I would like to know how I am able to know whih file I have to handle (install, uncompress..., etc...) if I downloaded something.

For example: I installed mplayer and as I looked for its location I've got:

[usr@usr sur]$ su
Password:
[root@usr usr]# find / -name mplayer
/etc/mplayer
/usr/share/mplayer
/usr/bin/mplayer
/usr/lib/mplayer

So, four locations in which mplayer is. Where do I have to go in the console? Which file do I have to uncompress?

Thank you for helping.

describe how you "installed" it?

did you decompress a .tar.gz file such as mplayer.1.2.0.tar.gz, then run ./configure, then run make, then run make install?

or did you install from an rpm

have you tried just running the command mplayer from the "run" option in the GUI, or just at a terminal prompt?

Actually mplayer was already available in MandrakeLinux 10.0. So I just downloaded it by going to 'install software'...
After installing I didn't do any actions.

it appears that it is already installed, so you shouldn't have to decompress anything. try opening a terminal and typing

agreed. you should just be able to type mplayer at the command line.

I'm not familiar with the mandrake gui or what thier default is, but it should be pretty easy to create an icon that runs the command mplayer (don't worry about entering a path).

I've got a lot of informations in the console because I wrote 'mplayer'... can you help me going ahead?

if I want to create a shortcut- from which direction in which mplayer is do I have to do this shortcut?
(sorry, maybe my questions are a little bit clumsy..)

So you got a lot of information in console. But did the mplayer start? Probably.

Simple way to find where the mplayer is:

which mplayer
or
which gmplayer (in FC2 mplayer is started with gmplayer)

This will produce the directory mplayer is in. Just create a shortcut on your desktop with right click. And copy the path to the file you got from the which command.

Good luck!

the shortcut should use /usr/bin/mplayer as it's target if the above information from your first post is still valid. (though depending on your PATH variable, that full pathname may not be needed)

Thanks to all. Thats what I wanted to know

Something is not good: I cannot play anything with mplayer.

[dodo@Dominik dodo]$ mplayer
MPlayer 1.0pre3-3.3.2 (C) 2000-2003 MPlayer Team

CPU: Intel Celeron 2/Pentium III Coppermine,Geyserville 1043 MHz (Family: 6, Stepping: 6)
Detected cache-line size is 32 bytes
CPUflags: MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 0 3DNow2: 0 SSE: 1 SSE2: 0
Compiled with Runtime CPU Detection - WARNING - this is not optimal!
To get best performance, recompile MPlayer with --disable-runtime-cpudetection.
Reading config file /etc/mplayer/mplayer.conf
Reading config file /home/dodo/.mplayer/config
Reading /home/dodo/.mplayer/codecs.conf: Can't open '/home/dodo/.mplayer/codecs.conf': No such file or directory
Reading /etc/mplayer/codecs.conf: 61 audio & 169 video codecs
Usage: mplayer [options] [url|path/]filename

Basic options: (complete list in the man page)
-vo <drv[:dev]> select video output driver & device ('-vo help' for a list)
-ao <drv[:dev]> select audio output driver & device ('-ao help' for a list)
vcd://<trackno> play VCD (Video CD) track from device instead of plain file
dvd://<titleno> play DVD title from device instead of plain file
-alang/-slang select DVD audio/subtitle language (by 2-char country code)
-ss <timepos> seek to given (seconds or hh:mm:ss) position
-nosound do not play sound
-fs fullscreen playback (or -vm, -zoom, details in the man page)
-x <x> -y <y> set display resolution (for use with -vm or -zoom)
-sub <file> specify subtitle file to use (also see -subfps, -subdelay)
-playlist <file> specify playlist file
-vid x -aid y select video (x) and audio (y) stream to play
-fps x -srate y change video (x fps) and audio (y Hz) rate
-pp <quality> enable postprocessing filter (details in the man page)
-framedrop enable frame dropping (for slow machines)

Basic keys: (complete list in the man page, also check input.conf)
<- or -> seek backward/forward 10 seconds
up or down seek backward/forward 1 minute
pgup or pgdown seek backward/forward 10 minutes
< or > step backward/forward in playlist
p or SPACE pause movie (press any key to continue)
q or ESC stop playing and quit program
+ or - adjust audio delay by +/- 0.1 second
o cycle OSD mode: none / seekbar / seekbar + timer
* or / increase or decrease PCM volume
z or x adjust subtitle delay by +/- 0.1 second
r or t adjust subtitle position up/down, also see -vf expand

* * * SEE THE MAN PAGE FOR DETAILS, FURTHER (ADVANCED) OPTIONS AND KEYS * * *

[dodo@Dominik dodo]$ --disable-runtime-cpudetection
bash: --disable-runtime-cpudetection: command not found
Compiled with Runtime CPU Detection - WARNING - this is not optimal!
To get best performance, recompile MPlayer with --disable-runtime-cpudetection.


What can I do to make mplayer work?
Thanks for helping again

to follow thier recommendation to recompile, you need to remove the existing package, get the latest version of the program in a non-rpm format (.tar.gz file), then follow the

./configure

make

make install

procedure, adding the --disable-runtime-cpudetection option (not sure what step you do that at? can anyone help?)

The --disable-runtime-cpudetection option will be on the configure so
./configure --disable-runtime-cpudetection

I reinstalled the package from my system. I think I damaged it by my own

Now I got this:

mplayer
MPlayer 1.0pre3-3.3.2 (C) 2000-2003 MPlayer Team

CPU: Intel Celeron 2/Pentium III Coppermine,Geyserville 1042 MHz (Family: 6, Stepping: 6)
Detected cache-line size is 32 bytes
CPUflags: MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 0 3DNow2: 0 SSE: 1 SSE2: 0
Compiled with Runtime CPU Detection - WARNING - this is not optimal!
To get best performance, recompile MPlayer with --disable-runtime-cpudetection.
Reading config file /etc/mplayer/mplayer.conf
Reading config file /home/dodo/.mplayer/config
Reading /home/dodo/.mplayer/codecs.conf: Can't open '/home/dodo/.mplayer/codecs.conf': No such file or directory
Reading /etc/mplayer/codecs.conf: 61 audio & 169 video codecs
Usage: mplayer [options] [url|path/]filename

Basic options: (complete list in the man page)
-vo <drv[:dev]> select video output driver & device ('-vo help' for a list)
-ao <drv[:dev]> select audio output driver & device ('-ao help' for a list)
vcd://<trackno> play VCD (Video CD) track from device instead of plain file
dvd://<titleno> play DVD title from device instead of plain file
-alang/-slang select DVD audio/subtitle language (by 2-char country code)
-ss <timepos> seek to given (seconds or hh:mm:ss) position
-nosound do not play sound
-fs fullscreen playback (or -vm, -zoom, details in the man page)
-x <x> -y <y> set display resolution (for use with -vm or -zoom)
-sub <file> specify subtitle file to use (also see -subfps, -subdelay)
-playlist <file> specify playlist file
-vid x -aid y select video (x) and audio (y) stream to play
-fps x -srate y change video (x fps) and audio (y Hz) rate
-pp <quality> enable postprocessing filter (details in the man page)
-framedrop enable frame dropping (for slow machines)

Basic keys: (complete list in the man page, also check input.conf)
<- or -> seek backward/forward 10 seconds
up or down seek backward/forward 1 minute
pgup or pgdown seek backward/forward 10 minutes
< or > step backward/forward in playlist
p or SPACE pause movie (press any key to continue)
q or ESC stop playing and quit program
+ or - adjust audio delay by +/- 0.1 second
o cycle OSD mode: none / seekbar / seekbar + timer
* or / increase or decrease PCM volume
z or x adjust subtitle delay by +/- 0.1 second
r or t adjust subtitle position up/down, also see -vf expand

* * * SEE THE MAN PAGE FOR DETAILS, FURTHER (ADVANCED) OPTIONS AND KEYS * * *

But if I want to start the *rmbv - movie, it starts Totem Player. What shall I do? Thanks

Sorry, out there... I didn't see that I realy have to download a new package... sorry. You don't have to send posts for that..