Media Players
Posts: 8
Sadly I shall not be upgrading to 6.0 since neither Kaffeine nor Kplayer will play MPG, MPEG, WMV or AVI files without exhibiting an error and playing nothing, or simply crashing without any traceroute. I guess it could be my hardware, but all file types play fine in 3.4.3. Yes I have loaded all the necessary codecs and have even done a full fresh install on a newly formatted drive, to no avail. Video of all flavours work just fine on the same hardware running Suse 10.1, Ubuntu 6.0, Kbuntu etc.
I have used 3.4.3 for some time and reckon it to be the best distribution around in terms of features, ease of use and stability and really wanted 6.0 to be better. Having waited so long I was hoping upon hope the 6.0 distribution would just work "out of the box" and be the success that surely Warren and his team would wish it to be and also, yes the success they deserve.
But responding to Warren's comments in the announcement of 21 July:
"Satisfied users are encouraged to make a contribution or make a purchase at the MEPIS store, in order to offset the costs of development of SimplyMEPIS 6.0 and to encourage further development of MEPIS Linux.."
(the commonsense commercial overtones of which I feel sure will horrify many Linux purists) may I say that if Mepis is to survive in the face of commercial competition then such shortcomings will not help.
I am a relatively experienced Linux user with > three years experience and reckon I can fix most things, but I have to say that as time goes by I am less and less inclined to open the hood and get my hands dirty because by now Linux should "just work". Let us be realistic then if I am put off and I enjoy the challenge, what hope is there for the vast majority of potential fee paying users when the most simple of requirements - playing video - presents a hassle at the first hurdle, especially when good old Windoze presents no such problems.
As much as it saddens me to say so - and for all those Linux purists doubters out there it really does - I am unimpressed.
Me Too For Now....
Posts: 311
I am installing Mepis on legacy machines standing in line
and none of them even know what it is im installing...
It has to just work right outta the box...no time for
kernel compiling or chasing this and that....
It's absolutely frustrating...as each new stable/final release
is posted all my legacy boxes get left farther and farther
behind....
Udev broke untold numbers of legacy devices..
I just yanked Network cards out and replaced them in order
to use 3.4-3
Now what am I supposed to do....tell hundreds of windows users that I have subbed Mepis on...
to suck it up and don't play any mp3's and mpegs ???
I don't like Kaffeine or Kplayer
Posts: 323
I have the xine debs(and all the codecs) tucked away in my home directory (they dont change much these days) for instant install
I wish I had kuikshow tucked away as well as I much preferred it to 'slowfoto'
Does anyone know how to get kuikshow back, I've been looking around and not found it, so far.
Doesn't answer your problems at all, just an observation.
try gwenview
Posts: 316
I agree with you about kuickshow. Try qwenview. It's in the standard repos.
Yes, I use that,
Posts: 323
I agree with you about kuickshow. Try qwenview. It's in the standard repos.
it's just that kuikshow was great for viewing individual pictures (quickly!!)
This can easily be fixed
Posts: 2299
cosmology, this is easily fixed!!
Due to licensing issues Mepis cannot distribute some necessary lame libs. Do an upgrade and update and the problem is solved, since a dummy library is now in place that causes the crashes!!
About your rant: Linux should indeed just work, but you will also find the NONE of the big distros will play closed formats out of the box. Mepis, in spite of this very small issue, is still one of the few that makes it almost painless to get things working.
If you are so concerned about these themes, do not complain with the distro makers, but with the ones that make these rules. Write to your representative and tell him/her what you feel. Start a campaign to do away with software patents, or use windows and accept its flaws, but don't start about 'hassle free'. If you 'get the facts', Mepis will still be one of the most hassle free desktop OSes available.
Newbie or not Newbie, there's always a question
to get amarok kaffien to
Posts: 256
to get amarok and kaffien work. this is to get them playing mp3's
[super easy fix]
su
"your password"
apt-get update
"then do a"
apt-get upgrade
[this indefantly works]
there are no distros that support mp3's as it is eligial
so dont go to other distros it will be just the same
to play DVD go to synaptic
Posts: 256
to play DVD go to synaptic search for
libdvdcss2
and let synaptic install that for you
and
win32codecs
w32codecs, actually
Posts: 38
in Synaptic search for w32codecs, not win32codecs. If it's not found, then be sure the ftp://cipherfunk.org/pub/packages/ubuntu/ repository is turned on and search again.
Media Players
Posts: 8
I am not surprised that the subject I raised causes irritation, but that was not my intention.
At home I use Mepis 3.4.3 for everything that I do, but I had to make a substantial investment in time and effort to sort out the "rough" edges. I do not begrudge this investment because I (passionately) believe in open source and all that it implies and because of all the distributions I have tried Mepis is the most complete out of the box.
The Windoze "problems" that I suspect I and readers of this post perceive, viz. bloated code, corporate indifference, inflated prices, stifled innovation, ripping off users, DRM, cartels with Intel et al, fixing the market by pressure on vendors to install Windoze on all new PCs etc., etc,. have no resonance with the average Joe because he just wants to turn on his Dell “Volksputer” and do whatever he wants – just the same as he does with his Xbox or digital TV.
What I am suggesting therefore is that it is up to us to make it less difficult for Joe Public to use Linux. The reason – sad as it is to those of us who have had the Linux experience - is that it is unrealistic to expect the average Windoze user to become a convert if they have to make almost any effort whatsoever other than putting a CD in a drive and clicking "Yes" a few times.
Carlops you are correct that no distros play closed formats out of the box. I am suggesting that until this is possible, or we make it so simple – perhaps by way of first run pop-ups like the one for Kaffeine, but with an interactive menu that allows the user to click and run/install the correct packages - then the relative difficulty of fixing the problem for Joe Public will be a brake to progress. By the way I accept that libdvdcss presents a different (legal) issue in some countries, but at least the user has the choice of running non-encrypted DVDs rather than having no functionality whatsoever.
Enough ranting! Let me close by saying that nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see Mepis be a commercial success and to live in a world where Linux is ubiquitous. So I think we are actually all on the same side.
Hi cosmology, I understand
Posts: 2299
Hi cosmology,
I understand what you are referring to. I already sent a mail to to inform them I would suggest warning the users about this issue. I really do think the fix is a simple enough one that people can perform by themselves, but they indeed should at least be made aware of it. In that respect, it is bad PR...
Newbie or not Newbie, there's always a question
That's not what Freespire claims
Posts: 1109
there are no distros that support mp3's as it is eligialso dont go to other distros it will be just the same
That's not what the folks at Linspire/Freespire claim:
"Legally supports (or has one-click access to support): MP3, DVD, Windows Media, QuickTime, Java, Flash, Real, ATI drivers, nVidia drivers, Adobe Acrobat Reader, proprietary WiFi drivers, fonts, and so on."
Jim C.
It's another issue
Posts: 2299
samuelmp wrote:there are no distros that support mp3's as it is eligialso dont go to other distros it will be just the same
That's not what the folks at Linspire/Freespire claim:
"Legally supports (or has one-click access to support): MP3, DVD, Windows Media, QuickTime, Java, Flash, Real, ATI drivers, nVidia drivers, Adobe Acrobat Reader, proprietary WiFi drivers, fonts, and so on."
Jim C.
Newbie or not Newbie, there's always a question
That's why Linspire costs money, you actually (also) pay for the licenses. Moreover, it has to do with the GPL, which does not allow for distributing the libmad0 library since it is licensed.
The libmad0 library is of course also just a couple of clicks away, so it is not so much of a technical issue, as it is a matter of poor comunication to first time users. But that's just my opinion....
That was from the Freespire ((not LInspire) home page
Posts: 1109
That's why Linspire costs money, you actually (also) pay for the licenses. Moreover, it has to do with the GPL, which does not allow for distributing the libmad0 library since it is licensed.
That quote was from the Freespire home page (it's a new free distro that's now in beta). They apparently have versions with and without the needed codecs.
If they're licensing them,then apparently they're letting people use them at no extra charge.
I tried the first beta briefly. But, I didn't like the "look and feel" of it. So, I removed it.
"Legally supports (or has one-click access to support): MP3, DVD, Windows Media, QuickTime, Java, Flash, Real, ATI drivers, nVidia drivers, Adobe Acrobat Reader, proprietary WiFi drivers, fonts, and so on."
Jim C.
The devil is in the
Posts: 2299
The devil is in the phrasing:
'legally supports or has one click acces to blahblah'... Same goes for Mepis, which legally supports Flash, proprietary WiFi drivers, and supports 'one click' access to MP3, WAV, AVI etc.... the legality of these is entirely in the hands of the user....
The freespire phrasing is meaningless, whereas Mepis has slowly learned to obey the GPL rules and therefore states what can and cannot be done out of the box...
Newbie or not Newbie, there's always a question
Cipherfunk no longer available
Posts: 475
in Synaptic search for w32codecs, not win32codecs. If it's not found, then be sure the ftp://cipherfunk.org/pub/packages/ubuntu/ repository is turned on and search again.
cipherfunk.org is no longer available
Go to http://64.71.152.24/ which is where cipherfunk.org used to be deferred
Play .MPG, .MPEG, .WMV, .AVI, and other Windows Media formats
Posts: 475
jpotelle wrote:in Synaptic search for w32codecs, not win32codecs. If it's not found, then be sure the ftp://cipherfunk.org/pub/packages/ubuntu/ repository is turned on and search again.
cipherfunk.org is no longer available
Go to http://64.71.152.24/ which is where cipherfunk.org used to be deferred
The below guide is for MEPIS Linux although may possibly be applied to other builds of linux.
First you must install the following for Kaffiene (I may have already done it for you).
Go to http://64.71.152.24/
Click on the first "here" and then download the following files (Do NOT Install yet)...
libdvdcss2_1.2.8-1unofficialubuntu4_i386.deb
w32codecs_20060611-0unofficialubuntu1_i386.deb
Then after that open your Synaptic Package Manager by clicking KStartMenu > Run Command > type in "synaptic" without quotes
Do a search for "mplayer" without quotes and install the package that says mplayer (not mozilla-mplayer)
Then install both of the files that you downloaded (simply buy opening then and then clicking install)
After that go back to Synaptic and then do a search for "mplayerplug-in"
Install "mozilla-mplayer"
Congratulations!!! You can now play streaming Windows Media in Firefox on MEPIS Linux!
Now go to http://www.cnn.com/US/ and click on a video to test it.
Playing dvd's
Posts: 26
Unfortunately in Mepis 6 Synaptic cannot find libdvdcss or w32codes. Which brings up another issue. Is the any way to access the depositories that Mepis uses and add to them?
Does anyone know where I can find libdvdcss2 and win32codecs?
grabro
/etc/apt/sources.list
Posts: 516
Does anyone know where I can find libdvdcss2 and win32codecs?grabro
Copy and paste to your /etc/apt/sources.list
-------------------------------------------------------
# Seveas' packages (packages, GPG key: 1135D466)
deb http://mirror2.ubuntulinux.nl/ dapper-seveas all
# Bazaar-NG development (packages, GPG key: 1F44842D)
deb http://people.ubuntu.com/~jbailey/snapshot/bzr/ ./
-------------------------------------------------------
# If you get errors about missing keys, lookup the key in this file
# and run these commands (replace KEY with the key number)
# gpg --keyserver subkeys.pgp.net --recv KEY
# gpg --export --armor KEY | sudo apt-key add -
MEPIS Help Files: http://www.mepis.org/docs/index.php/Main_Page
INTEL P-IV/HT 3.0GHz - 2X256 DDR3200 - SimplyMEPIS 6.0-1
KDE 3.5.4 - kernel 2.6.15-26-686-SMP - My iMAC runs Debian, Sarge
Depositores
Posts: 26
Thanks everyone
Yes I had managed to find the solution and now I can play dvd's.
grabro
Play .MPG, .MPEG, .WMV, .AVI, and other Windows Media formats
Posts: 5
I am using mepis 6.5 beta6 and will never need to go back to mepis 3.4.3 although I must concure that 3.4.3 is one of Worren's best builds ever. I have just gotten to love the mepis 6 bleeding edge offerings. It is really not hard to figure this stuff out. Thanks to sag47 and others for the help. They make it possable for anyone to get mepis linux working right, even 6.5 beta6
using synaptic
make sure the repository includes
for mepis 6.5 beta6
deb http://medibuntu.sos-sts.com/repo/ dapper free non-free
Now just...
synaptic kaffeine
synaptic mplayer (not mozilla-mplayer)
while this installs there is some complaining about dependencies and such but stick
with the default prompt of default=n
some things get uninstalled automaticly and some new things get installed new
you should get successfully applied all changes. You can close the window now. at the end of mplayer install
synaptic libdvdcss2
synaptic w32codecs
Synaptic mplayerplug-in you will return a mozilla-mplayer
Install or upgrade the mozilla-mplayer
that should do it. you should now be able to firefox into the www.cnn.com/world web site and play news movie to test it out.
and also you should now be able to play dvds in kaffeine.
I got all this imformation from mepis forums and mostly from sag47 and others including myself edh398. thanks all
another repository that might be worth adding is:
ftp://cipherfunk.org/pub/packages/ubuntu/
but I have not used it yet.
fyi, this ftp site is not working
mepis has been and always will be the greatest!!!
edh398
Mepis has been and is the greatest Linux!!!
Quote:another repository
Posts: 1634
another repository that might be worth adding is:
ftp://cipherfunk.org/pub/packages/ubuntu/
but I have not used it yet.
fyi, this ftp site is not working
There's a bit of history there...let's just say that, unfortunately, you should seek other alternatives to cipherfunk.
My occupation?
Well, computer geek-stuff, mostly. I could tell you all about it; but, then I would have to delete you.
getting firefox to play wmv streams
Posts: 5
Hi everyone,
I use Mepis 6.5.02 final now and have been fighting the ---getting wmv streams to work in Firefox at www.cnn.com/us 's site --- for about 5 weeks now. Seems that it stopped working for me shortly after I posted getting things to work. Well... yesterday I got it to work again. Did all the same stuff as last time, but could never get Mepis/Firefox to to play the streams until I went Full Screen on the mplayer box. All the sudden, the streams work after I go full screen!!! I figure it is a bug in Mepis' mplayer or Firefox's mplayer plug-in for the small box window www.cnn.com/us uses. Anyhow, that was all I had to do to get the streams to take-off --- full screen it first, then after that I can go back to the small window and it even works there too. I use nvidia agp cards, both new and legacy drivers on different mechines.
Enjoy!!
Mepis has been and is the greatest Linux!!!
edh398
So stick with Mepis 3.4.3
Posts: 849
So stick with Mepis 3.4.3 then, I'm going to.
anticapitalista
Philosophers have interpreted the world in many ways; the point is to change it.