I am trying to install xine to play DVDs. I am using RH7.3. My basic problem is that I am inexperienced, and while trying to compile the various tarballs, I am getting a library linking error (?), which my prior reading hadn't anticipated. the following is a bit long, but I have tried to include everything relevant. Any avice or explanation would be appreciated, but might need to be aimed at a target udience with little understanding...

Trying to install xine.
Downloaded libdvdcss1.2.2, xinelib0.9.13, libdvdnav0.1.3, xinedvdnav0.9.13, libdvdread0.9.3, xineui0.9.13, as tarballs.

I have compiled libdvdcss-1.2.2, xine-lib-0.9.13, but from the messages I get from make install of xine-lib, I get:

"Libraries have been installed in:
/usr/local/lib/xine/plugins

If you ever happen to want to link against installed libraries
in a given directory, LIBDIR, you must either use libtool, and
specify the full pathname of the library, or use the `-LLIBDIR'
flag during linking and do at least one of the following:
- add LIBDIR to the `LD_LIBRARY_PATH' environment variable
during execution
- add LIBDIR to the `LD_RUN_PATH' environment variable
during linking
- use the `-Wl,--rpath -Wl,LIBDIR' linker flag
- have your system administrator add LIBDIR to `/etc/ld.so.conf'

I then compile libdvdnav-0.1.3, which appears to work OK
I start to compile zine-dvdnac-0.9.13, using ./configure, which results in an error as follows:

checking for xine-config... /usr/local/bin/xine-config
checking for XINE-LIB version >= 0.9.13... no
*** Could not run XINE test program, checking why...
*** The test program compiled, but did not run. This usually means
*** that the run-time linker is not finding XINE or finding the wrong
*** version of XINE. If it is not finding XINE, you'll need to set your
*** LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable, or edit /etc/ld.so.conf to point
*** to the installed location Also, make sure you have run ldconfig if that
*** is required on your system
***
*** If you have an old version installed, it is best to remove it, although
*** you may also be able to get things to work by modifying LD_LIBRARY_PATH
***


The reading I did before starting this processed did not mention linking libraries. I deinstalled an old copy of xine when I met this error, and restarted the process, and I do not know how to move on. Can I just insert the library path in /etc/lo.so.config? Any ideas? Is this normal? what do I need to know about linking libraries?

cheers

James

For a complete and udder newbie trying to play DVD's you might want to look at Ogle instead. http://www.dtek.chalmers.se/groups/dvd/

Otherwise, if you are ready for more advanced usage, skip Xine, and go to Mplayer!
www.mplayerhq.hu

Cool

Thanks for your advice, and I can get Ogle working easily enough, but I am interested in why the issue has arisen, and what is going on. When is linking to a library required? How do you do it? This is the sort of thing where there isn't much in the way of documentation to help you learn without spending weeks ona development box.....

James

Well, when you install libs you should update your ld.so.conf to reflect this new libs if the program doesn't do this for you. Once updated, running ldconfig will set it straight.

Does that help a bit?

Cool

So if I put the path of any directories that have libraries in ld.so.conf, this is all that was missing? Is this something missing in the install guide, or in the set up of the tarball? Or user generated? (an ID ten T error?)

thanks for your help

Jim

he he he, I don't think it's quite any of those, if any, I would say install guide, but more whoever built the tarball make file.

That should work yes, but don't forget to run ldconfig afterwards. I usually run ldconfig and updatedb together:
ldconfig &&
updatedb

Cool

many thanks - I learnt something (quite a lot, over the day) - playing DVDs isn't really important to me, but if I don't have a project, I don't learn much.

thanks again

Jim

You're welcome