How can I get Mandriva to play videos without paying for Codeina (sp?) (I'm quite short on cash). Is there any option other than VLC (which I would rather not use)? How do I install the necessary codecs?

there are other applications like mplayer

Can you name all the codecs you need please?

does your package manager not have a win32codec package?

try
http://sourceforge.net/projects/mplayer-allin1/

Wow! Thanks for the prompt reply. I had no idea MediaPlayer Classic would run under Linux.

Small problem: I've only ever used a command line interface under DOS. There's a bewildering number of files and subdirectories. I assume I am supposed to choose the "gnome-mplayer" directory (I prefer the Gnome Desktop), or should I look somewhere else? So what do i do now?

-------------------

Here is a list of MPlayer's Gnome files:

FOLDER E:\Downloads\!!Linux Software etc 2008\multimedia\mplayer-allin1-1.1\gnome-mplayer\ ------- 4 23 1,600,712 1,600,712
FILE ---A---- 292,417 aclocal.m4
FILE ---A---- 0 AUTHORS
FILE ---A---- 54,632 ChangeLog
FILE ---A---- 42,037 config.guess
FILE ---A---- 2,598 config.h.in
FILE ---A---- 30,253 config.sub
FILE ---A---- 838,964 configure
FILE ---A---- 5,724 configure.in
FILE ---A---- 18,002 COPYING
FILE ---A---- 15,936 depcomp
FILE ---A---- 2,031 gnome-mplayer.desktop
FILE ---A---- 23,227 gnome-mplayer.png
FILE ---A---- 15,585 gnome-mplayer.schemas
FILE ---A---- 1,262 gnome-mplayer.spec.in
FILE ---A---- 9,498 INSTALL
FILE ---A---- 9,233 install-sh
FILE ---A---- 198,422 ltmain.sh
FILE ---A---- 1,123 Makefile.am
FILE ---A---- 26,599 Makefile.in
FILE ---A---- 11,014 missing
FILE ---A---- 1,988 mkinstalldirs
FILE ---A---- 0 NEWS
FILE ---A---- 167 README
FOLDER E:\Downloads\!!Linux Software etc 2008\multimedia\mplayer-allin1-1.1\gnome-mplayer\DOCS\ ------- 1 1 794 794
FILE ---A---- 794 keyboard_shortcuts.txt
FOLDER E:\Downloads\!!Linux Software etc 2008\multimedia\mplayer-allin1-1.1\gnome-mplayer\DOCS\tech\ ------- 0 2 6,691 6,691
FILE ---A---- 950 dbus.txt
FILE ---A---- 5,741 plugin-interaction.txt
TOTAL E:\Downloads\!!Linux Software etc 2008\multimedia\mplayer-allin1-1.1\gnome-mplayer\DOCS\tech\ ------- 0 2 6,691 6,691
TOTAL E:\Downloads\!!Linux Software etc 2008\multimedia\mplayer-allin1-1.1\gnome-mplayer\DOCS\ ------- 1 3 7,485 7,485
FOLDER E:\Downloads\!!Linux Software etc 2008\multimedia\mplayer-allin1-1.1\gnome-mplayer\pixmaps\ ------- 0 9 127,800 127,800
FILE ---A---- 122,016 gnome_mplayer.xpm
FILE ---A---- 717 media-playback-pause.xpm
FILE ---A---- 612 media-playback-start.xpm
FILE ---A---- 641 media-playback-stop.xpm
FILE ---A---- 641 media-seek-backward.xpm
FILE ---A---- 640 media-seek-forward.xpm
FILE ---A---- 911 media-skip-backward.xpm
FILE ---A---- 865 media-skip-forward.xpm
FILE ---A---- 757 view-fullscreen.xpm
TOTAL E:\Downloads\!!Linux Software etc 2008\multimedia\mplayer-allin1-1.1\gnome-mplayer\pixmaps\ ------- 0 9 127,800 127,800
FOLDER E:\Downloads\!!Linux Software etc 2008\multimedia\mplayer-allin1-1.1\gnome-mplayer\po\ ------- 0 42 890,650 890,650
FILE ---A---- 22,473 bg.gmo
FILE ---A---- 31,317 bg.po
FILE ---A---- 0 ChangeLog
FILE ---A---- 15,741 de.gmo
FILE ---A---- 27,365 de.po
FILE ---A---- 4,554 en.gmo
FILE ---A---- 20,925 en.po
FILE ---A---- 22,362 es.gmo
FILE ---A---- 28,690 es.po
FILE ---A---- 23,343 fr.gmo
FILE ---A---- 29,634 fr.po
FILE ---A---X 19,412 gnome-mplayer.pot
FILE ---A---- 20,234 it.gmo
FILE ---A---- 27,523 it.po
FILE ---A---- 22,725 ja.gmo
FILE ---A---- 30,331 ja.po
FILE ---A---- 21,490 ko.gmo
FILE ---A---- 28,317 ko.po
FILE ---A---- 8,280 Makefile.in.in
FILE ---A---- 22,425 pl.gmo
FILE ---A---- 30,329 pl.po
FILE ---A---- 169 POTFILES.in
FILE ---A---- 14,167 pt_BR.gmo
FILE ---A---- 27,177 pt_BR.po
FILE ---A---- 12,291 ro.gmo
FILE ---A---- 26,343 ro.po
FILE ---A---- 23,280 ru.gmo
FILE ---A---- 32,153 ru.po
FILE ---A---- 27,331 sr.gmo
FILE ---A---- 36,131 sr.po
FILE ---A---- 21,554 sr@latin.gmo
FILE ---A---- 30,030 sr@latin.po
FILE ---A---- 1,676 sv.gmo
FILE ---A---- 20,877 sv.po
FILE ---A---- 20,285 tr.gmo
FILE ---A---- 27,223 tr.po
FILE ---A---- 16,963 zh_CN.gmo
FILE ---A---- 25,045 zh_CN.po
FILE ---A---- 10,300 zh_HK.gmo
FILE ---A---- 24,947 zh_HK.po
FILE ---A---- 10,297 zh_TW.gmo
FILE ---A---- 24,941 zh_TW.po
TOTAL E:\Downloads\!!Linux Software etc 2008\multimedia\mplayer-allin1-1.1\gnome-mplayer\po\ ------- 0 42 890,650 890,650
FOLDER E:\Downloads\!!Linux Software etc 2008\multimedia\mplayer-allin1-1.1\gnome-mplayer\src\ ------- 0 21 865,971 865,971
FILE ---A---- 10,525 common.h
FILE ---A---- 52,533 dbus-interface.c
FILE ---A---- 1,148 dbus-interface.h
FILE ---A---- 241,589 gui.c
FILE ---A---- 241,585 gui.c~
FILE ---A---- 8,941 gui.h
FILE ---A---- 12,229 langlist.h
FILE ---A---- 33,024 main.c
FILE ---A---- 33,028 main.c~
FILE ---A---- 1,840 Makefile.am
FILE ---A---- 23,234 Makefile.in
FILE ---A---- 1,870 mime_types.h
FILE ---A---- 4,561 mntent_compat.c
FILE ---A---- 1,892 mntent_compat.h
FILE ---A---- 18,913 nautilus_property_page.c
FILE ---A---- 40,766 playlist.c
FILE ---A---- 1,368 playlist.h
FILE ---A---- 89,287 support.c
FILE ---A---- 3,445 support.h
FILE ---A---- 42,709 thread.c
FILE ---A---- 1,484 thread.h

From the link posted by aus9: You seem to have "README" and "Install" files, start by reading them for instructions.

Thanks for the pointer. I'll RTFM and hope for the best

The easy way to install mplayer is to open the Mandriva Software Package Manager (Install and Remove Software in the Menu System (your root password will be requested - enter it).
Type "mplayer"(no quotes) in the search box at the top of the window.
Check-mark the gnome-mplayer item.
Allow the requested additional packages to be installed (usually by clicking the OK button in the pop-up dialog).
Click the Apply button at the bottom right of the window.

HTH,

I downloaded and unpacked the mplayer tarballs. I then tried to install mplayer using the command-line interface. It took me ten minutes just to figure out how to navigate to the correct directory. I visited various subdirectories and read the README files for clues, but the instructions were just too terse. I typed various combinations of "Install" and "makefile" but I couldn't get anything to happen (missing arguments). Nothing to show for 45 minutes of reading and experimentation.

I speak, read and write French, Spanish, Russian and Chinese. Easy peasy! Unfortunately, I don't speak Linux Commandese (I know a couple of words, that's all). I want to thank the kind people who volunteered their time and energy to help me out (I wish the instructions were a bit more explicit). The Linux package manager is probably the best suggestion of all. I've used the PM many times. It is much, much easier for newcomers.

can I ask why you'd rather not use vlc media player?

VLC under XP plays videos that Media Player Classic can't cope with, but MPC seems more polished (I haven't upgraded recently: maybe VLC has improved). I assume the Linux version would behave the same way.

I'm perplexed. Mplayer (I was mistaken: it's not Media Player Classic) plays my videos, but I still hear no sound. The monitor's built-in speakers are NOT muted and the volume is at 66%. Sound plays under XP, but not under Mandriva. Mplayer took care of my video codecs; where's the sound?

hi

assuming Mandriva does not use pulseaudio...post a snapshot of your alsamixer pls.


open a terminal and run the command ....alsamixer.

Its likely your master or PCM is too low or muted.

But the snapshot will help

no troble with vlc for me been using it for years watching sg1 on the tv screen with it now actually mandriva does use pulse audio volume control if your using kde anyway its on the kmenu Sound and video check your using the correct output device in the config tab

mecelec415

thanks for the update....OP might if using KDE also check they have the xine-backend installed and phonon?

hmm they appeared to have changed the names?

maybe do a search in packagement for phonon-xine and xine-pulse?

Hello try installing the codecs with urpmi as noted below and see if that helps as these are the codecs required for mandriva to create or play videos on Mandriva. Note be sure you have the PLF repository installed as some of these codecs are illegal in some country's.

Open a console and log in as root and urpmi these codecs as shown below. Hopefully these codecs will work for you.


(Windows codecs)
urpmi libdvbpsi libebml0 libmatroska0 win32-codecs real-codecs x264

(Phonon codecs)
urpmi phonon-xine phonon-gstreamer libphonon4

(DVD codecs)
urpmi liba52dec0 libdvdread4 libdvdcss2 libdv4

(Gstreamer codecs)
urpmi gstreamer0.10-decoders gstreamer0.10-decoders-audio