How to Rip a DVD

VLC Media Player can read and save all the major formats of video and audio, it can rip DVDs.

Open up VLC and click the open button (it's the leftmost one).
From the dialog box that appears make sure DVD is selected and Disc Device points to your DVD drive.
Click OK to see if that's what you want to rip. If it is, click the stream/save box and then settings.
If it's not, change the title to "1" and then keep increasing the number until you find the one you want.
TIP: Some DVDs have the main video as late as title 15.
Once you've got the right video, open the Convert/Save dialog by going to
Menu -> Convert/Save or hitting Ctrl+R.
Select "Disc" from the tabs at the top and re-enter where the title you want to rip is.
Hit convert/save.
Browse to where you want the title saved, and make sure you end the file name in ".ogg".
Under the settings box, select the "Video - Theora + Vorbis (OGG)" profile, and customize the settings if you are so inclined by hitting the settings button to the left.
If you want lossless audio, select "Video - Theory + FLAC".
Start the rip by hitting the start button, and your DVD will start ripping.
When it's done, you can watch the file with VLC
TIP: Files ripped to OGG won't play on your iPod, but by using a different profile (Video - MPEG-4 + AAC (MP4)) they should work or you can convert them using this guide.
Select mp1v for the video codec and mp3 for the audio; 1024k is usually a good size and produces a nice balance between size and quality.
Click OK, and OK again.
VLC should start transcoding the disc to your hard drive, where you can watch it.

TIP: When you want to watch the file with VLC, be absolutely sure that the stream/save box is unchecked in the open dialog box You can watch the ripped files in any media player though.

Disclaimer:
Because of the DMCA, it's illegal for you to rip a DVD. Digital Rights Management - DRM means you'll find CSS on it. The MPAA or Apple or Any Business may want to sue you for doing this. You have been warned.