...how to play a darn DVD in Slackware 10.1, I've tried installing mplayer, gave up with VLC, Xine doesn't work, gxine doesn't work, tried mounting my CD/DVD drive, appearantly its not working, but I can see the DVD in FSTAB manager. I'm getting pissed off, I guess if I want to watch a DVD quick and easy, I'll have to use Windows!

Yeah, well all thats very nice and everything

Mplayer plays DVD's perfectly well, as does Xine. I've never felt the need to try anything else. Why don't you post some of the errors that are printed. At least give us a chance to try and help you

You don't mount DVD's before playing them either

You'll need to install the libdvdcss package to be able to read most DVDs in Linux. Note that in the US, there are legal issues surrounding this software; you may want to look them up before you download it, or you may decide you aren't bothered.

Once this package is installed, you should be able to watch your DVDs quite easily using either Xine or whatever player you prefer.

I could not figure out how to install a package. VLC came with like 50 packages, but I must have been doing something wrong. I don't know what to do with "doinsta.sh" guess I should stick with windows, don't know what I'm doing.

Read error from: Error reading NAV packet.

File not found: /mnt/cdrom/jacket_p/j00___5l.mp2

xine engine failed to start.

No input plugin found.
Maybe the file does not exist, has wrong permissions or
URL syntax error.

You use installpkg to install packages.

Search linuxpackages.net for mplayer and libdvdcss while your at it and then as root type I assume, as you are talking about doinst.sh that you have manually extracted the files from the package, this is not the correct way to install packages

Well your code looks greek to me, I don't know how to install packages, I said that already. Also, how do I install MPlayer, the documentation that comes with it is extremely rugged.

Cannot install libdvdcss-1.2.9-i486-lkjz.tgz: package does not end in .tgz

Ok, googled it, found command line utility pkgtool and installed the packages. Guess I need to read more before freaking out.

Download package, say its blaa.2.tgz, as root write installpkg blaa.2.tgz in catalogue containing this file and its installed.

You would also like to check premissions to your DVD drive. Is your user in video and cdrom groups?

BTW In xine, to play DVDs just click DVD button on controlls window (shortcut: g)

OK, first off. Your obviously very new to linux. There is a quite a steap learning curve to linux, linux is very different to windows. What made you choose Slackware? Slackware does nothing to make life easier for a windows user migrating to linux. To want to learn how to use Slackware you must have a fair bit of motivation about you, to be able to think for yourself, to be prepared to do a lot of reading and to be prepared to search for answers to your problems, asking for help on a forum is usually the last resort.

Now, if this isn't you then there are other distros that are easier to get a handle on, that have fancy graphical interfaces so you can point and click at options, and make that learning curve a bit flatter. There is no need to go back to Windows because you having problems with slackware, there are other options available. Of course, there is nothing stopping you returning to windows if that is your wish.

---

Ok, onto your problem, I have just told you how to install packages, you may benefit from reading the bible - http://www.slackersbible.org/. There are different ways to install software. The easiest is to leave the work (configuring and compiling) to someone else and download installable packages, of which a lot can be found at http://linuxpackages.net/. Once you have found and downloaded a package from linuxpackages you use the command I gave your earlier to install it, substituting the italics for the actual file.

Of course, once you have a bit of experience behind your belt you'll be able to build packages yourself from the source code of the program you want

Well I currently am a tech student, and a previous Windows/Hardware/Software/et al expert and I want to be an expert at Linux. I will be learning Linux later, but I wanted to get a headstart on it. My friend who is also a student recommended Slackware. Now I've had problems with it in the past, I have 3 threads running right now. I love the challenge though, if I get pissed off I can just load windows, play a game and relax. I want to learn the hardest distro because it's the hardest distro, is that too much?

Learning hardest Linux-distro need time and patience. Stay cool and everything will be well-working. Let's back to your problem. The first thing one should do when learning Linux is this page:
www.google.com/linux
Second: command man. These will be your best friends lurking into deepest bushes of GNU/Linux configs.

Try sth like this:
0. Insert DVD into device
1. While in X (KDE, Gnome, etc.) open some terminal (Konsole, etc.)
2. Do:
3. Post xine.log here.

OT: I'm also tech-student.
BTW: If you have jabber, I can help you in live-chatting manner. It's against forum philosophy, but IMHO it would help you.

If thats the truth, then good for you. Theres nothing wrong with that. But the feeling I get from your previous posts in this thread is that you wanted to try this 'linux thing', had a friend install slackware for you and when you've come to use you've found it works different to windows and now that you realise there is some work to be done on your part you've lost interest, but hey, thats just me reading between the lines.

And if anyone else gets the same 'feeling' from your posts they aren't going to feel too compelled to help you out

I had to use "pkgtool" for some reason...but here is the log:

libdvdread: Using libdvdcss version 1.2.9 for DVD access
libdvdread: Attempting to use device /dev/hda5 mounted on / for CSS authentication
libdvdnavVDOpenFileUDF:UDFFindFile /VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.IFO failed
libdvdnavVDOpenFileUDF:UDFFindFile /VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.BUP failed
libdvdread: Can't open file VIDEO_TS.IFO.
libdvdread: Using libdvdcss version 1.2.9 for DVD access

libdvdread: Attempting to retrieve all CSS keys
libdvdread: This can take a _long_ time, please be patient

libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.VOB at 0x000001e0
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_0.VOB at 0x00006fe0
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_1.VOB at 0x000239d1
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_02_0.VOB at 0x002cc3e0
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_02_1.VOB at 0x002cc400
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_03_0.VOB at 0x002d7600
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_03_1.VOB at 0x002d7620
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_04_0.VOB at 0x002e3960
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_04_1.VOB at 0x002e3980
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_05_0.VOB at 0x002eeb00
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_05_1.VOB at 0x002eeb20
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_06_0.VOB at 0x002f82c0
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_06_1.VOB at 0x002f82e0
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_07_0.VOB at 0x003018c0
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_07_1.VOB at 0x003018e0
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_08_0.VOB at 0x00307de0
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_08_1.VOB at 0x00307e00
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_09_0.VOB at 0x00310840
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_09_1.VOB at 0x00310860
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_10_0.VOB at 0x00318660
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Get key for /VIDEO_TS/VTS_10_1.VOB at 0x00318720
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0
libdvdread: Found 10 VTS's
libdvdread: Elapsed time 0

I am definately not one to just try the "linux thing" I'm going to need it, especially Monday. I start a new job at Intel Whitebox Testing and Validation in one of the FAB's here in town. 10 years of Private Security and I decided that I'm good a computers so why not start on a new career path. I am 6 months into Tech School for an AAS in Network Systems Adminstration. I have 3.75GPA and loving it, next quarter start OS Tech, Database Management, and Algebra.

Yahoo! captaingossett2003

aMSN tracy_gossett@msn.com

IRC
irc.gamesurge.net
#LSSGTS
Lonestar^tr

That didn't work? I see no errors... Perhaps try another DVD