There were no specific error messages that I caught. When installing/configuring the screen goes by pretty fast. I know that I saw a lot of no's. I'm guessing that those were mainly files that were missing, files that couldnt be installed, etc. I did have a problem with X11, but I fixed that. I was missing some XFree86 files. I also couldnt install xine-lib-1.0.0-0.2.rc1.fr.i386.rpm and xine-lib-devel-1.0.0-0.2.rc1.fr.i386.rpm because each one calls for the other. The only thing that I got installed cleanly were the codecs, but that was easy. Is there a way to possibly "refresh" my kernel, or check it for errors.

Totem is a great media player and it plays basically any format from OGG video and audio to AVI and MP3. I haven't use Xine or MPlayer though, so one of them might be better.

Totem is just a frontend to the xine engine so xine == totem, but mplayer is much better. It is light as a feather and has an extreme range of codecs.
I tried both and have to say I prefer mplayer by far! I can't really say why, maybe because of the great output (on the command line) so you can almost always find out what is wrong.
You just have to try both and decide for yourself, I advice you at least try it, mplayer is great.

Nuwuser, about your install... Mplayer is best installed from source, but if it really doesn't work out: try an rpm. Just do a search on mplayer on http://rpmfind.net .

My question was about RUNNING mplayer. Am I to assume you haven't managed to compile it? Either I've been somewhat slow or you've been somewhat vague on that point. If you haven't managed to compile it then which part EXACTLY did you get up to(either ./configure, make or make install)? If you've managed to run it then what errors/messages/anything at all do you get when executing the command mplayer <movie filename>?

In either case copy and paste the output here. For the compilation case, don't paste the whole output just the last 10 lines or so.

One other note, the make install bit has to be done as root.

Oh, one other final note. If you don't get this at the end of ./configure or something like it (this is the output for version 0.92) then it didn't configure correctly:

Creating libao2/config.mak
Creating help_mp.h

Config files successfully generated by ./configure !

Install prefix: /usr/local
Data directory: /usr/local/share/mplayer
Config direct.: /usr/local/etc/mplayer

Byte order: Little Endian
Optimizing for: i686 mmx mmx2 sse sse2 mtrr

Enabled optional drivers:
Input: streaming edl tv mpdvdkit2 vcd
Codecs: qtx divx5linux libavcodec real xanim dshow/dmo win32 libvorbis
Audio output: oss sdl mpegpes(dvb)
Video output: xvidix sdl vesa jpeg png mpegpes(dvb) fbdev opengl dga xv x11 directfb
Disabled optional drivers:
Input: tv-v4l tv-bsdbt848 cdda dvdnav dvdread dvdcss smb
Codecs: divx4linux xvid libdv libmad liblzo gif
Audio output: sgi sun alsa esd arts dxr2 nas win32
Video output: bl zr dxr3 dxr2 directx gif89a svga aa ggi xmga mga tdfxfb 3dfx

'config.h' and 'config.mak' contain your configuration options.
Note: If you alter theses files (for instance CFLAGS) MPlayer may no longer
compile *** DO NOT REPORT BUGS if you tweak these files ***

'make' will now compile MPlayer and 'make install' will install it.
Note: On non-Linux systems you might need to use 'gmake' instead of 'make'.

Please check mtrr settings at /proc/mtrr (see DOCS/video.html#mtrr)


Check configure.log if you wonder why an autodetection failed (check whether
the development headers/packages are installed).

If you suspect a bug, please read DOCS/bugreports.html.

I have compiled it, and it definitlely didnt say that after I configured it.

Thats my bad adz. I do remember that bottom part. After I ran configure I ran make to compile it. Then I ran make install. So I did everything there like I was supposed to, I think. Anyway, I have the error messages for you now. I didnt have the time before to get them. This is what I get when I try to play anything. Also, it doesnt play the video at all. I am guessing these are codecs and various files. For the most part the mplayer file structure is intact, my problem now is that I dont know where to get these files. I dont find them anywhere in my unzipped download.

Reading config file /usr/local/etc/mplayer/mplayer.conf: No such file or directory
Reading config file /root/.mplayer/config
Reading /root/.mplayer/codecs.conf: Can't open '/root/.mplayer/codecs.conf': No such file or directory
Reading /usr/local/etc/mplayer/codecs.conf: Can't open '/usr/local/etc/mplayer/codecs.conf': No such file or directory
Using built-in default codecs.conf.
font: can't open file: /root/.mplayer/font/font.desc
font: can't open file: /usr/local/share/mplayer/font/font.desc
Using Linux hardware RTC timing (1024Hz).
Can't open input config file /root/.mplayer/input.conf: No such file or directory
Can't open input config file /usr/local/etc/mplayer/input.conf: No such file or directory
Falling back on default (hardcoded) input config

There are no real errors there. One thing I noticed is that you're running it as root. You shouldn't do that. It should still work, though. Those config files it looks for are not required for it to run. Those files should be in those locations and if not you can create then. They're just text files. The codecs should be in /usr/local/lib/codecs unless you specify somewhere else during the configure stage.

By the way, this is what happens when I run mplayer:

MPlayer 0.92-2.95.4 (C) 2000-2003 MPlayer Team
CPU: Intel (Family: 8, Stepping: 7)
Detected cache-line size is 64 bytes
CPUflags: MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 0 3DNow2: 0 SSE: 1 SSE2: 1
Compiled for x86 CPU with extensions: MMX MMX2 SSE SSE2

Reading config file /usr/local/etc/mplayer/mplayer.conf: No such file or directory
Reading config file /home/adz/.mplayer/config
Reading /home/adz/.mplayer/codecs.conf: can't open '/home/adz/.mplayer/codecs.conf': No such file or directory
Reading /usr/local/etc/mplayer/codecs.conf: can't open '/usr/local/etc/mplayer/codecs.conf': No such file or directory
Using built-in default codecs.conf
font: can't open file: /home/adz/.mplayer/font/font.desc
font: can't open file: /usr/local/share/mplayer/font/font.desc
Using Linux hardware RTC timing (1024Hz).
Input config file /home/adz/.mplayer/input.conf parsed: 13 binds

Playing movies/Star Wars I - The Phantom Menace (1999), 1 of 2, asp=2.35.avi
AVI file format detected.
VIDEO: [DIV3] 640x272 24bpp 25.00 fps 712.5 kbps (87.0 kbyte/s)
==========================================================================
Opening audio decoder: [mp3lib] MPEG layer-2, layer-3
MP3lib: init layer2&3 finished, tables done
AUDIO: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, 16 bit (0x10), ratio: 16000->176400 (128.0 kbit)
Selected audio codec: [mp3] afm:mp3lib (mp3lib MPEG layer-2, layer-3)
==========================================================================
vo: X11 running at 1280x1024 with depth 16 and 16 bpp (":0.0" => local display)
Disabling DPMS
==========================================================================
Opening video decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg's libavcodec codec family
Selected video codec: [ffdivx] vfm:ffmpeg (FFmpeg DivX ;-) (MS MPEG-4 v3))
==========================================================================
Checking audio filter chain for 44100Hz/2ch/16bit -> 44100Hz/2ch/16bit...
AF_pre: af format: 2 bps, 2 ch, 44100 hz, little endian signed int
AF_pre: 44100Hz 2ch Signed 16-bit (Little-Endian)
alsa-init: testing and bugreports are welcome.
alsa-init: requested format: 44100 Hz, 2 channels, Signed 16-bit (Little-Endian)
alsa-init: 1 soundcard found, using: hw:0,0
alsa9: 44100 Hz/2 channels/4 bpf/65536 bytes buffer/Signed 16 bit Little Endian
AO: [alsa9] 44100Hz 2ch Signed 16-bit (Little-Endian) (2 bps)
Building audio filter chain for 44100Hz/2ch/16bit -> 44100Hz/2ch/16bit...
Starting playback...
VDec: vo config request - 640 x 272 (preferred csp: Planar YV12)
VDec: using Planar YV12 as output csp (no 0)
Movie-Aspect is undefined - no prescaling applied.
VO: [xv] 640x272 => 640x272 Planar YV12
Successfully enabled DPMS.072 ct: 0.008 19/ 19 16% 9% 0.7% 0 0 0%
alsa-uninit: pcm closed

I know, I just kinda forgot I was still in root. This was right after I had been working on something else. Anyways, that is all there is when I try and play something. It doesnt say that other stuff that you just posted. It doesnt say everything from "opening audio decoder.......to.......alsa-uninit: pcm closed". I dont get any of that because the video never opens. I must have forgotten a couple lines on my previous post. I left out a couple lines that say "file not found and failed to open". I dont understand that at all. Do you have any ideas.

Is it saying that the movie file you are trying to play is not found or some other file?

adz and everybody else, I really appreciate your help and patience. I am getting close here. I got the output that looks very similar to yours when running mplayer. There is just one hitch, how do you get it to show the video then.

Ok, here is the output, in its entirety when playing any video. It plays, because I paused and restarted the video. But it is not shown. Is the wrong video output device being used, or does anyone have any ideas.

$ mplayer -vo null /home/travis/Programs/jt/jj
MPlayer 1.0pre3-3.3.2 (C) 2000-2003 MPlayer Team

CPU: Advanced Micro Devices Athlon MP/XP/XP-M Barton 2280 MHz (Family: 6, Stepping: 0)
Detected cache-line size is 64 bytes
CPUflags: MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 1 3DNow2: 1 SSE: 1 SSE2: 0
Compiled for x86 CPU with extensions: MMX MMX2 3DNow 3DNowEx SSE

Reading config file /usr/local/etc/mplayer/mplayer.conf: No such file or directory
Reading config file /home/travis/.mplayer/config
Reading /home/travis/.mplayer/codecs.conf: Can't open '/home/travis/.mplayer/codecs.conf': No such file or directory
Reading /usr/local/etc/mplayer/codecs.conf: Can't open '/usr/local/etc/mplayer/codecs.conf': No such file or directory
Using built-in default codecs.conf.
font: can't open file: /home/travis/.mplayer/font/font.desc
font: can't open file: /usr/local/share/mplayer/font/font.desc
Linux RTC init error in ioctl (rtc_irqp_set 1024): Permission denied
Try adding "echo 1024 > /proc/sys/dev/rtc/max-user-freq" to your system startup scripts.
Using usleep() timing
Can't open input config file /home/travis/.mplayer/input.conf: No such file or directory
Can't open input config file /usr/local/etc/mplayer/input.conf: No such file or directory
Falling back on default (hardcoded) input config

Playing /home/travis/Programs/jt/jj.
LMLM4 Stream Format not found
MPEG-PS file format detected.
VIDEO: MPEG1 352x240 (aspect 12) 29.970 fps 1150.0 kbps (143.8 kbyte/s)
==========================================================================
Opening audio decoder: [mp3lib] MPEG layer-2, layer-3
MP3lib: init layer2&3 finished, tables done
AUDIO: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, 16 bit (0x10), ratio: 28000->176400 (224.0 kbit)
Selected audio codec: [mp3] afm:mp3lib (mp3lib MPEG layer-2, layer-3)
==========================================================================
==========================================================================
Opening video decoder: [mpegpes] MPEG 1/2 Video passthrough
VDec: vo config request - 352 x 240 (preferred csp: Mpeg PES)
VDec: using Mpeg PES as output csp (no 0)
Movie-Aspect is 1.33:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.
VO: [null] 352x240 => 352x264 Mpeg PES
Selected video codec: [mpegpes] vfm:mpegpes (Mpeg PES output (.mpg or Dxr3/DVB card))
==========================================================================
Checking audio filter chain for 44100Hz/2ch/16bit -> 44100Hz/2ch/16bit...
AF_pre: af format: 2 bps, 2 ch, 44100 hz, little endian signed int
AF_pre: 44100Hz 2ch Signed 16-bit (Little-Endian)
AO: [oss] 44100Hz 2ch Signed 16-bit (Little-Endian) (2 bps)
Building audio filter chain for 44100Hz/2ch/16bit -> 44100Hz/2ch/16bit...
Starting playback...
A: 7.0 V: 7.0 A-V: -0.009 ct: 0.065 200/200 0% 0% 0.4% 0 0 0%
A: 10.9 V: 10.8 A-V: 0.027 ct: 0.148 315/315 0% 0% 0.4% 4 0 0%
A: 127.4 V: 127.4 A-V: -0.002 ct: 0.274 3809/3809 0% 0% 0.4% 8 0 0%
Broken frame at 0x365BA0
A: 127.8 V: 127.9 A-V: -0.109 ct: 0.292 3823/3823 0% 0% 0.4% 8 0 0%

OK I think I can see your problem...

...and there's more than one. Firstly the "-vo" option is the video out. You've told it "null". Therefore you'll have no video. Ditch that option entirely or use "xv" instead of "null". Secondly you're telling it to play a file called "jj". That doesn't look like a movie or music file to me.

The way I'd recommend running mplayer is thus: mplayer <movie filename>. So for example, if you wanted to play a movie called "movie.avi", you'd type mplayer movie.avi with the appropriate path of course. To play a dvd you'd type mplayer dvd://1.

ok, how do I get rid of the null option?

Did you try searching this site? Opinionated questions such as these are asked all the time.