I recently compiled and installed mplayer for linux. I installed just about everything the documentation mentioned. Whenever I try to start mplayer from the console I get the following error,

"mplayer: error while loading shared libraries: libmad.so.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory"

Now I'm guessing libmad.so.0 has to do with libmad, which I installed prior to installing mplayer. I don't see what the problem is. Maybe libmad.so.0 is currently in the wrong directory. If someone could give me the directory it should be in, or another solution to my problem I would appreciate it.

Dis you do "ldconfig" after libmad?

Er, no.

I would have, however, if the instructoins for installing it had told me to.

Maybe it is file permissions?

Just my $.02

lots of instructions aren't extremely thorough, and just seem to expect you to be a guru, though I think things will possibly be changing as to a LOT of new people are trying linux now. Not trying to say anything bad about your knowledge, but for a newbie to get on linux and start with no help, it's hard. I'm still learning it daily, but I know enough to get around and do stuff myself now, somewhat anyways.

I don't know about fedora, but a lot of distros have many, many packages on the CDs. It may be easier and better a lot of the time to grab them from the CDs, that way you are nearly positive they will work.

Fedora Core has essentially the same bundled software that Redhat 9 does. I'm pretty sure it didn't come bundled with either, because I have every package included in Fedora on my system, aside from other languages, some server software, and mozilla.

Even if it did come included with the distro. it gives me a since of pride knowing I can compile software from the source. I'm sure it the same for many other linux junkies.

Anyway, if someone could possibly inform me the "right" way to install libmad, you would have my thanks.