hi i have redhat 7.2 and i was wondering how i get a .wmv file to play? someone just sent me a home video of herself *wink wink* hehehe and i really wanna watch it if anyone can help plz

i just looked around a lil bit more and found that mplayer claims it plays .wmv files but i tried to install the rpms and it was so messed up
when i tried mplayer it said i need mplayer-common and when i tried mplayer-common it said i need mplayer so i tried the tarball and its telling me my version of gcc is not correct it needs to be 2.95.x or 3.x and i have 2.96 i don't know how to change my gcc or how to work around it so please help me :/

You can search them out with rpmfind.

There are a couple of programs pretty good with dependency resolution. I don't know for sure, but there is a possibility that you might be able to install it with apt4rpm. You can see if it is in the repository.

# Redhat links
RedHat Linux Manuals
Maximum RPM
rpmfind
Easier software management: apt4rpm - Red Carpet
RedHat 8.0 Tips & Tricks

# Redhat 7.3 up configuration commands
Configure soundcard:
redhat-config-soundcard
Configure X server:
redhat-config-xfree86
Configure network:
redhat-config-network

I have instructions on how to install mplayer on my guide.
I use red hat 7.3 on my main system and .wmv files play great - the odd won't play due to bad encoding, but those won't play in windass either.

Have you considered upgrading to 7.3? It is probably harder to get a more current gcc compiler due to you using 7.2. You could go to 9 if you wanted (9 is very good) but I still prefer 7.3. If you upgraded to 7.3 you would get the benefit of the slightly newer packages and more rpms available but you wouldn't 'lose' your system in the all the new packages of something like red hat 9.

If you are interested, you can check out the link in my sig, it tell you how to get mplayer to work on the software page. If you have any questions about 7.3, feel free to pm me. It is still my fave - I use 9 on my backup (which I use for trying out all different kinds of distros) and it is very good (except for the crappy bluecurve theme which can be easily changed). Due to me not needing to change anything cause all of my hardware works great on 7.3, I have chosen to stick with it. I really can't complain much about 9 though - it is very good also.

ya i tried to download redhat 9 from redhat.com and a few other websites but for some reason they either timeout or they are a blank page my uncle suggested freebsd because i'm a nOOb and he said it might be easier than redhat so i downloaded the two .iso files and they disappeared
that is just weird because i thought i knew where to find them and i am 100% positive about the folder i downloaded them to.. they just never showed up and i can't tell if they even took up space on my hd cuz i don't know how much was there before i got them but thats beside the point heh just go on rambling..
i found mplayer src rpm and downloaded that and installed it with no problems but i don't have a clue how to use it or even if it is a working program or not it could just be libraries for all i know linux tends to do that to me
if i decided to upgrade to 7.3 how would i go about doing that without harming my files or the settings i have because i have a cool (well i think its cool) desktop theme if you wanna see just email me at nkalakalo@hotmail.com but also where is a reliable place to download 7.3? i don't want any timeouts or false links or disappearing .iso files :|
thanx

email sent

Ignore FreeBSD, your uncle is smoking some damn powerful weed if he thinks you'll find that easier than Linux.

To install RPMs with circular dependancies (ie they depend on each other) put them both on the command line together like this:

rpm -Uvh one.rpm two.rpm

Doesn't xine play .wmv files?
I havent tried it yet but here is the link.
http://xinehq.de/

Well
A better way is try to compile the mplayer
I've tried a lot of solutions with rpms,
Install with packages always have a lot of problems about depending.
According to your gcc might be too old(I'm not sure)
better download a old version of source code
It's easy to compile, try it!!!

A .Download several files at http://www.mplayerhq.hu/homepage
1. source code
2. skin
3. divx
4. win32codec
5. fonts if you need when watching movies

B. create a directory /usr/bin/win32
than untar win32codec, copy everything in this directory

C. untar divx and execute ./install.sh

D. untar the source code
1. ./configure --disable-gcc-checking --enable-gui
2. make
3. make install
Then you have a mplayer without GUI panel

E. untar the font file and move everything to /usr/local/share/font/
untar skin file , for example, I use the default skin, therefore
I move the untared default directory to /usr/local/share/Skin/

Now you have a convenient GUI panel with mplayer

Now, try
gmplayer -vo x11 -zoom -unicode

HaHa!! Enjoy it!!

But actually I prefer Xine,cause the mplayer always shows
my machine is too old to play the movie, and terminate for a while..

Try Xine also, it can play .wmv well.

uh i tried that.. unless you have a specific link to where i can find an older version of mplayer which i'm assuimng thats what you mean by older version then this is of no help to me at all because it says my gcc is either too old or too new

Redhat 7.2 is the problem, I would recomend you try mandrake 9.1, download the first three iso's and install it over the top of redhat.
http://www.linuxiso.org/distro.php?distro=29
http://www.linuxiso.org/viewdoc.php/howtoburn.html

red hat is not the problem - I don't know why anyone would suggest that someone switch from red hat to mdk (ewww, but to each his own I guess)

I run 7.3 and can play virtually any type of file with mplayer in it. There is no reason at all the change his entire distro, if anything he could upgrade to red hat 7.3 or 9 if he wants the most current.

Are you sure you tried to compile the mplayer with

$./configure --disable-gcc-checking
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I don't think it will be a gcc problem if you disable gcc checking.
The oldest version I have is 0.90RC3
Tell me if you need, and I'll mail to you
it's only 3M

I remember I can compile it with glibc 2.2.5

To be pandantic....the compiler that redhat shipped with version 7.2 is the problem. To play windows media files in linux the recomended solution is to compile mplayer from source with the win32 binaries already installed in /usr/lib/win32, but the gcc-2.96 that redhat shipped is not an official GNU/gcc version, redhat modified it and as a resault you cannot compile mplayer ( and a number of other applications) with it.
The solution is to install a version of redhat that does not include the dodgy version of gcc, and that includes any dependencies that were compiled with said dodgy gcc, or install some other distro.

Yei, Aussie is right!!
I read about it before but I don't keep it in mind,
Now I remember it!
As Aussie mentioned,
RH's own gcc is the problem, I believe!!
Therefore....
I don't know what to do
Try to update the GCC may involve a lot of problems,
A lot of things have to remove or re-install
That may even distroy the whole system...
That's a huge job......
I rather not to do that.....
I just distroyed mine while updating glibc2.3.2
Terrible nightmare