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  1. Agustin's Linux Manual
  2. Multimedia & Hardware Installation
  3. About the Author
  4. Contents
  5. Multimedia
  6. Default Audio Setting
  7. Audio Application
  8. The Play Directory
  9. The Equalizer
  10. Options Sub-menu
  11. Movies & DVDs
  12. Starting Xine
  13. Video Conferencing
  14. GnomeMeeting's Main Window
  15. The Desktop
  16. Office
  17. Networking
  18. Multimedia Submenu
  19. Web Browsers
  20. Installing New Hardware
  21. Loading Modules for Hardware
  22. Introduction to IDEs
  23. Tweaking the Hard Drive
  24. Setting (U) DMA
  25. Installing a CD/RW
  26. Floppy Disk, Zip Drives
  27. Installing USB Devices
  28. Fire wire IEEE 1394
  29. Using the CD-Writer

Movies & DVDs

Linux still doesn't have many movie players due to proprietary codec's. We hope that in the near future we will have more than enough of what we can use. Currently Under Linux there are very interesting players such as Xine, Xmovie, Mplayer and others.

The Xine Video Player

Let's get started with Xine. Xine is very interesting; it supports a wide range of formats and good customization; fast and flexible as well. Xine is tricky, your Linux distribution comes with an official version, but there is an unofficial version available.

Xine Official Version: Included in your Linux distribution, some formats not supported.

Xine Unofficial Version: Always updated, supports encrypted formats, Dvx …

There are other video players, but Xine is my favorite. In this section I will discus and teach you how to have it up and running as easy as possible. If you want to try other players, you may want to try Mplayer, Ogle… or search the web for others.

Installing Xine
This installation will be the unofficial version….

Yes I know what people say, what good is Linux as a desktop if you can't play your DVD? The truth is, what good is it to speak first without seeking the truth? I hate to say it but people are ignorant, and because of our ignorance we always judge things wrong.

To start the installation, first you have to download the unofficial files required. My recommendation is that you download files in the RPM form.

The official Website is: http://xinehq.de/index.php

http://xinehq.de/index.php/nightly (rpms)

Software requirements:
In order for your installation to be successful, this is what you need…

    • libpng-2.1.0.3-1.i386.rpm
    • libxine1-1_cvs-030903.i586.rpm
    • Xine-ui-0.9.22cvs-030903.i586.rpm
    • libdvdcss-1.2.6-2.network.i386.rpm
    • W32codec-0.52-1.i386.rpm
    • Xine-mozilla-plugin-0.2-030903.i586.rpm
    • RealPlayer9-9.0.7.151.-4.i386.rpm

    Note: By the time you do this installation, there probably will be updates for these files. So don't expect to find exactly the same.

    You might also see other names as part of the file name such as:

    • i686.rpm
    • k6.rpm
    • k7.rpm

    Any X86 is intended to run on Intel platform. The K6 is for the AMD k6 processor; and K7 is for Athlon/Duron processors.

    My Linux system is on an Athlon XP 1500+, and I installed the i586 a Pentium equivalent package and it works well. The installation is very simple. First you have to log on as root or super-user, and then be in the appropriate directory where you saved the download and then execute the following command:

    On your root prompt type:

         # rpm -ivh libpng-2.1.0.3-1.i386.rpm

    Execute the same command to all the downloaded files. The libpng is the first required library, known also as dependencies. Install it first before you install the rest.

    Make sure you type the names correctly, while typing use the tab key to auto complete the names. Before you can use Xine, you have to set Linux to allow Xine to detect a DVD drive. Again this is done as root.

         # ln –s /dev/cdrom /dev/dvd

    That command creates a link to your CD-ROM. I know you might be asking yourself why. The reason is that in Linux the DVD drive is seen just as a CD-ROM and not like a DVD drive.