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Reorganized the README. More general information up front, more concise steps. Added Step0 with downloading instructions instead of repeating this in several steps. Mention system wide as well as per user file locations. Rewordings everywhere, hopefully clearer.
author diego
date Fri, 26 Jul 2002 03:53:27 +0000
parents e792875ac769
children 1c6c94f693ed
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6812:9f26478119cd 6813:cdfa9de87202
1 1
2 Welcome to MPlayer, the Unix movie player. MPlayer can play most standard video 2 Welcome to MPlayer, the Unix movie player. MPlayer can play most standard video
3 formats out of the box and almost all others with the help of external codecs. 3 formats out of the box and almost all others with the help of external codecs.
4 MPlayer currently works best from the command line, but there is a GUI with 4 MPlayer currently works best from the command line, but visual feedback for
5 skin support in the alpha development stage. 5 many functions is available from its onscreen status display (OSD), which is
6 6 also used for displaying subtitles. A GUI with skin support is in the alpha
7 This document is for getting you started in a few minutes. It cannot answer 7 development stage, but not completely finished yet.
8 all of your questions. If you have problems, please read the documentation in 8
9 DOCS/documentation.html. It is extensive and should answer most of your 9 This document is for getting you started in a few minutes. It cannot answer all
10 questions. Also read the manpage to learn how to use MPlayer. 10 of your questions. If you have problems, please read the documentation in
11 11 DOCS/documentation.html, which should help you solve most of your problems.
12 To compile MPlayer with X11 support, you need to have the XFree86 development 12 Also read the man page to learn how to use MPlayer.
13 packages installed, for the GUI you also need the GTK development packages. 13
14
15 Requirements:
16 - To compile MPlayer with X11 support, you need to have the XFree86 development
17 packages installed.
18 - For the GUI you need the GTK 1.2 development packages.
19
14 20
15 Before you start... 21 Before you start...
16 Unless you know what are you doing, consult DOCS/video.html to see which driver 22 Unless you know what are you doing, consult DOCS/video.html to see which driver
17 to use with your video card to get the best video quality and performance. 23 to use with your video card to get the best quality and performance. Most cards
18 Most cards require special drivers not included with standard X11, to drive 24 require special drivers not included with XFree86 to drive their 2-D video
19 the 2-D video acceleration features (YUV, scaling etc) of your card! 25 acceleration features like YUV and scaling.
20 26
21 A quick and incomplete list of recommendations: 27 A quick and incomplete list of recommendations:
22 - ATI cards: get the GATOS drivers for X11/Xv or use vidix 28 - ATI cards: Get the GATOS drivers for X11/Xv or use VIDIX.
23 - Matrox G200/G4x0/G550: compile and use mga_vid for Linux, use vidix for BSD 29 - Matrox G200/G4x0/G550: Compile and use mga_vid for Linux, on BSD use VIDIX.
24 - 3dfx Voodoo3/Banshee: get XFree86 4.2.0+ for Xv or use the tdfxfb driver 30 - 3dfx Voodoo3/Banshee: Get XFree86 4.2.0+ for Xv or use the tdfxfb driver.
25 - nVidia cards: get the X11 driver from www.nvidia.com for Xv support 31 - nVidia cards: Get the X11 driver from www.nvidia.com for Xv support.
26 Without having accelerated video, even a 800MHz P3 may be slow to play DVD! 32 - NeoMagic cards: Get an Xv capable driver from our homepage as described in
33 DOCS/video.html.
34
35 Without accelerated video even an 800MHz P3 may be too slow to play DVDs.
36
37
38 ______________________
39 STEP0: Getting MPlayer
40 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
41
42 Official releases, prereleases and CVS snapshots, as well as fonts for the
43 OSD, Win32 codecs and a number of different skins for the GUI are available
44 from the download section of our homepage at
45
46 http://www.mplayerhq.hu/homepage/dload.html
47
48 A set of fonts is necessary for the OSD and subtitles, the GUI needs at least
49 one skin and Win32 codecs add support for some more video and audio formats.
50 MPlayer does not come with any of these by default, you have to download and
51 install them separately.
52
53 MPlayer is also available via anonymous CVS. Issue the following commands to
54 get the latest sources:
55
56 cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@mplayerhq.hu:/cvsroot/mplayer login
57 cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@mplayerhq.hu:/cvsroot/mplayer co main
58
59 When asked for a password, just hit enter. A directory named 'main' will be
60 created. You can later update your sources by saying
61
62 cvs -z3 update -dPA
63
64 from within that directory.
65
27 66
28 ___________________________________ 67 ___________________________________
29 STEP1: Installing FFmpeg libavcodec 68 STEP1: Installing FFmpeg libavcodec
30 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 69 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
31 70
32 If you are using an official release, skip this step, since official releases 71 If you are using an official (pre)release, skip this step, since official
33 always include libavcodec. To verify this check if the libavcodec subdirectory 72 releases include libavcodec. CVS sources and CVS snapshots do not include
34 is empty or contains the sources! 73 libavcodec. To verify if you do have libavcodec or not, check if the libavcodec
35 74 subdirectory in the MPlayer source tree is empty or not.
36 The FFmpeg project provides libavcodec, a very portable MPEG4/DivX codec with 75
37 excellent speed and quality. It is the preferred codec of MPlayer for playing 76 The FFmpeg project provides libavcodec, a very portable codec collection (among
38 mpeg4 and divx video. You have to get libavcodec directly from the FFmpeg CVS 77 the supported formats is MPEG4/DivX) with excellent quality and speed, that is
39 server. Use the following commands in a suitable directory outside the MPlayer 78 the preferred MPEG4/DivX codec of MPlayer. You have to get libavcodec directly
40 source directory: 79 from the FFmpeg CVS server.
80
81 To get the FFmpeg sources, use the following commands in a suitable directory
82 outside the MPlayer source directory:
41 83
42 cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.ffmpeg.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/ffmpeg login 84 cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.ffmpeg.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/ffmpeg login
43 cvs -z9 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.ffmpeg.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/ffmpeg co ffmpeg/libavcodec 85 cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.ffmpeg.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/ffmpeg co ffmpeg/libavcodec
44 86
45 When asked for a password, you can just hit enter. 87 When asked for a password, you can just hit enter.
46 88
47 Now, replace the empty libavcodec directory with the FFmpeg libavcodec source 89 Now, replace the empty libavcodec directory in the MPlayer source tree with the
48 by removing the libavcodec subdirectory in the MPlayer source tree and then 90 FFmpeg libavcodec source by removing the libavcodec subdirectory in the MPlayer
49 copying (symbolic linking does not suffice!) the freshly downloaded FFmpeg 91 source tree and then copying (symbolic linking does not suffice) the freshly
50 libavcodec directory back into the MPlayer source tree. 92 downloaded FFmpeg libavcodec directory back into the MPlayer source tree.
51 93
52 94
53 ______________________________ 95 ______________________________
54 STEP2: Installing Win32 Codecs 96 STEP2: Installing Win32 Codecs
55 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 97 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
56 98
57 While MPlayer and libavcodec has built-in support for the most common audio 99 MPlayer and libavcodec have builtin support for the most common audio and video
58 and video formats, some others are playable only with the Win32 DLLs 100 formats, but some others are playable only with the Win32 DLLs or the XAnim
59 or the XAnim binary plugins. Few examples: WMV video, Divx/WMA audio, Indeo. 101 binary plugins. Examples include WMV video, DivX with WMA audio (not normal
60 This step is not mandatory, but recommended for getting MPlayer to play more 102 DivX files) and Indeo. This step is not mandatory, but recommended for getting
61 different file types! 103 MPlayer to play more different file types. Note that Win32 codecs only work on
62 104 Intel compatible PCs.
63 Grab the win32 codecs package from the download page 105
64 106 Unpack the codecs archive and put the contents in a directory where MPlayer
65 http://www.mplayerhq.hu/homepage/dload.html 107 will find them. The default directory is /usr/lib/win32/ but you can change
66 108 that to something else by using the '--with-win32libdir=DIR' option when you
67 unpack it and put the contents in a directory where MPlayer will find them. 109 run './configure'.
68 The default directory is /usr/lib/win32/ but you can change that to something 110
69 else by using the '--with-win32libdir=DIR' option when you run './configure' .
70 111
71 __________________________ 112 __________________________
72 STEP3: Configuring MPlayer 113 STEP3: Configuring MPlayer
73 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 114 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
74 115
75 MPlayer has a lot of options that get selected in this phase. Run 116 MPlayer has a lot of options that get selected in this phase. Run
76 117
77 ./configure 118 ./configure
78 119
79 to configure MPlayer with the default options. The options you installed above 120 to configure MPlayer with the default options. The codecs you installed above
80 should be autodetected, except GUI support, which has to be enabled separately, 121 should be autodetected. GUI support has to be enabled separately, run
81 run
82 122
83 ./configure --enable-gui 123 ./configure --enable-gui
84 124
85 if you want to use the GUI. 125 if you want to use the GUI.
86 126
88 128
89 ./configure --help 129 ./configure --help
90 130
91 to see the available options and select what you need. 131 to see the available options and select what you need.
92 132
93 The ./configure script prints a summary of enabled and disabled options. 133 The configure script prints a summary of enabled and disabled options. If you
94 If you have something installed that ./configure fails to detect, check 134 have something installed that configure fails to detect, check the file
95 the file configure.log for errors and reasons for the failure. Repeat this 135 configure.log for errors and reasons for the failure. Repeat this step until
96 step until you are satisfied with the enabled feature set. 136 you are satisfied with the enabled feature set.
137
97 138
98 ________________________ 139 ________________________
99 STEP4: Compiling MPlayer 140 STEP4: Compiling MPlayer
100 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 141 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
101 142
107 148
108 make install 149 make install
109 150
110 provided that you have write permission in the installation directory. 151 provided that you have write permission in the installation directory.
111 152
112 If all went well, you can run MPlayer by typing 'mplayer' 153 If all went well, you can run MPlayer by typing 'mplayer'. A help screen with a
113 You should get a summary of the most common options and keys (help screen). 154 summary of the most common options and keyboard shortcuts should be displayed.
114 155
115 If you get 'unable to load shared library' or similar errors, then run 156 If you get 'unable to load shared library' or similar errors, run
116 'ldd ./mplayer' to check which libraries fail and go back to STEP 3 to fix it. 157 'ldd ./mplayer' to check which libraries fail and go back to STEP 3 to fix it.
117 Sometimes just running 'ldconfig' is enough. 158 Sometimes running 'ldconfig' is enough to fix the problem.
118 159
119 NOTE: If you run Debian you can configure, compile and build a proper deb 160 NOTE: If you run Debian you can configure, compile and build a proper Debian
120 package with only one command: 161 .deb package with only one command:
121 162
122 fakeroot debian/rules binary 163 fakeroot debian/rules binary
164
123 165
124 ____________________________________________ 166 ____________________________________________
125 STEP5: Installing the onscreen display fonts 167 STEP5: Installing the onscreen display fonts
126 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 168 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
127 169
128 To enable OSD (onscreen status display) and ASCII/TEXT subtitles you need some 170 Unpack the archive and choose one of the available font sizes. Then copy the
129 fonts. Get them from our homepage: 171 font files of the corresponding size into /usr/local/share/mplayer/font/ or
130 172 ~/.mplayer/font/ (or whatever you set with './configure --datadir=DIR').
131 http://www.mplayerhq.hu/homepage/dload.html 173
132
133 Unpack the archive and choose one of the available font sizes. Then copy the
134 font files of the corresponding size into /usr/local/share/mplayer/font/
135 (or whatever you set with './configure --datadir=DIR').
136 174
137 ____________________________ 175 ____________________________
138 STEP6: Installing a GUI skin 176 STEP6: Installing a GUI skin
139 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 177 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
140 178
141 Please remember that the GUI is still in the alpha development stage and not 179 Unpack the archive and put the contents in /usr/local/share/mplayer/Skin/ or
142 completely finished yet. Features like playlist, preferences and equalizer 180 ~/.mplayer/Skin/. MPlayer will use the skin in the default/ subdirectory of
143 do not work at all. Expect them for the 1.0 release 181 /usr/local/share/mplayer/Skin/ or ~/.mplayer/Skin/ unless told otherwise via
144 Basic stuff like file selection and seeking works, though. 182 the '-skin' switch. You should therefore rename your skin subdirectory or make
145 183 a suitable symbolic link.
146 If you want to use the GUI you need to download a skin, since MPlayer does not 184
147 come with a skin by default. Choose one from the download page
148
149 http://www.mplayerhq.hu/homepage/dload.html
150
151 unpack it in /usr/local/share/mplayer/Skin/. MPlayer will use the skin in
152 the default/ subdirectory (/usr/local/share/mplayer/Skin/default/*) unless
153 told otherwise via the '-skin' switch. You should therefore rename your
154 skin subdirectory, make a suitable symbolic link or set the skin name in
155 the file mplayer.conf by 'skin=skinname'.
156 185
157 __________________ 186 __________________
158 STEP7: Let's play! 187 STEP7: Let's play!
159 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 188 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
160 189
161 That's it for the moment. To start playing movies, open a command line and try 190 That's it for the moment. To start playing movies, open a command line and try
162 191
163 mplayer <moviefile> 192 mplayer <moviefile>
164 193
165 or for the GUI: 194 or for the GUI
166 195
196 mplayer -gui <moviefile>
167 gmplayer <moviefile> 197 gmplayer <moviefile>
168 (just 'gmplayer' is enough to use the GUI fileselector) 198
169 199 gmplayer is a symbolic link to mplayer created by 'make install'.
170 To play VCD track or DVD title, try: 200 Without <moviefile>, MPlayer will come up and you will be able to use the GUI
201 filepicker.
202
203 To play a VCD track or a DVD title, try:
171 204
172 mplayer -vcd 2 -cdrom-device /dev/hdc 205 mplayer -vcd 2 -cdrom-device /dev/hdc
173 mplayer -dvd 1 -alang en -slang hu -dvd-device /dev/hdd 206 mplayer -dvd 1 -alang en -slang hu -dvd-device /dev/hdd
174 207
175 See 'mplayer -help' and 'man mplayer' for further options. 208 See 'mplayer -help' and 'man mplayer' for further options.
176 209
177 'mplayer -vo help' will show you the available video output drivers. Experiment 210 'mplayer -vo help' will show you the available video output drivers. Experiment
178 with the '-vo' switch to see which one gives you the best performance! 211 with the '-vo' switch to see which one gives you the best performance.
179 If you get very jerky playback or no sound, experiment with -ao (see -ao help) 212 If you get jerky playback or no sound, experiment with the '-ao' switch (see
180 Note that jerky playback is caused by buggy audio drivers or too slow cpu/vga. 213 '-ao help') to choose between different audio drivers. Note that jerky playback
181 With a good audio and video driver combination, one can play DVDs and 720x576 214 is caused by buggy audio drivers or a slow processor and video card. With a
182 DivX files smoothly on a Celeron 366. For slower systems, you need -framedrop. 215 good audio and video driver combination, one can play DVDs and 720x576 DivX
216 files smoothly on a Celeron 366. Slower systems may need the '-framedrop'
217 option.
183 218
184 Questions you may have are probably answered in the rest of the documentation. 219 Questions you may have are probably answered in the rest of the documentation.
185 The place to start reading is DOCS/faq.html and DOCS/documentation.html. 220 The places to start reading are the man page, DOCS/documentation.html and
221 DOCS/faq.html.