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[EDIT: Debian GNU/Linux - Etch: w32codecs are no longer needed for mplayer and wmv9 - October, 2006] The thing is - What's the fun if you can't hear any music or watch videos...ey? Multimedia in Debian GNU/Linux is a snap. As mentioned earlier, Debian supports more hardware out-of-the-box than does your Windows. In about all situations you merely have to install a few packages (easy), run a command or 2 and you're in business...if that. Keep reading...
These tutorials based on the hardware that I have in my home-made box. Let me describe it for you - it's pretty common stuff:
- Abit NF7-M motherboard - Nforce2-MCP
- AMD AthlonXP 2700+ CPU
- 1 GB of Corsair 3200 DDRAM Memory
- big-ass WD IDE Hard drives
My motherboard comes with peripherals installed on the board. Example, my video, sound, LAN are components built right on the board so there is no need for me to install PCI cards. Sure, you can, and sure, they're probably supported. As well, the chipset for my board is nFORCE, and that same chipset is on many other motherboards. There is terrific support for it in the Linux world. Now that you know what sort of hardware I base these articles on, read on about how easy it is for my Debian box to enjoy multimedia.
It is my intention to help people migrate from Windows to Linux (Debian) so these tutorials are written with a GUI reference and functionality in mind. The command line stuff is faster and just as easy, and I'll include a little of that but let's take it one step at a time.
You already have a movie/music player installed called Totem (Movie Player). It works really well, can read streams, DVD's (with a menu), play your .oggs and .mp3's and a whole lot more. We just want to add some functionality to it. Let's first add another software repository to our /etc/apt/sources.list file. We'll do this from the command line - because it's cooler, and you want to know. Open your terminal (run - [alt + F2] gnome-terminal) and become root.
# nano /etc/apt/sources.list in the file add the following text: #multimedia codecs
deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org/ etch main
#deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org/ sid main
#deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org/ etch main
Remember how to save and close...CTRL + X, Y, enter. In your terminal, update Apt: # apt-get update Now it's as simple as either apt-get install ... from the command line or using Synaptic for a pretty front end. We'll go with Synaptic this time.
Applications-->System Tools-->Synaptic Package Manager
The first thing to do when Synaptic opens is to click the Reload icon in the Menu Bar. Go ahead, I'll wait...OK, finished. Let's search for a few packages. Go ahead and click the Search icon from the menu, or interact with your keyboard and type CTRL + F to get the same search box opened.
The first item we'll need is w32codecs. When that's found right-click on it to mark it for installation. Let's search for some others, here's the list:
- libdvdcss2
- gstreamer0.8-plugins
- ffmpeg
- libmikmod2
- mozplugger
- alsa-base
- alsa-utils
- easytag
- msttcorefonts
- xmms
There will be dependancies, please choose to install them. Feel free to throw caution to the wind with your first Debian install, you've seen how easy it is to install. Some folks like to say leave well enough alone; Ahh well - if it ain't broke, smash it to pieces, brew the coffee and have at it.
Go ahead and install those packages in Synaptic. If you have a fast internet connection, you're probably finished already. It only takes a minute to download and then install. I love this whole software installation setup. As of right now (following this install) you can: play dvd's, listen to music, stream online music. Speaking of streaming - go ahead and install Streamtuner...or not.
You probably want to rip cd's, ey? Let's install that app, too. In Synaptic find and install Sound-Juicer...or Grip, or RipperX. I like Sound-Juicer. We're almost finished. If you're like a zillion others you want multimedia functionality in your web browser as well. Since we're using Firefox we installed mozplugger and now we'll set it up. Since we want this RIGHT NOW we'll use the command line. Deep breath, exhale...
We'll be modifying one file and deleting another that will automagically be remade. Open your terminal. Become root. Type, or just copy and paste the following: # cp /etc/mozpluggerrc mozpluggerrc.old
The GUI part: #gedit /etc/mozpluggerrc
Look for the following paragraph: application/x-mplayer2: wmv,asf,mov: Windows Media
video/x-ms-asf: asf,asx,wma,wax,wmv,wvx: Windows Media
video/x-ms-wmv: wmv: Windows Media
Replace the paragraph with the following: code.
Save the file and close gedit. Now type the following command: # rm ~/.mozilla/pluginreg.dat
# rm ~/.mozilla/firefox/pluginreg.dat
Don't worry if the file isn't in the /.mozilla directory. It'll be in the Firefox directory, though.
# exit, then exit again
Now you can open Firefox and goto Apple Trailers and waste all the time you want looking at movie previews.
Some people have recently reported that they are seeing an empty white box instead of Totem opening on pages like Apple Trailers. I've seen this as a profiles problem, perhaps some web research will yield more information. I just rebuilt my kid's computer with Sarge 3.1, Son's profile works fine with mozplugger, for Daughter's I installed the MediaPlayerConnectivity extension. This works a charm. Although I'm not too happy having to use an extension it'll do for the moment. I recently rebuilt Firefox (not installing via apt) and nuked my old profile choosing to make a new one. This multimedia guide using mozplugger and totem-xine works like a charm, no extra Firefox extensions necessary
If you want to see Flash stuff in your browser it's even easier. Navigate to a site that has flash; games or whatever. The first time you try to view Flash Firefox will prompt you to install the plugin. Go ahead, it only takes a second.
Now you can spend time setting up your new multimedia packages. Open each one and fiddle around in the preferences of each. If there's a problem, send me an email, we'll get you straight.
If you're finding that after installing all this stuff that you have no sound, or video, or your shoelaces came untied, try this 2 part ditty, works a charm:
Open your terminal and become root. Now type the following command: #alsaconf
Go through the dialog and the program will close itself. I usually just click enter a few times and I'm finished.
Here is info straight from Alsa on the Sound Blaster Live setup.
Now lets open our multimedia properties: Applications --> Desktop Preferences --> Advanced --> Multimedia Systems Selector
Choose from the drop-down menu which sound driver works for your machine. You can see that I use ALSA. It might be that you need to choose OSS, or ESD. Choose the one that gives you a tone. For the Video part, choose the same options that I have from the drop-down selections.
A PS for those of you adding additional users to your machine: When adding your little sister (d00d!) as a user, click that third tab in the Settings and don't forget to add her to the audio group. In fact, here's the list of groups to add all new users to: - audio
- cdrom
- dialout
- floppy
- plugdev
- video
If you don't do this your little sister will NAG YOU NO END!! rock on machiner 23 may 05 ADDENDUM: 19 August 2005, 07:12 : Want to know what I just did? Yesterday I spent all day partitioning, formatting, and rebuilding my Debian box. I wanted a new partition scheme, current backup, and I had other reasons; aside from my geekness of course. I had to backup and move around a lot of data. Tar rules, mc rules.
Anyway it's next-day, I'm installed and good, I just wanted to reference my simple guides here at debiantutorials.org and follow the instructions. Working pretty well thus far. I'm on the multimedia configuration page right now and I noticed that I forgot to install a cd ripper. So I took the 11 seconds and did just that...
ALT + F2 xterm
myname@mybox:~$ su
mybox:/home/myname# apt-get install sound-juicer Even if you're the "hunt-and-peck" typist it'll take you inside of 30 seconds to complete this task: install software on Debian GNU/Linux. AYFKM? Linux rocks in all kinds of ways. ADDENDUM2: 12 September 2005 I have a Panasonic DMC-FZ3 digital camera. When my family takes a trip or does something more fun than should be allowed we take a bunch of photos and a few movies. It takes movies at 30 FPS with sound and they're pretty good. However, when I play back with Totem the movies are choppy. A few weeks ago I installed VLC with the Mozilla plugin to see how it stacked up to what I recommend in this tutorial. Well, it was terrific, but VLC didn't play all of the codecs. I wasn't interested in tweaking VLC, the mozplugger/totem/firefox/w32codecs/ffmpeg combo works just fine. However, I did play one of the movies I shot with my little camera. VLC played the movies flawlessly - the sound was in sync, and there was no choppiness to the movies. Bravo, VLC. I'm keeping VLC just for that purpose. Totem rocks for all other purposes. Just thought you'd like to know. Just an aside; I never understood why people favor Mplayer over Xine. On my Debian system (common hardware) Mplayer is less than adequate. With Xine I never see so much as a glitch. I think it's a case of "popularity contest" just like in high school...one cool kid liked Mplayer better for whatever reason and now it's all anybody talks (or writes) about when referring to multimedia in Linux. That's all - just my $0.02 [UPDATE - FEB 2006]: Please see this quick tutorial on how I can see the Apple Trailers again with Mplayer. Watch me pull the crow feathers from my mouth... {moscomment}
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