I am now 100% Linux, using UBUNTU. Microsoft is a forgotten name !. However I am desperate to find a software package that will convert Video Files from and to the various formats.I have an online version but this has limited space available for conversion. Large movie files have no chance !!. When I have this - my changeover will be complete.

Avidemux is the daddy for format changing, and it does basic editing too.
http://fixounet.free.fr/avidemux/

If you enable the full repositories it should be installed using the synaptic thing, or apt-get it.

You can run ffmpeg from the command line also, which is often my preferred method.

For rmvb (realplayer) files I found http://www.thugsatbay.com/tab/?q=tab-video-converter-encoder to be the tool.. after renaming the files with just a .rm extension ;)

For other stuff it's an idea to check out debian-multimedia.org No link because they are frowned on by our enemies in hollywood!

Thanks for this - have now got Avidemux - as you say brilliant - also suggest you might try "pyTube " - this is good too - offered by another reader go to :-

www.bashterritory.com/pytube/

Ahh.. a python thingie.. I will give that a try thanks.

Another decent program to try is DeVeDe, very basic but would be similar to Covertx on M$. Better that Convertx cos it is free.