it would make more sense to raise problems you are having in the support tracker at https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu if you are uncertain if they are bugs. For help on reporting bugs, see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs.

Regarding the flash reader, you can download adobe flash player from http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/. The website detects you're using linux, and offers you a list of options; choose ".deb for ubuntu". Then they give you instructions on how to install it.
There's also a linux application to open flash .swf files (if u have them downloaded, uot of the web browser). Go to system-->administration--> synaptic package manager, and search for "swfdec" and install it.

About the dvd subject, i don't know what's wrong but i'd try searching something like "play dvd", "dvd player plugin" in synaptic package mnager. There must be useful dependencies there.
Hope you find this useful

Due to Digital Rights Management on DVD's, and the legal issues that arise for Ubuntu, DVD playback isn't included by default. To be able to watch DVD's, click Applications - Add/Remove. make sure "Show" is set to "All available applications" and do searches for vlc, acroread, java and flash, installing each one as you go.
This will also fix the flash reader issue you mentioned, and get acrobat reader and java working as well.
Enjoy!

Thank you,

I got it all working thanks again........

Thanks Steve Clarke, that solved my question.

vlc and flash are all installed, although when I put a DVD into the drive and I try to watch it with vlc all that happens is the sceen show up for a second then it closes. what do I need to do? sorry new to linux enjoying the trouble shooting..

b.

Hi bing.

Install the "Ubuntu Restricted Extras" Package. You can find it under Add/Remove.

This will probably fix it for you.

Rui

Steve Clark, you are the man. I installed Ubuntu two days ago as my first foray into the world of Linux. My first problem was I could not play DVDs ala Totem. It took me all day trying everything I could try; went to medibutu and added repositories; added libdvdess2 and w32codecs (downloading binary packages) and tried to download and install an individual libdvdess2 i386 package. All these failed. I also knew that somewhere there was an easy answer. One does not create a user friendly operating system that takes a hacker to make make the DVD player work; and there you were. When I saw the "Ubuntu Restricted Extras" Package I knew I was finally on the right track (I'm guessing libdvdess2 is still necessary but I loaded a bunch of java and flash plug-ins and the Totem f i n a l l y came alive. Someone needs to put this solution in big flashing lights, as there is no mention anywhere else of this common issue and your simple solution.

If VLC or Totem doesn't work, and you want to watch the downloaded flv video files or dvd movies in Ubuntu,
Google for "flv flash Totem internal data stream vlc undf"

Play mp3 and dvd under Ubuntu install skype googleearth acroread and other stuffs using Medibuntu

First please install https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats

You need to have extra repositories enabled..

Please first enable the universe and multiverse repository:

Open System → Administration → Software sources → [ Tab Ubuntu software ]

enable "Community-maintained Open Source software ( universe )"
enable "Proprietary drivers for devices ( restricted )"
enable "Software restrictecd by copyright or legal issue ( multiverse )"

Close and confirm the repository reload.

Then open a Terminal from the menu Applications→Accessories→Terminal

Tip: right click with mouse on the terminal title caption and select the item "Always on Top" doing this you will force the terminal window to stay on top of the other windows and you will find very easy to copy single row from this web page into the terminal...
Something more about using the terminal https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal

Then type or better copy and paste a row a time then press enter:
(Tip: select the single row to copy then right click into the terminal and to quick paste click with middle button of mouse )

and type or better copy and paste:

sudo aptitude install vlc smplayer mplayer

To get better dvd playback and optional packages here the medibuntu available software list http://packages.medibuntu.org/
you need to add the medibuntu http://www.medibuntu.org/ repository to your /etc/apt/sources.list file:
( here the medibuntu howto https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Medibuntu but see below )

In short please open a Terminal from the menu Applications → Accessories → Terminal and type or copy and paste:

sudo wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/$(lsb_release -cs).list --output-document=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list; sudo apt-get -q update; sudo apt-get --yes -q --allow-unauthenticated install medibuntu-keyring; sudo apt-get -q update

-- give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter

Now to install, type:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras libxine1-ffmpeg non-free-codecs
sudo aptitude install libdvdread3 libdvdnav4 libdvdcss2 regionset gnome-mplayer
sudo aptitude install gstreamer0.10-pitfdll gstreamer0.10-plugins-good
sudo aptitude install gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly-multiverse

Then to install the codecs if you are using:
-- a Ubuntu 32 bits:
sudo aptitude install w32codecs
-- a Ubuntu 32 bits:
sudo apt-get install w64codecs

give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter.

Then to play encrypted dvd please read: http://www.ubuntugeek.com/playing-encrypted-dvds-in-ubuntu.html

You can also install other Medibuntu repository provided optional software http://packages.medibuntu.org/ :

sudo apt-get install skype
sudo apt-get install googleearth
sudo apt-get install acroread

Hope this helps