mplayer with vesa only as root?

polemon · 03-02-2006, 11:50 PM

Hi, I'm using mplayer form time to time, and i'd like it to work ind the tty console.

(Framebuffer is configured correctly, it works fine)

As root, I can do:

mplayer -vo vesa dvd://

to start watching the dvd, and it works fine, but when I do it as a regular user, I get the following error:

Error opening/initializing the selected video_out (-vo device)

how come this works as root, but not as regular user?
The image is kinda out of shape, when watching it as root with vesa, but I guess this can be fixed by playing around with the aspect options.

please help,

--polemon

Simon Bridge · 03-03-2006, 12:06 AM

This sort of thing is a permission problem.
Set the default vo device to vesa as root, then you won't need the -vo flag.
(Stick it in the use config file ~/.mplayer/config "vo=vesa".)

polemon · 03-03-2006, 12:16 AM

Hi, I'm using mplayer form time to time, and i'd like it to work ind the tty console.

(Framebuffer is configured correctly, it works fine)

As root, I can do:

mplayer -vo vesa dvd://

to start watching the dvd, and it works fine, but when I do it as a regular user, I get the following error:

Code:

Error opening/initializing the selected video_out (-vo) device

how come this works as root, but not as regular user?
The image is kinda out of shape, when watching it as root with vesa, but I guess this can be fixed by playing around with the aspect options.

However, i'd like to use the sdl driver.

When as root, it produces an image of messed up colors, the the picture is somewhat recognizable, but it's like oversolarized or something.

When as regular user, i gwt the following error:

Code:

DSL: Initializing of SDL failes: Unable to open mouse.
Error opening/initializing the selected video_out (-vo device

please help,

--polemon

maroonbaboon · 03-03-2006, 03:29 AM

You could try adding yourself to the 'video' group in /etc/group. To get the proportions right I had to add

-fs -zoom -screenh 600 -screenw 800

to the command line, for a 600x800 framebuffer.

I never really got all the mplayer options sorted out. I get good performance with the cvidix driver. For this I needed to install svgalib and load the svgalib_helper kernel module (has to be compiled with current kernel headers). Then everything was fine. This also solved various video weirdness problems.

You might have to recompile mplayer from source, as it checks your system for various features before incorporating them into the new binary.

I am using this inside freevo, which itself uses pygame/SDL, but I'm not quite sure where SDL fits into the picture.

maroonbaboon · 03-03-2006, 03:39 AM

Uh-oh. Expanded version of original question reposted under same title. Suggest combining threads, removing this one.

rshaw · 03-03-2006, 02:19 PM

Merging....

polemon · 03-06-2006, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simon Bridge

This sort of thing is a permission problem.
Set the default vo device to vesa as root, then you won't need the -vo flag.
(Stick it in the use config file ~/.mplayer/config "vo=vesa".)

I tried this, didn't work out.

While in X, everything works fine, though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by maroonbaboon

I never really got all the mplayer options sorted out. I get good performance with the cvidix driver. For this I needed to install svgalib and load the svgalib_helper kernel module (has to be compiled with current kernel headers). Then everything was fine. This also solved various video weirdness problems.

cvidix does not work AT ALL for me, don't know why.

Things like aa and caca don't work fine either, in framebuffer.
However in X, everything works fine.

maroonbaboon · 03-06-2006, 06:52 PM

Precompiled versions of mplayer sometimes lack features which you can enable by recompiling from source. The pre-compilation configuration checks many features on the current system. So sometimes you can fix problems just by compiling a new version.

Running mplayer from the command line gives useful diagnostic information, especially with the -v flag.

And of course 'mplayer -vo help' shows you what video drivers are actually available.

Simon Bridge · 03-07-2006, 12:10 AM

Wait a minute: "in X everything works fine" ???

Anyway - going back to your original question: How come mplayer -vo vesa <file> works for root and not for regular user... here's what happens with me:

Code:

[simon@indigo-prime Diana Krall]$ mplayer -vo vesa "The Look Of Love.mpg" 0
MPlayer 1.0pre7-3.2.3 (C) 2000-2005 MPlayer Team
CPU: Intel Pentium 4/Xeon/Celeron Foster (Family: 8, Stepping: 9)
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


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.
Playing The Look Of Love.mpg.
MPEG-PS file format detected.
VIDEO:  MPEG1  352x288  (aspect 8)  25.000 fps  2000.0 kbps (250.0 kbyte/s)
==========================================================================
Opening audio decoder: [mp3lib] MPEG layer-2, layer-3
AUDIO: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, s16le, 224.0 kbit/15.87% (ratio: 28000->176400)
Selected audio codec: [mp3] afm:mp3lib (mp3lib MPEG layer-2, layer-3)
==========================================================================
Error opening/initializing the selected video_out (-vo) device.


Exiting... (End of file)

... so you see, this seems normal behaviour.

(aside: did you get this line:
Try adding "echo 1024 > /proc/sys/dev/rtc/max-user-freq" to your system startup scripts.
??? - if so, did you follow this advice? Doubt it will work, dosn't for me.)

Note: it will work as a regular user if I try -vo xv, x11, sdl, not tried others.

I got "permission denied" for xvidix, - pscan not allowed. As root (sudo mplayer) I get signal 11. <sigh>

As root, vesa gives full screen and messes up the x display when it exits. (Screen area only visible when it is clicked on and terminal cursors vanish never to reappear.)

One of the things vesa has in common with xvidix is that it has extra sub-options which, if not given, mplayer will scan to find the right one to use. Same with svga, which also gets permission denied.

Also tries sticking vo=vesa in /etc/mplayer/mplayer.conf ... still dosn't work - same error. Interesting.

Under gmplayer > preferences > video, I see available drivers do not include vesa. Do include xvidix... setting this and running gmplayer from console also gets the "permission denied" message. (Where it dosn't do this as root...)

This may be one to pass to mplayerhq...

It is definately a security issue. mplayer has not the permissions to use these drivers, or something related to these drivers.

Simon Bridge · 03-07-2006, 12:13 AM

BTW: my version of mplayer wa compiled from source, following the instructions in www.mjmwired.net

polemon · 03-07-2006, 08:24 AM

ayup, in X it works fine, i can use SDL and vesa respectively, and both work just nice.

things like aa lib and caca don't really work in Framebuffer though, it's messed up and all, especially the OSD bars.
In X they work fine.