Although Ubuntu's policies on software packaging is not as strict as the Debian DFSG, multimedia support (mp3, DVDs, proprietary plugins and programs) is not working out of the box. After downloading w32codecs (ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat/...n/w/w32codecs/) and realplayer (ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat/...in/r/realplay/) Debian packages from Christian Marillat's repository you will have a fully working multimedia station:

$ sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.8-plugins gstreamer0.8-ffmpeg
$ sudo dpkg -i /path/to/w32codecs_*.deb
$ sudo apt-get install totem-xine gstreamer0.8-plugins gstreamer0.8-plugins-multiverse
$ sudo apt-get install msttcorefonts
$ gst-register-0.8
$ sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread3/examples/install-css.sh
$ chmod +x /path/to/jre-1_5_0_05-linux-i586.bin
$ sudo apt-get install fakeroot java-package java-common
$ fakeroot make-jpkg /path/to/jre-1_5_0_05-linux-i586.bin
$ sudo dpkg -i sun-j2re1.5_1.5.0+update05_i386.deb
$ sudo update-alternatives --config java
$ sudo dpkg -i /path/to/realplayer_*.deb
$ sudo apt-get install flashplugin-nonfree