While applications available for Ubuntu support most common file types, there are still many file types which are not supported. If you have files in an unsupported format, it is recommended that you try to convert them to a supported format before switching. This section covers some common, unsupported or only partially-supported file types and lists possible alternatives and methods of conversion.
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Some types of file cannot be used in Ubuntu
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Check to see whether the file types you use are supported
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Convert the files which are of an unsupported type
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Many common audio formats cannot be played on Ubuntu without the installation of additional software. This is due to legal restrictions.
Unfortunately, due to legal restrictions and technical issues with some common audio formats, Ubuntu cannot play certain audio formats out-of-the-box. While support for certain restricted formats can be added after you have installed Ubuntu, it can be advantageous to convert audio files to a well-supported format. This is especially important if the files have been encoded using some form of Digital Rights Management (DRM) software, as DRM restrictions can render files unplayable in all applications but the one in which they were applied.
The following major audio formats are proprietary and so are not supported by default in Ubuntu:
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MP3
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WMA
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AAC
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RealAudio
For a well-supported audio format to replace MP3 and WMA, consider the Ogg Vorbis format. For a well-supported lossless (very high quality) format to replace AAC Lossless and WMA-VBR, consider the FLAC format. Both of these formats are open, and can be played in Ubuntu without the installation of any additional software.
There are many audio conversion applications for Windows available for download, and some of these can be obtained free of charge. These applications are also sometimes referred to as audio (re)encoders. Your choice of application depends on the formats which you wish to convert from and to. See websites such as Download.com for a list of potentially useful applications.
It is still possible to add support for many restricted formats (such as those listed above) to Ubuntu after installation. See the Restricted Formats document on the Ubuntu community support website for more information.
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Many common video formats cannot be played on Ubuntu without the installation of additional software. This is due to legal restrictions.
As with audio formats, due to legal and technical issues, many video formats are not supported by the default Ubuntu install. While support for some formats can be added at a later date, it is recommended that you convert important video files in unsupported formats to a format which is well supported in Ubuntu.
As with the audio formats, there are many video converter applications available as free-of-charge downloads for Windows. Consider converting your video files to a format which is well-supported by Ubuntu, such as Ogg Theora.
The following major video formats are not supported by default in Ubuntu:
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WMV
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RealVideo
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DivX
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QuickTime
It is still possible to add support for many restricted formats (such as those listed above) to Ubuntu after installation. See the Restricted Formats document on the Ubuntu community support website for more information.
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Ubuntu office applications can read most common office document formats without the need for conversion
The default office suite of Ubuntu, OpenOffice.org, supports very many office document formats right out of the box. These include many of the Microsoft Office, Corel and Lotus formats. If you find that you do have files in formats which are unsupported, it is likely that your existing office suite or application will have the ability to save the files to a better-supported format.
The OpenDocument file formats are gaining popularity and are expected to become the de facto supported office formats for Ubuntu. While many older applications cannot save to the OpenDocument format, other formats such as .doc and RTF are also well supported.
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Some file formats are specific to particular Windows-only applications, and so cannot be used with Ubuntu software
Many applications use file formats specific to them. A good example is the Adobe Photoshop file format. Formats such as these are generally able to store additional data compared to widely-used standard formats and so are still useful. You may find that applications exist on Ubuntu to convert or use application specific formats. The GIMP Image Editor is able to use Adobe PSD files, for example.
If you are uncertain whether a format is application-specific or has a usable alternative, seek help from an Ubuntu support channel.
