Here is an excerpt from the README for mplayer install

____________________________
STEP6: Installing a GUI skin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unpack the archive and put the contents in /usr/local/share/mplayer/Skin/ or
~/.mplayer/Skin/. MPlayer will use the skin in the subdirectory named default
of /usr/local/share/mplayer/Skin/ or ~/.mplayer/Skin/ unless told otherwise via
the '-skin' switch. You should therefore rename your skin subdirectory or make
a suitable symbolic link.
----------------------------------------------

This is what I did I untarred the gui(called Orange) I downloaded then did the command
#mv Orange /usr/local/share/mplayer/Skin/

is this the right procedure? it gives me these errors amung others

SKIN dir 1: '/root/.mplayer/Skin'
SKIN dir 2: '/usr/local/share/mplayer/Skin'
[skin] file ( /usr/local/share/mplayer/Skin/default/skin ) not found.
Skin not found ( default ).

The error you are getting is because mplayer searches for a skin called "default" first. You could:

1 - Rename the Orange to Default
2 - Download the official Default skin

Good luck!

Are you running MPlayer as root, by chance? I just get that idea because it says the line "SKIN dir 1: '/root/.mplayer/Skin'", instead of "/home/*user*/.mplayer/Skin"

Could be wrong, however. I often am....

I must have ran it as root that time, I think when I run it as non root I get the same errors, with this difference

SKIN dir 1: '/home/shane/.mplayer/Skin'
SKIN dir 2: '/usr/local/share/mplayer/Skin'
[skin] file ( /usr/local/share/mplayer/Skin/default/skin ) not found.
Skin not found ( default ).

My wife has windows going, so I am not able to check right now.

Megaman X, I am going to try your advice later tonight, when I reboot linux

Okay, I would suggest what MMX said for downloading the Default. Then you won't get confused about the different themes later on, and hopefully you will be able to switch themes... I never got the GUI to work with Mplayer, but now after I reformatted my whole box, I'm running RealPlayer on it. I suppose I'll have to install MPlayer if I want to watch any Quicktime videos, however....

thank you Megaman X, that was the problem

No problems my friend I've been there too, ghehe