Has anybody installed mplayer on hoary hedgehog?

I'm trying to run:
sudo ./configure --enable-gui
I had an error about not having libpng-dev. I fixed that.
I had an error about X11 support. I fixed that.

Now I'm getting a GTK devel needed for GUI error.
Here's what I see.

Maybe it wants an older version of the GTK devel stuff?

Why not just use Synaptic to install it? You may need to add the "World" repository (instructions on the Ubuntu website).

Well, I didnt see a "World' repository. But I did find reference to a 'universe' repository. Tried that, but no mplayer showed up in the list. I saw xmms in the synaptic list. I installed that and it also installed several dependencies. I think one of those was the gtk stuff mplayer wanted, because I went back and ran sudo ./configure --enable-gui and this time I didn't get an error. Ran make and make install again (as sudo). And all seemed ok. However, I cannot run mplayer and get a nice gui to pop up and ask me what I want to open. And, although synaptic installed xmms for me, I can't open it either. There's a default music player in ubuntu that says it is for playing mp3 files, but when I try to open a directory of mp3 files, it says there's no way it can play mp3 files. The default CD Player is the only thing that works so far.

Well, part of the problem is, of course, the loose nut on the keyboard.

It seems you have to download and install fonts and skins separately, but you have to do it. Then untar the bz2 files and then move the font files out of the directories created by the untarring into the fonts directory and then create a default directory under the skins directory and then untar the skins bz2 file and cd down into the skins directory that created and then move the skins files there back to the ../skins/default directory.

Oh, and it's gmplayer for the gui part, goober. I knew that. Don't call me goober. uh... oh..

So, now I have it opening up, but of course it says /dev/dsp is busy.

Maybe you could point me to the instructions for that? Do you think synaptic can really install it with the codecs, and fonts, and skins necessary?
Maybe I'm expecting too much from the hoary release?

MPlayer is available through apt/synaptic. It's either in universe or multiverse (How To - Enable the multiverse repository), I forget which.

Rhythmbox will only play .ogg files 'out of the box'. Mp3 support is a slightly grey area, legally, unless you own a licence so Ubuntu errs on the side of caution and doesn't include it by default. If you install gstreamer0.8-mad then Rhythmbox will happily play mp3s. If you've got a fast link then you may as well just install gstreamer0.8-plugins which will give you support for mp3, FLAC and many, many more.

See the Ubuntu wiki's restricted formats page for more information.

Maybe you want mplayer, but have you considered xine..? Because I did the same as you, went and compiled mplayer but just got tired of all the skins and annoying gui. Xine works much better.
Also, consider Amarok for music! The others just cant compete

So, I found the xine files in synaptic. Installed it. It plays the music and has sound. Good idea.

I've seen the problem discused before about /dev/dsp (the issue I'm having with mplayer now) so it's just a matter of researching a little more to find out why it says the device is busy.

xmms is installed and put itself in the drop down applications menu from the top panel, But if I click on it, it seems like it wants to launch, I hear a little click noise, then it just doens't launch. More tracking stuff down to get some simple functionality... :|

The problem may be that you have xmms and xine open at the same time. Its stupid but it seems that you cant have 2 audio apps open at the same time never mind running. Something that really should be addressed by developers. If your not liking xmms Id still highly recommend checking out amarok.kde.org

As far as I'm aware, if you have a soundcard which is capable of mixing audio streams then there's no problem (so long as the driver is capable of using this), and if you don't then you can install the dmix ALSA plugin, which will mix the audio before sending it to the soundcard. I can't say I've tried this myself though (my soundcard seems to work fine) so of course your mileage may vary.

No, I was only trying one app at a time. And I was checking ps -A along the way. As soon as my caffeine kicks in, I may take a look at that amarok. I also tried running alsaconf, but it wasn't found. I'll have to look into that also. In the meantime, xine -is- working for me.

Last night I had xine running and thunderbird and gaim and firefox and I was chatting with a friend and just for no good reason I launched the freecell that comes with ubuntu. After about 3 games of that the computer froze up solid. I couldn't switch to a new terminal or do anything. No other combination of keystrokes did anything. My only recourse was to push the reset button.
(and I know, hoary isn't a final, stabe release.)

Well if you know this why tell us about it, giveing ubuntu a bad name!
No really though, that must be it, because ive been running warty for months and i can hosestly say its never crashed once

Don't be scared. I'm just posting the experiences as they happen.

I have to run killall esd to free up /dev/dsp so I can run mplayer.

This may create more problems than it solves because I am not sure how ubuntu handles other repositories. I'm running debian sid and gmplayer is as easy as apt-get install gmplayer.

this line is from my /etc/apt/sources.list
deb ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat/ unstable main

as far as xine being easier than mplayer, this is only true in the sense that the install can be easier. In debian it isn't easier or harder.
as far as usage IMHO, mplayer is better, it plays anything I throw at it, whereas xine will occasionally hiccup on an oddball file or format. Having said that, either is fine for general usage.