Amarok visualizations in slackware 12.1
 

Anyone using Amarok to play MP3 files? I use realplayer in windows and in linux but I really like the visualizations if I'm just listening to music. Of course the Linux version of realplayer doesn't have visualizations so I use Amarok. Problem is Slackware's version of Amarok wasn't compiled with the visualization plugin. Argh.. As far as I can tell the only way to install plugins in Amarok is during the compilation. So, I downloaded libvisual-4.0 along with the libvisual plugins and Amarok-1.4.10. Compiled the libvisual sources then the Amarok source and now I have some cool looking visuals while my music is playing. Are there other audio players with visualizations or did I just do a lot of work when there was an easier solution?

I'm using Slackware 12.1.

I ran amarok (1.4.10). From the Tools menu I selected the Visualizations option. I received a pop-up error box that either libvisual is not installed or no plugins are installed.

Slackware 12.1 comes with the libvisual-0.4.0 package. Therefore the problem likely is a lack of plugins.

From slacky.eu I downloaded the build script for libvisual-plugins and installed the package. Then I started amarok and tried enabling Visualizations.

I received a pop-up dialog box filled with check boxes to choose a visualization plugin. I selected an option and the visualization effect worked just fine.

I would offer that amarok does not need to be recompiled after installing the libvisual plugins.

I think Kaffeine provides some visualization effects.

Libvisual wasn't in /usr/local/lib so I assumed it wasn't there. Even after installing libvisual and the plugins I got the same popup window that you described. Libvisual was detected and added as a plugin when I configured the amarok sources. My assumption is that the version of amarok that comes with slackware 12.1 was compiled without libvisual or was compiled before libvisual was compiled so amarok didn't detect it. So, it appears that the only way to get visuals is to recompile amarok from the sources after installing libvisual and the plugins.

I'll have to try kaffeine. Thanks for the tip.

The libvisual libraries are installed in /usr/lib, not /usr/local/lib. The /usr/local file system is reserved for local usage and Pat rightfully and respectfully does not install packages there.

A good way to investigate Slackware packages is to open PACKAGES.TXT. If the package is listed in that document, then use pkgtool to investigate whether the package is installed. Or search /var/log/packages.

The libvisual package is part of the l (lower case L) package set. I'll guess you do not have the package installed. As I wrote, I did not recompile amarok. I did build and install the plugins, but that is all. I did not restart X/KDE. I only restarted amarok and the program immediately found the newly installed plugins.

BTW, I verified Kaffeine supplies its own visualization effects. You can find a Kaffeine build script at slackbuild.org.

I misread your original reply and thought you still weren't getting visualizations. I wasn't killing amarok from the "engage" menu so it was still running which is why it didn't find the plugins I installed. Thanks for the education on package.txt! I guess my only consolation is that I'm running a newer version of Amarok. I'm off to get Kaffeine. Thanks again.

Yeah, occasionally I get confused by that too and then I remember to actually quit Amarok. :scratch:

As you mentioned, you likely did not have to recompile Amarok --- you only needed to restart Amarok. That is all I did.

By the way, I asked Pat to consider including the libvisual-plugins package. Being a Dead Head....

Kaffeine works fine although I watch DVDs and DVD ISOs from Xine because I like the "remote control" user interface better. I don't seem to grasp the Kaffeine interface with playing DVDs. Kaffeine is great with individual files such as MPEGs and AVIs. I've grown accustomed to the Amarok interface so I just keep using that rather than Kaffeine or Juk. I probably should learn to use Juk instead because I don't use half the features Amarok provides.

Well, it's being added now

Kaffeine is pretty nice. I've been using VLC for DVDs. I've pretty much given up on mplayer. I did watch a dvd with kaffeine and plays them pretty good except for the issue you mentioned. I need to take another look at xine. My installation of xine has some video issues which are probably fixable but I'm to busy importing MP3s. Primarily I'll probably stick with amarok for audio, VLC for DVDs but I love having choices.

VLC is excellent for DVDs and will give you no trouble. For whatever reason I prefer Xine. It really is nice. It has full DVD menu support (you can either use the DVD remote control or click on options -- or use Page Up/Page Down and Enter to select), though I think VLC is a little better for menus. I just like Xine's interface more than VLC. But I suppose there are skins for both.

Took a break from mp3 copying to look a xine again. By default it sets the video driver to "auto" and selects "opengl". It has a pretty purple and green screen and causes buffer overflows. After changing my user level to "Expert" I was able to change the video to "xshm" which works a lot better. I've used xine before and liked it too now that it works for me.