Playing Windows Media Files in Mandriva/Mandrake Linux

[linuxuser40351]

One problem that I have seen a "ton" of people have with Linux is getting their Windows media files to play, or getting DVDs to play past the first scene. Most of the time the answers posted involve compiling the source code for mplayer which can be a little confusing for people who are new to Linux. Thanks to the command line implementation of Mandriva Linux's package management system known as "urpmi" you can solve your problems in a few easy steps without having to compile anything. Just follow these steps and you will be playing your DVDs and Windows media movies in no time. Keep in mind that you do not have to use mplayer, all of these codecs also work for Kaffeine if you prefer to use it. For a few special instructions pertaining to Xine player please skip to the bottom of this article.

1) To perform these operations you need to open the command line (don't be scared it doesn't bite) and type "su". You will be prompted for the root password that you set when you installed Linux, assuming you set one. This gives you root permissions needed to perform the steps that follow.

Note:It has come to my attention that from time to time when trying to follow these steps, users are greeted with a message telling them that their urpmi database is locked. If this happens to you then you need to run these two commands in konsole (with root permissions of course):

rm -f /var/lib/urpmi/.LOCK

and

rm -f /var/lib/urpmi/.RPMLOCK

This should unlock your urpmi database, if it doesn't work right away you may need to restart your computer in order for the proper services to restart. You may also get this message even after doing this, this may occur if you try to run two installations at one time.

2) Go to this website and select your version of Mandrake/Mandriva Linux and follow the instructions to install every package listed.
Here is the website

3) If you want to use mplayer finish this step, if not skip to step 4. Run

urpmi mplayer-gui

This is the graphical user interface for mplayer. It should ask your permission to install some additional needed packages. Just agree to them, by jumping ahead to installing the gui you skip having to run individual commands to install the key program files for mplayer because it does it automatically.

4) This plugin works regardless of whether you install the mplayer gui or not. If you want to use Kaffeine or another movie player instead of mplayer then I still recommend you install the Mozilla Firefox plugin for mplayer. It allows you to view/listen to embedded media files. To do this run

urpmi mplayerplugin

This also will ask your permission to install additional packages, agree. It will install the core mplayer program files and the firefox plugin, but will not install the gui so it will not be added to your applications menu.

5) Run

urpmi win32-codecs

This installs the win32 codecs needed to play Windows media files (.wma and .wmv files), .avi files, .mov files, etc.

6) Run

urpmi libdvdcss

A lot of the time people cannot get DVDs to play past the first scene. This command installs the DVD playback package that allows you to properly watch DVD movies, assuming you have a DVD drive.

7) If you want to use your media player to view REAL media, then run

urpmi real-codecs

This installs the Real media codecs required to play REAL media. Usually they are installed to /usr/lib/real. If you want to use RealPlayer, which is still necessary for viewing embedded Real files like the ones on weather.com, then you can download the Linux version at www.realplayer.com. Scroll down for instructions on installing it.

I personally use Xine player, I like its interface better than that of mplayer. If you would like to use Xine then you need to follow these steps.

1) Run

urpmi xine-ui

This installs the graphical user interface for Xine along with the core program files. It will ask your permission to install the required packages, agree.

2) Run

urpmi xine-win32

This is the same thing as win32-codecs, but a special package that Xine player needs. All of the other packages previously mentioned are universally compatable with Kaffeine, MPlayer and Xine.

Real Player Installation Instructions
Go here and download the Linux version of Real Player, it should come as a .bin file. After it finishes downloading open the command line and direct yourself to the download location using "cd". For example if I wanted to direct myself to my home directory I would type "cd /home/marcus". In KDE you can right click the folder and go to actions, then click "Open Terminal Here" as a shortcut, which is kind of convenient if the folder's path has a space in it because cd doesn't work with path names like these as default. After you're directed to the folder type "ls" and make sure the file is there. This is what mine looks like. After making sure you're in the right place you need to enter root by typing "su". Then you need to give yourself permission to execute the file by typing:

chmod a+x filenamehere

Then to execute the file type:

./filenamehere

The installation process after this is pretty self explanatory because it guides you and prompts you as necessary, and the plugin files usually go to the default folder of /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins, unless you specify otherwise.

I have also noticed that some people want to use the tarball version of Firefox available for download instead of the pre-packaged version so that updates come from Mozilla instead of Mandriva, but your plugins don't necessarily carry over and work. The tarball version of Firefox runs right out of the box, no compiling is necessary, just extract it and run the executable named "firefox" in its folder. To get your plugins to work all you need to do is browse to /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins and copy all of the files in there into the plugins folder located in your new Firefox folder. The only plugin you don't need to copy is the one named "libnullplugin.so". Then you need to browse to the installation path of your packaged firefox installation and open its plugins folder, then copy the files from there to the plugins folder in your new Firefox folder as well. Most of the time the installation path for the pre-packaged Firefox is /usr/lib/mozilla-firefox or /usr/lib/firefox-x.x.x where x is the version of the original installation, regardless of whether is accurate or not. This should make all of your plugins work fine in your new Firefox. You may now notice that if you try to remove the pre-packaged version of Firefox with "urpme mozilla-firefox" it will warn that it will also remove the mplayerplugin package, don't worry. Even if you remove these packages, as long as the mplayerplugin files were copied into the plugins folder of your new Firefox, it will still work just fine.

I hope this helps answer this question. I have seen it arise quite often and decided it was time for an "answer all questions" sticky on the topic.

[dlippiett]

when i ran mandrake 9- 10.1 i used Xine with the win32 codec...i was able to urpmi the entire thing...even had it playing DRM protected windows media files <grabs the cattle branding rod an brands Bill Gates bum with Tux> most of the Xine files and codecs i was able to get from <looks it back up again since i havent been there in over a year> rpmfind.net (theres 2 or 3 others i cant think of that i used, but all were extremely easy to search through) it took me about 5 to 10minutes...and at that time my experience on mandrake/mandriva as its now called was slim to none...ive never had any one teach me any thing about computers (as of yet...tech school is calling my name to get certifications ) i learned every thing i know from my own errors/mistakes and this message board which has helped me across a couple problems i used to have...forgot that U/N and P/W tho...

EDIT: rpm.pbone.net that was about the best one i used it just hit me as im getting ready to install gentoo...go figure

[ligne]

Any idea what the corresponding thing in linux is for Winamp, so as to play video files? with .nsv extentions?

[eng_barakat]

thanx too much

im testing it

molto grazia

[eng_barakat]

hello all

sorry i try ur way here

but after some steps he says urpmi database is locked

how to open it ??????

thanx in advanced

[linuxuser40351]

hello all

sorry i try ur way here

but after some steps he says urpmi database is locked

how to open it ??????

thanx in advanced

Here is the solution to your problem, just make sure you're in root permissions when you run those commands. I found that with a quick google search, it was the first English response I came to, if it doesn't work then you can just do what I did and google "Locked URPMI Database".

[linuxuser40351]

Any idea what the corresponding thing in linux is for Winamp, so as to play video files? with .nsv extentions?

I don't believe that format is fully supported, I did a quick google search and found someone in a forum who said so, but if you like you could run another google search for something along the lines of "NSV Codecs for Linux" and see what you can find. I've never used this format so I've never looked for codecs for it, sorry I couldn't be of more help.

[linuxuser40351]

thanx too much

im testing it

molto grazia

Not a problem, always willing to help any way I can.

[linuxuser40351]

In response to the locked URPMI database problem I have written a small shell script available on the "Programs Download Page" of my website at http://www.marcusadams.4t.com . It will automate the removal of the folders necessary to unlock your URPMI database. I got the idea from the guy in the google link but didn't want to use somebody else's thing just in case he's touchy about that kind of thing, so I wrote my own to share with you guys.

[Phrogg]

Hello. I followed the instructions at the top of the page to the letter and had no problems. Thanks so much. My DVDs and .wma files will play now.