Media Player Trouble
 

Let me begin by saying that I'm a "casual user" of my computer (I'm a retiree who uses her 'machine' for email, looking up mostly useless info, & pretending to be a writer).
However, migraines from beating my head on the keyboard in frustration over Windows eccentricities led me straight to Linux.

Linux blows windows out of the water, IMO.

Except for Media Players.

I have tried every one in Ubuntu's software catalog. Rhythmbox is the only one that works, & it doesn't work correctly. I use my computer as my primary music source, & have saved nearly 200 albums/CDs to it. I transferred my collection to a memory stick, then tried to transfer it to Ubuntu. Rhythmbox 'accepted' most but not all albums, but none of the downloaded music, & lists the songs in each album backwards. When I open an album, sometimes Rhythmbox plays them backwards, sometimes (rarely) 'frontwards', but usually, jumps around, plays a few of the numbers, then stops. Occasionally, it goes through the collection, playing one song from each collection.

I was able to transfer the entire collection to 'Listen' media player, but it doesn't actually play anything, & I never even got that far with any other player.

I have a two year-old HP Compaq Presario desktop w/ 500GB, (300 to Ubuntu & the rest to The Dreaded Windows for some stuff I can't run on Linux). I began with running Ubuntu 10.04 on 'wubi', then installed it from a CD I burned from the Ubuntu site. Someone suggested I had screwed something up during downloading, so I got 10.04 on a CD (w/ "Ubuntu for Non-Geeks"), but had the same media player problems. Last month I upgraded to 10.10, but still have the same problems.

I am grateful for any help, tips, or advice you can offer, with one caveat: because I am a casual user, 'tech language' confuses & frightens me, & makes me spend way too much time Googling for translations, so please be gentle.

Thanks, kids.

You are using the most popular distro of all times and you have atleast 10 media players that I can give you on top of my head. The best media player I 'ever' foumd is vlc. Install it from the repository. Then you have xine and mplayer both of them excellent - pick your choice :).
Hope this helps.

Also try amarock(hope i spelt it correctly).
It is easy (easier than winduhs). Go to add applications and it will ask for a password. Type in your password then all you have to do is select the software you want and it would be done.
In case you have difficulties please post back.

I agree. vlc is the only media player I always use to listen to music or play videos.

Thanks. As I've said, I've tried every media player in the Ubuntu catalog, & Rhythmbox is the only one that works at all. I've tried both vlc & amarok again, & I can't get either one to work. Thanks.

Can you elaborate on that? What errors do you face or see? I can run vlc just fine and use it most of the time.

When I start vlc, I get a small video-type screen with three standard controls in the upper R corner (minimize, etc.). It doesn't give me any options except to change the size, send it to the toolbar, or shut it off.

Just a thought...
 

Where did your music originally come from? I'm wondering if you might have run into DRM (Digital Rights management) problems.

Well for vlc there is the file option on the top left - and some more options like that. Closing vlc can be done by clicking the right hand side button or even alt F4.
I am really surprised that vlc is not working. There is nothing that vlc cannot which the other media players can - you can take my word for it. You may take some time to figure out how vlc works, just dig a bit deeper.
If you have any specific problems please post back.

I transferred it from Windows Media to a memory stick, then to Ubuntu media players.

"Listen" & "Guayadeque" accepted some music, but Listen won't actually play, & Guayadeque works only sporadically & doesn't work right.

Rhythmbox doesn't work at all unless I uninstall other media players from my apps file.

Once I uninstalled Rhythmbox, the sound controls appeared on the bottom of vlc, but no controls that let me transfer music, etc.

The trouble I've had getting a media player to work correctly is my sole complaint with Ubuntu. Otherwise, I'm evangelical about it.

Again, thanks for your patience & help.