XINE: A Cool Media Player for Linux

Okay so you've got XMMS which is basically Winamp.... Which does play mpeg 1 files quite nicely, but what about DVD, VCD, divx????

Well, I've found something to do all that that's... Well, at least worth putting on, at any rate.

XINE
http://xine.sourceforge.net/index.php


Here is how to install it.

First, download the tarballs containing the source code and scripts.

http://xine.sourceforge.net/files/xine-lib-0.9.6.tar.gz

http://xine.sourceforge.net/files/xine-ui-0.9.6.tar.gz

download BOTH files. Your home directory is fine.

Now, unpack both files like this:

tar -zxvf xine-lib-0.9.6.tar.gz

tar -zxvf xine-ui-0.9.6.tar.gz

This will create two directories called
xine-lib-0.9.6 and xine-ui-0.9.6 in the directory you were working in.

change directory to xine-lib-0.9.6.

type this:

./configure
make
make check

(su to root if not root already.)

make install

in seperate lines one after one. Each will do a part of the installation process, i.e. run the configuration script, compile and then install that compiled program.

Now, look at the contents of a file called /etc/ld.so.conf....

It will list some paths. Make SURE that /usr/local/lib is listed there. If its NOT, then add it please, using the text editor of your choice.

Now export this environment variable, like this:

export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="/usr/local/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH"

Now go into the xine-ui-0.9.6 directory and do this:

./configure
make
make check
make install

(again, you have to be root to make install)

and you will now find that if you run this:

/usr/local/bin/xine

(or indeed just xine, because its in your $PATH now.)

from the command line, it should open the application. make a shortcut to it.


Have a lookie at it, its still under development but Winamp and Sonique used to look as basic as this many moons ago.


Now, you want to be able to play divx movies?? Okay well you will have to download the divx codec for Linux here:

http://www.divx.com/divx/

this will give you a file called divx4linux2020344049.tar.gaz

the numbers are not the same, but I can't be bothered typing them.

Now unpack the file again with the

tar -zxvf filename

command

where "filename" is the divx4linux....tar.gaz file

Now, go into the newly created directory, and type this:

./install.sh

and after a few second's wait, the divx codecs will be installed on your linux system.


Good luck!

http://xine.sourceforge.net/xine.jpg

I agree Phantasm - Xine is a great media player. Everyone should check it out.

LNCPapa

If you decide that you like Xine, and getting it for free is making you feel a little guilty, then why not make a small donation to them?

http://xine.sourceforge.net/xine_frame.php?page=donations.html

Sounds like the guys there would even be happy if you sent them some old SPARCS workstation or something! Or even if you posted them a DVD...

i have nough trouble trying to get that darn thing to compile, but after seeing your screen shot p66, i'm going to try again after classes today! :D

-j

Originally posted by just1n
i have nough trouble trying to get that darn thing to compile, but after seeing your screen shot p66, i'm going to try again after classes today! :D

-j

If you have problems, post back here. Please give specific error messages that the configuration script or compiler give you.

yeah im getting erros, here's what it says:

*** Could not run XINE test program, checking why...
*** The test program compiled, but did not run. This usually means
*** that the run-time linker is not finding XINE or finding the wrong
*** version of XINE. If it is not finding XINE, you'll need to set your
*** LD_LIBRARY_PATH enviroment variable, or edit /etc/ld.so.conf to point
*** to the installed location Also, make sure you have run ldconfig if that is required on your system.
***
*** If you have an old version installed, it is best to remove it, although
*** you may be bale to get things to work by modifying LD_LIBRARY_PATH
***
configure: error: *** You should install xine-lib first ***

any ideas? i followed your instructions from the xine-lib exactly as you listed them. thanks!

-j

Okay, I got the exact same error message as you.

Make sure:

export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="/usr/local/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH"

as root, and:

that /usr/local/lib is in /etc/ld.so.conf....


Does it work now??

Oh, and do the xine lib compilation bit first.

Follow my instructions to the letter and it will work. If not, I shall figure out with your help.

ok i exported the variable and i got it compiled and running however when i try to open a file by clicking the /\ button, the program doesn't do anything.

did you have this problem as well?

-j

As far as I have been able to make out, you have to add a file to a play list, and then hit play.

Hit the play list icon, and add a file to it. The path of the file and its name should appear on the Xine controller thingie.... then hit play.

Just muck around with it. There several skins and lots of different buttons, etc....

Phantasm,
Here is the error Im getting after following your directions.

input_dvd: unable to open dvd drive (/dev/dvd): No Such file or directory


I followed your instructions very closely.
I did have and issue with this: Now, look at the contents of a file called /etc/ld.so.conf....

It will list some paths. Make SURE that /usr/local/lib is listed there. If its NOT, then add it please, using the text editor of your choice.

I think I have it correctly setup thou through editing it in Nautilis. Xine looks really cool. Thanks for your help on getting it to work.

Forget..I fixed it.

cd /dev
ln -s hdc dvd

So whats up with the encrypted dvds not playing. I dont think I have one DVD in my collection that will play.

Is there a list somewhere that says what DVD's are not encrypted?

Okay, I found a patch to allow playing of encrypted DVD movies.

Now I get this error:
xine: cannot find input plugin for this MRL
That is what the console says..
Here is what Xine says
-xine engine error-
There is no available input plugin available to handle 'dvd://video_TS.VOB'

What should I do from here?

Thanks..

Alright..Its all set after all.

Xine is really cool. I need to tweak it a little bit though. Im getting some dropped frames here and there.

Originally posted by svtcobra
Okay, I found a patch to allow playing of encrypted DVD movies.

Could you post a link, please??

I get basically the same thing. When I try to play an encrypted DVD, all I get is a blank screen.

Performance playing DVD is pretty bad. I have a 1.33 GHz machine, so decoding in software should be no problem.

That's some really good input you are making svtcobra. I knew once Linux was on your system you would set yourself to mastering it.

Yeah, that black screen thing was starting to bother me so I decided to hunt around for a fix. I went to sourceforge.net and in the readme file it said to look around for an "improved" xine_dvd_plugin. So I jumped on Yahoo did a search and here is what I found.

http://cambuca.ldhs.cetuc.puc-rio.br/~jcm/skyblade/

Download the 0.9.8 files and follow your own instructions. One thing you need to do is after you add the /usr/local/lib to /etc/ld.so.conf you nned to run ldconfig.

After the install is complete, click the D4D button on the player to view and encrypted DVD.

Glad I could help..

Great!

I'll give that a go...

Ok, I had serious problems playing DVDs, encrypted or otherwise.

Unencrypted ones played rubbish and encrypted ones did not play at all.

What I did was download the latest xine rpms, and install all of those, from the link that svtcobra provided here:

http://cambuca.ldhs.cetuc.puc-rio.br/~jcm/skyblade/

I also downloaded the latest source of libdvdcss from here:

http://www.videolan.org/libdvdcss/download.html

Now things are a lot better. All DVDs play (after a fashion) albeit slightly stuttery from being decoded in software (I'm used to the hollywood plus under windows....) however...

If I hit the D4D button, nothing happens. And on opening certain files, I get told that no plugin exists.... But I have installed everything....

What I can do is go into playlist, select ADD and then D4D and then add all of the .vob files to the playlist. This means that the DVD plays, but that the menus don't work, etc...

Anyway, I am on the case. DVD playback is now not too bad, all things considered.

Why don't you use VideoLAN client for DVDs? I think it's better than Xine in that.

Hello P66 and thank you for the excellent guide...

Xine installed perfectly fine (after discovering the libpng-devel package wasn't installed) but I'm having a bit of a problem. Just running Xine from Konqueror launches it, but it closes soon after. After running Xine from the command prompt I discovered this is why it was closing so early:

"main: probing <aadxr3> video output plugin
load_plugins: failed to load video output plugin <aadxr3>
main: probing <none> video output plugin
load_plugins: failed to load video output plugin <none>
main: probing <vidixfb> video output plugin
load_plugins: failed to load video output plugin <vidixfb>
main: probing <fb> video output plugin
load_plugins: failed to load video output plugin <fb>
main: all available video drivers failed."

So I don't have video drivers huh. XConfig probed (successfully) the GF2MX in this system. Is it something else? Video output plugins? I have xine-lib-1-rc0a and xine-ui-0.9.22 running on RH9. In case you were wondering, this is not my home machine, I never got my modem installed...

Thanks in advance :)

You are missing video codecs, I think. It tells you how to install codecs on the XINE web site, I am sure.

That doesn't look like a codec problem to me. Xine is trying to find a suitable method to display video, and fails. aadxr3 = ascii art displayed thru dxr3 card, vidixfb = VIDeo interface for *nIX framebuffer, fb = normal framebuffer. I wonder why it doesn't use xv though, that should be available on nearly every recent XFree86 installation.

My apologies, it appears that Mictlantecuhtli is indeed right.

Are there any RH packages I'm missing? How can I fix it?

You should at least be able to use xv, as Mic said. Read this:

http://xinehq.de/index.php/faq#XVEXTENSION

What version of XFree86 did you install??

I use Mplayer, it's a whole lot easier to install and stuff (just one targz) but you also have to install the GUI separately (I'm pretty sure) and the codec packages you get have no instructions...

I have also had a lot of luck with Mplayer as well, yes Wicka that is indeed true.

AFAIK, it still lacks the DVD-NAV capability of being able to use DVD menus, but it does everything else.

Originally posted by Phantasm66
Now, look at the contents of a file called /etc/ld.so.conf....

It will list some paths. Make SURE that /usr/local/lib is listed there. If its NOT, then add it please, using the text editor of your choice.


http://xine.sourceforge.net/xine.jpg


Okay i managed to reach this stage but currently have problems trying to edit the ld.so.conf file. Since it is a read only file, i can't edit and save the changes. I have no clue what to do next. Please enlighten me.

You need to be root to be able to edit the file. If you are doing this as root, check if you have write permissions.

the file's default permissions are

-rw-r--r--

so you will need to be root to edit it.

Hmmm...if i am not mistaken, i tried to to use the following as root to open the file:

"./ld.so.conf" as root in the etc directory.

It didn't work at all.

That's not a script to be executed in the shell, its a configuration file that you need to edit in a text editor and then save.

My bad for tryin out the dodgy GUI to edit the text. Did a google on how to use vi. Everthing is better to get smooth, i m heading to the next stage. Thanks for the help guys.

vi is the gateway to becomming a UNIX guru. Stick at it.

It might be worth telling that becoming a UNIX guru by Phantasm's definition is a horribly difficult aind painstaking process..

EMACS all the way.. (well, pico is even better) :p

okay, I swear I have already done this but I cant run xine.....the only thing in /usr/local/bin/ is xine-config...what do I do now thx

What exactly did you do?

You definently didn't do everything discussed in this thread since in that case you would be a UNIX guru and wouldn't be having problems :p

acutally, I didnt even look at the thread...I already had done everything right...because I do know what im doing. Anyways I already figured it out. I dont need you telling me what I did and didnt do. thx