Hi. Im testing the newest version of openSuSE. The trouble I'm experiensing is not with SuSE is with the lack of codecs for multimedia files... I need the ability to play Mp3 files and .avi files at least... I tried downloading different stuff, like the ac3 codec, but I'm not successful yet... Need help...

Please Answer, or else my visit with SuSE will soon end...

The codecs for playing MS media and RealPlayer files are available for any distro. For Suse you can install them manually (get them from the mplayer website) or from third party packagers such as packman. For RealPlayer, you can download it from the REal website. Suse 9.3 needed additional multimeda patches to be installed via their update servers, which isn't very difficult to do.

Go to:-

http://www.novell.com/linux/download/updates/index.html

Click on the 32bit or 64 bit version of Suse 9.3 and tab down to the bottom of the page. The 'mad' packages are the ones that you need to install for mp3 support.

Thaks for the reply, but I'm no further. I installed that mad file, but I can't read MP3 files. Need more help!!!

If i try to loadmp3 files into XMMS, it just won't even load em into the playlist, and in amarok it will just run throug all the files, I'm a matter of secons

Have you downloaded and installed:-

xmms-lib-mad

kdemultimedia3-mad

I installed kdemultimedia3-mad, but amarok still wont read the mp3 files... HELP!

Should I assume that xmms is now playing mp3 files OK?

For amarok - you wither need to install either amarok-xmms so it uses the xmms engine or if you prefer using arts install kmultimedia3-arts-mad.

Although I have found it is easy to just install all the 5 or 6 'mad' packages.

I searched for the xmms-mad lib, but I could not download it. I'll take your advise and add the XMMS engine to amarok. I'll post again soon...

Thanks

I don't think amarok uses XMMS as an engine. It uses XINE or GSTREAMER. If you need to use XINE or Kaffeine, uninstall the Suse versions (including the libraries) and install the ones from packman. Also to enable mp3 playback and other media formats, install the multimedia packs using YOU (I posted this earlier but you seem to have ignored it). For MS video formats, download win32 codecs from here. Copy them to /usr/lib/win32. You can also get them in rpm format from various websites.

Amarok uses the XINE engine as standard now. I can play ogg vorbis (which most of my music is) and .avi files and so on. I only miss the ability to play MP3.files...


Im sorry.... this post is useless.............. i just tried it one more time, and it works!!! Thanks for the help reddazz and dth1!

I got the same problem, but I have installed eval version of Suse 10.0 x64. I was surprised that novell didn’t put any regular mp3 playback engine.
Amarok uses realplay codec as default mp3 playback engine which is very very bad, the song will stop on the middle etc., xine wont work at all. Xmms is worthless, can’t play anything, it is missing the mp3 codec playback engine I guess.
I think it has to do with the proprietary rights or something but I’m surprised why novell didn’t mentioned anything, I never had a problem with previous versions of suse for mp3 codecs. Believe me, you can’t play a song with that realplay codec.

After installing all the Mad bits and bobs you will need to install xmms-mad to enable Xmms to use mad as an MP3 decoder. Then start Xmms and select Mad as a decoder in the preferences.

I've found Xmms is by far the easiest player to set up and enable plugins in.

If you don't mind using the command line then cplay is also an excellent player it's very simple but effective.

Leon.