Linux
– Xine Multimedia Player
Xine
is an application to play multimedia files on a PC.
It makes the
PC to a TV, DVD- or CD-player.
Prerequisites:
Credits:
Installation-instructions:
Downloading
and installing the packages:
To
install the package for Xine it is neccessary to log-on as user
'root'.
This prevents interuptions due to missing access-rights.
Due
to copyright reasons in some countries, the modules for Xine are
split up according to different tasks (e.g. decoding DVDs without
verifying for a fitting 'Region Code'). Therefore, the prerequisites
for the 'Pure Xine Player' are pretty numerous.
As
times change and websites move, I gave up to document links as they
might be already outdated at the time you are reading.this
document.
So, please use http://www.rpmfind.net
or
http://www.rpmseek.com to
find an up-to-date version for your Linux distribution and a mirror
close to you.
The
list is in an order that the installation of a package fulfills the
prerequisite for the next package.
Install the downloaded package
by opening a 'Terminal' window and enter the command
rpm
-Uvh full_name_of_the_file
If the
'Installer' reports a missing prerequisite which is not in this list,
the missing package is usually on the installation CD for your
distribution.
Download
the following packages – chose the version that fits your linux
distribution and your
processor:
libmp4v2-version.distribution.processor.rpm
faac-version.distribution.processor.rpm
aalib-version.distribution.processor.rpm
imlib-version.distribution.processor.rpm
libfame-version.distribution.processor.rpm
libcdio-version.distribution.processor.rpm
vcdimager-version.distribution.processor.rpm
libmodplug-version.distribution.processor.rpm
libmad-version.distribution.processor.rpm
libdvdcss-version.distribution.processor.rpm
arts-version.distribution.processor.rpm
libXvMCW-version.distribution.processor.rpm
xine-lib-version.distribution.processor.rpm
portaudio-version.distribution.processor.rpm
lirc-version.distribution.processor.rpm
xine-version.distribution.processor.rpm
N.B.:
I missed actual versions (Fedora Core 5) for some packages. In
those cases I installed packages for previous versions (Core 3,
e.g.).
Xine started too !
Linking
the DVD-hardware to the Linux-device /dev/dvd:
Xine
expects the device for DVDs at /dev/dvd.
I
tried it on 3 machines, but none of them were capable to 'link' the
correct device during Linux startup.
Therefore
it is neccessary to link the physical device (which was /dev/hdd
in my case).
To do this, I added the following lines at the
file /etc/rc.d/rc.local :
#
Link the physical device for the DVD as Xine expects it under
/dev/dvd
rm /dev/dvd
ln /dev/hdd /dev/dvd
# Make the DVD
accessible for all users
chmod 444 /dev/dvd
Starting
Xine:
For
a first trial, open a 'Terminal' window and enter the command:
xine
-A oss -V Xshm
Xine comes up with an empty screen
and the control panel:
After
loading the selected device with a DVD, click onto the 'DVD' button
on the control panel and the playing of the DVD starts
This
command given above is the secure mode using both software modules
for audio and video.
To test, if your audio-hardware is supported
by xine, enter
xine
-V XShm
and try to play a DVD.
If you
do not hear a sound, your audio-hardware is not supported by xine and
you have to use the software module further on.
To test for
xine-support of your video-hardware, leave of the option to force
software support:
xine
or
(if you need software-support for the audio-hardware):
xine
-A oss
Adding
a Launcher:
The
adding of a 'Launcher is described in the document Add
a Launcher .
The
Parameters are
Name: Xine
DVD-Player
Generic
name: (leave blank)
Comment:
Play Video files
command:
xine
Type: Application
(select)
Icon:
/usr/share/pixmaps/xine.xpm
Run
in Terminal: No
(do not check)
Additional
Hints:
Closing
xine is a little bit confusing.
To close xine, either close the
screen ('Close' icon in the upper right corner) or 'switch off' the
control panel ('switch' icon in the lower left corner of the control
panel).
It happens quite often to me, that I 'close' the control
panel.
In that case, the control panel can be shown again
by
clicking (left mouse button) into the screen and then pressing the
key-combination 'Ctrl-g'
or
by 'right clicking' into the
screen and 'check' 'Show controls' :
Test:
Klick
onto the created Launcher and xine will open the screen and control
panel.
Enter a DVD or another medium with a video-file and press
the proper button.
Verify, that the video is played
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of document.