RealPlayer and BBC streaming video

[totalnewbie]

I have installed Mandriva from the Linux Forum mag DVD and have had no problems with the OS as it stands. However, as a 'total newbie' to linux (on a home network) I may be out of my technical depth...javascript:emoticon('')
The only web site I use every day is http@//news.bbc.co.uk with its streaming video news. This is available for Windows Media Player and RealPlayer only. I have downloaded RealPlayer10GOLD.bin as advised but have no idea how to get this working.
The instalation instructions say:

# chmod a+x RealPlayer10GOLD.bin (make it executable)
# ./RealPlayer10GOLD.bin (start install)
# specify directory: /usr/local/RealPlayer10 (typical Slack path)
# config system-wide symlinks in: /usr
# installation complete

Can anyone let me have an idiot proof guide to what all this means?

Eternal grovelling gratitude anll kind respondents

Maurice

[Vergil83]

# chmod a+x RealPlayer10GOLD.bin (make it executable)

unless you do this, your computer will think that it is not executable (not a program)

# ./RealPlayer10GOLD.bin (start install)

the command to start the install

# specify directory: /usr/local/RealPlayer10 (typical Slack path)

where do you want to install it. In windows, it is always c:\program files. You can install it anywhere, but the "most stardard" location is /usr/local/program-name or /opt/program-name

# config system-wide symlinks in: /usr

tell your computer than you install real player

# installation complete

you are done
now run /usr/local/realplayer10/realplay.bin or where ever you installed it
It will ask you if you want to install browser plugins, select yes. Now when you click on the real player link to play at the bbc, it should start up real player.

[totalnewbie]

Thanks, Vergil83, for your very detailed and clear explanation. However I have followed your instructions and ...... nothing happens! (First time around I made a folder in the 'home' directory to unpack the files to but the command line message told me it could not find this).

Perhaps (I mean 'no doubt') I'm doing something wrong - I have typed one line at a time followed by the return key (amazingly I get no error messages). This is the first CLI I have used since I got rid of the old Amstrad years ago. I'm not even familiar with msdos.

Perhaps I should stick to a newspaper...

[Chris H]

Maurice, an option might be to configure your software sources using easyurpmi (search board) and see if Real Player is available on the repositories. If it is then you can install it using Mandrivas package manager.

An alternative is to install a different player that is capable of using the Real Player codecs. VLC, Xine or mplayer spring to mind.

[Vergil83]

Thanks, Vergil83, for your very detailed and clear explanation. However I have followed your instructions and ...... nothing happens! (First time around I made a folder in the 'home' directory to unpack the files to but the command line message told me it could not find this).

Perhaps (I mean 'no doubt') I'm doing something wrong - I have typed one line at a time followed by the return key (amazingly I get no error messages). This is the first CLI I have used since I got rid of the old Amstrad years ago. I'm not even familiar with msdos.

Perhaps I should stick to a newspaper...

so, when you try to run real player, nothing happens?

[totalnewbie]

Nothing happens.

"An alternative is to install a different player that is capable of using the Real Player codecs. VLC, Xine or mplayer spring to mind." mmm... Sounds interesting.

I have an Mplayer cd somewhere (that one with "Search for the Hero" on it) but even after a Google I'm none the wiser about VLC or Xine.

Maybe I should add that RealPlayer works well on Firefox in Windows 2000. I also installed some programs without problem using the Mandriva "system configuration tool" (GUI) - for which I have to enter my root password. However this will only recognise software on the installation cd and some stuff on the web (not RealPlayer10_). I would have expected to have to use the root password before installing software so I am not surprised that nothing happens after entering lines on the Terminal Program.

[Vergil83]

[quote="totalnewbie" I would have expected to have to use the root password before installing software so I am not surprised that nothing happens after entering lines on the Terminal Program.[/quote]
you have to do everything I said as root

[bigtomrodney]

I have Rel Player installed on my laptop, and there's actually a seperate plugin, which I didn't really bother with. If you load the mplayer plugin to firefox or mozilla(rpm's available all over the place) you'll get on well. Mplayer will handle most streams, from Real, to Quicktime to wmv. It's a nice all rounder...Plus if you have a version of Firefox <1.0.4 you won't be able to use updates from the firefox website so it may be easier to do it this way.

[Mannix]

If you want it to work with firefox its pretty simple just copy nphelix.xpt to the components folder in your firefox directory (this file is located in your realplayer directory in the mozilla folder) then copy nphelix.so into your mozilla plugins folder (its in the same folder as nphelix.xpt) hope that helps (automatic plugin configuration wouldnt work for me so i just did it manually).

[totalnewbie]

Thanks for your suggestions fellers but having tried to work out what 'nphelix.xpt' is and spending the holiday faffing around I have decided to go back to windows2k (but with Firefox). One day I might build a car to get me to the newsagent - that is a little more intuitive.
Signing off.
Maurice