Hello again. Thanks for all the help getting this working finally, and now for some interesting results. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, it's not working anymore.

Running xine from a shell, this is the error I receive:

-------------------------------
libdvdread: Found 13 VTS's
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
xine: relocation error: /usr/lib/xine/plugins/1.1.2/xineplug_ao_out_alsa.so: sym
bol snd_pcm_hw_params_set_rate_resample, version ALSA_0.9 not defined in file li
basound.so.2 with link time reference
-------------------------------

SO... any ideas? It obviously looks audio related to me, being that it has something to do w/ ALSA, but I don't know for sure... I'm not a real expert here.

Also, as I said, it worked great 3 or 4 times, then blip! It opens fine, controls pop up great, try to play a DVD, movie file, anything and *blip!* it just dissapears without an error message or anything inside KDE.

Thanks for anyone's help!
-SG

For anyone having the same issue, here is yet another workaround:

Force xine to lok at another audio driver such as OSS via the -A switch:

in my case this is what I have to execute to get xine to function the same every time:

xine -V XShm -A oss

This forces software vs. hardware video rendering and forces audio to go through the OSS server rather than ALSA.

NOW THEN here's the other part I have no idea how to do that I could use help with...

I made an icon on the desktop to execute this lovely bunch of switches for me no problem, BUT programs that want to call xine, or when you're surfing the web and hit a video that wants to call xine, that's exactly what it does... it calls "xine" not "xine -V XShm -A oss"

Is there a way to build or 'redefine' the 'function call' as it were to include the necessary switches BEFORE any programs call up xine? A script or config perhaps that is used every time? I've looked and haven't really found what works.

(The reason being is that the ATi drivers don't work well, at least under 64-bit, and I'm having to use the software driver, plus the different oss audio driver, so I need to tell it to startup differently ALL the time.)

Thanks!
-SG

Take a look at ~/.xine/config. This will house configuration settings for your instance. That way you can avoid all the ugliness of 'xine -V xv -A alsa blah blah blah' and just run 'xine file.mpg' If you don't have one, browse around http://xine.sf.net/ I think it may create a default one on startup, but I don't remember.

Same Problem here. It took me a year and two kernels to get Xine to play "Master and Commander." Now, it crashes on "Goblet of Fire." Give Mplayer a try, and let the Xine staff know that free junk is, still, junk.

Xine plays everything fine here...

If only mplayer could bob deinterlace over the xvmc driver, I'd use it. Until then, I'm sticking with xine.

Whew! Just got back from install job in AR. Hey, thanks for the config file location. I got it all straightened out, plus I was able to enable surround sound! GREAT! Thanks again.

Now if I can get my onboard video card problems worked out, I've got it made in the shade man! I was forced to go back to the onboard via K8M800 chipset video due to the love of my life needing my ATI card, which wasn't doing me a heck of a lot of good anyway obviously.

Found some drivers, but not doing so hot. I posted an issue in hardware, so if I can actually get that working... I just might have something here! LOL

Take care all, and really I do appreciate it a lot. Saved me a whole lot of headache and wandering around the endless miles of google and LQ that I never found my specific questions.

-SG