<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV><DIV>On Oct 10, 2006, at 7:34 AM, Michael wrote:</DIV><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"> for all my work, yet still be able to do admin functions just by typing in the root password, i.e. to install software.<BR> There is one thing that drives me nuts though... Why is it so HARD to install or update software? Upgrading Firefox or Shockwave can be like pulling teeth, only not quite as pleasant. Sometimes I get lucky and manage to do it correctly... but as I change from one version of Linux to another the process seems to change. It would sure be nice to click on "update" to get the latest version of Firefox... Windows can do it... I know Linux could... but doesn't.<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>This is one of the problems with linux, since there are so many different distros, every one has its own way of doing an upgrade. Often, when upgrading software that is outside of the distros' upgrade method, you'll run into this problem. The advantage, and potential failing, of Windows is it has a huge, common installation mechanism. However, you'd probably find that if you try installing something with windows that exists outside of it's typical installation mechanism, you'll have just the same problem as with linux.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"> My best luck with with Mandrake... which is now Mandriva.... so I switched to Fedora 4 when they reorganized and am considering Ubunto. Right now I'm still using Fedora 4, but I would really like to be able to play MP3's, update Flash, Shockwave, and Firefox... but the Red Hat update servers will not cooperate and I have had little luck manually upgrading. Where can I find a really good, understandable tutorial to show me how to update Fedora and find the right plugins to play MP3s and assorted video files? Can Linux do .wmv files too? Thanks for the help!<BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></BLOCKQUOTE><BR></DIV><DIV>There are alternate fedora yum repositories that will allow you to install software that'll play mp3s, wmvs, etc. Other distros such as Ubuntu have similar means of getting non-standard software. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV>--</DIV><DIV>Jonathan Billings <<A href="mailto:billings@negate.org">billings@negate.org</A>></DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>