# Playing my mp3s and/or my DVDs in Linux **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 16, 2008, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-my-mp3s-and-or-my-dvds-in-linux/433693 "2008-01-16T02:52:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-my-mp3s-and-or-my-dvds-in-linux/433693/1 "2008-01-16T02:52:55Z")
I have just discovered that my Fedora 8 install doesn’t support playing mp3s or DVDs, nor is there an installable repository for them. (Is this right?) Is there another Linux version that will? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-my-mp3s-and-or-my-dvds-in-linux/433693/2 "2008-01-16T03:47:12Z")
Ubuntu will, but not “out of the box” - it takes a few extra steps [https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats](https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats) ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-my-mp3s-and-or-my-dvds-in-linux/433693/3 "2008-01-16T03:59:48Z")
[http://www.fedorafaq.org/#mp3](http://www.fedorafaq.org/#mp3) There is a section for DVD’s on there as well. Be forewarned, it’s illegal to install these codecs in the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-my-mp3s-and-or-my-dvds-in-linux/433693/4 "2008-01-16T05:33:40Z")
[QUOTE=treis] > **[The Unofficial Fedora® FAQ](https://www.fedorafaq.org/)** There is a section for DVD’s on there as well. Be forewarned, it’s illegal to install these codecs in the United States. [/QUOTE] Grrr. Yeah, I’d need a solution that’s legal in the United States, though obviously that’s useful for any non-US readers… ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-my-mp3s-and-or-my-dvds-in-linux/433693/5 "2008-01-16T05:57:00Z")
Seems like [TurboLinux](http://www.turbolinux.com/products/desktop/fuji.html) will do it legally for you. Your going to need to pony up some bucks though. No free distribution of Linux will have those codecs. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-my-mp3s-and-or-my-dvds-in-linux/433693/6 "2008-01-16T19:30:55Z")
Grab a copy of [VLC](http://www.videolan.org/vlc/). ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-my-mp3s-and-or-my-dvds-in-linux/433693/7 "2008-01-16T21:28:55Z")
[QUOTE=control-z] Grab a copy of [VLC](http://www.videolan.org/vlc/). [/QUOTE] Which is, as I expected, of similar [dubious](http://www.videolan.org/doc/faq/en/index.html#id305882) 'states-ian legality. I’m not sure there’s a free option available that’ll satisfy the requirements. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-my-mp3s-and-or-my-dvds-in-linux/433693/8 "2008-01-16T21:57:09Z")
[QUOTE=Bricker] Grrr. Yeah, I’d need a solution that’s legal in the United States, though obviously that’s useful for any non-US readers… [/QUOTE] Thanks to the DMCA, I don’t think such a thing exists for Linux. Edit: Or, you know, I could have just read **treis** ’s post. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2008, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-my-mp3s-and-or-my-dvds-in-linux/433693/9 "2008-01-16T21:59:46Z")
[QUOTE=treis] Seems like [TurboLinux](http://www.turbolinux.com/products/desktop/fuji.html) will do it legally for you. Your going to need to pony up some bucks though. No free distribution of Linux will have those codecs. [/QUOTE] Awesome! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-my-mp3s-and-or-my-dvds-in-linux/433693/10 "2008-01-17T05:03:53Z")
Piggyback; I should probably start a new thread… but… Is there an X-server for Windows XP that would let me remotely connect to my Fedora box and get the graphical interface? ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-my-mp3s-and-or-my-dvds-in-linux/433693/11 "2008-01-17T05:46:05Z")
Try [Xming](http://www.straightrunning.com/XmingNotes/). I’ve never used it personally so I can’t say how well it works.