The last time I tried to rip a DVD was circa 2001, and though I ultimately succeeded, the experience was so traumatic I haven't attempted it since. But it's my understanding that we're on the verge of 2006 and things have improved quite a lot since the dark ages of DVD. To that effect Elliott Back has written a two(!)-step tutorial on ripping a DVD using DVD Decrypter and AutoGK. I'm sure it isn't the end-all be-all of DVD ripping guides, but it fulfills my requirements: it's short and uses only free software. Thanks, Elliott!