I have thus far been able to refrain from posting by searching forums and such but I'm wondering if all of my work and frustration is "null and void".

I just installed Ubuntu 5.10 after a long, drawn out string of events that lead to my HDD crashing. After discovering that Ubuntu didn't have any software to play windows format media I found XMMS. This has lead me on a long, frustrating journey through what seem like essentials that seem to be missing. Everytime I go to "configure" or "make" a file I'm told I need something else. Anyway, so far I've downloaded (In chronological order) the following:
XMMS-1.2.10
Glib-2.9.4
gettext-0.14
pnet-0.7.4
bison-2.1
m4-1.4
Now I'm sitting here wondering if there isn't a one step way to get everything I need in one fell swoop or if I just need to keep on truckin' through all of these programs to eventually come to some gratifying end.

Any help would be appreciated.

Oh, and I'm a newb in every sense of the word. I picked up linux because of the HDD crash. I didnt have a windows CD and I didn't want to go out and pay for something I already paid for once. I have always been curious about linux though and I do like it.

Thanks

Check your installation for a utility called apt. Also look for apt documentation. Apt will handle installation and dependencies for you. It's the one step way you are looking for.

First of all, WELCOME TO LINUXQUESTIONS!

YES, THERE ARE ANOTHER WAYS! AND EASIER!!

Use the menu: go to System->Administration->Synaptic (I'm guessing here, because my Desktop is not in English). It may ask you for your password.

At your left, you'll see a list of categories, and at the right two things: the packages in that category and a description (if you select a package). So, browse for xmms, right button, mark it for install and then use the "Apply button" in the toolbar (Sorry, I just hope my system looks closely enough to yours, but if not, you should be able to manage... you have been doing harder stuff!).

If the packages are in the CD, Synaptic will ask for it, and if they are on the internet (*), it will fetch them (and everything is needed to) and install. You only have to wait some minutes...

(*) For this to happen, you have to tell Synaptic to search in the correct Repositories. If I recall correctly, when I first installed Ubuntu, it only looked at the packages in the installacion CD. To have more repositories, you can use the menu of Synaptic: Configure->Repositories and add them (follow your instincts here... if you get stuck, just come here and tell us). If you add the "Universe" repository, I'll recommend you to remove/deactivate the one that uses the CS (not universe), because if not then you will have a lot of things twice (I have things like that and it does not hurt, but at the end I always select to install from the "universe" repository, because it is easier to download than look for my Ubuntu CD).

In the same menu (System->Administration) there is another item. Mine says something like "Add Applications". It is another tool that allows you to do the same thing. It looks prettier, but it is less powerful (you will notice that with synaptic you can SEARCH for things, while with the "Add applications" tools you have to browse the categories by hand).

After a while you will find that running synaptic is "slow". You won't want to leave the command line and run an application just to install or update/upgrade your system. Well, just let me tell you that that's possible, using the "apt-get" tool

I hope this helps you. Let us know if not!

Do we know that XMMS is available thru Synaptic and the repositories??

For the OP: Yes--if you do not find the SW you want as a "package"--eg rpm or deb, then intalling can make you jump thru a few hoops.

I just searched Google on "XMMS deb rpm"---there seem to be both types of package available.

"man apt" in a terminal window for instructions on installing a *deb package if it is not availabel thru the Ubuntu repositories.

bigrigdriver, I installed a program called kynaptic and found all the packages I was looking for and I installed them. Durring the installation it stopped at "setting up glib" and skipped to the next line and didnt do anything... I figured it was loading something or retrieving some info but it still hadn't moved after about 10 minutes so I closed the terminal and reopened kynaptic... The packages had not been installed. I did the same thing, clicked install on all the necessary packages and applied the changes to the system. same thing happened. I restarted the computer, reasoning to myself that it may need a restart to take effect like most windows applications. When I tried to log back in I get an error something to the tune of "your log in lasted less than ten seconds try using one of the failssafe profiles." The only one I can log in with is failsafe terminal... I checked the error details and the last line says "unable to read ICE authority file /home/thepatient/ICEauthority... I have no idea what to do.

To the others who posted... Thank you for your suggestions, I'll try all of them if necessary and I'll be sure to post what works!

Alright. I found the answer to my problem in another post. I'm going to try the other suggestions and I'll let everyone know how it goes.

Can someone explain what it is that caused the problem with the ICEauthority ownership problem?