[NTLUG:Discuss] Re: Linux article -- MPlayer

[Bryan J. Smith]

Steve Baker wrote:  
> 1) Consequences of closed data formats:  For example, I cannot
>  watch many video's on web sites that are using .wmf rather
>  than .mpg/.mov/.avi or whatever.  There really isn't much
>  the OpenSource world can do about this - but if Linux somehow
>  magically had more desktop users, market pressures would force
>  more people to publish stuff in Open formats.

Step 1:  
 Fedora# apt-get install xmms-mp3 libdvdcss mplayer

Step 2:  
 Dump any and all codec DLLs I can find in /usr/lib/win32.

Just about anything that runs on Windows will run under MPlayer.
I have a nice codec zip built up, which I just plunk down on any
new system.  And it's not "illegal" for me because I downloaded
and collected my own set of free [beer] codec DLLs.

Lance Simmons wrote:  
> Mplayer can play many formats, including many .wmf files, but
> the history of the mplayer code is suspect enough that it can't
> be considered (by Debian's standards, anyway) to be free
> software.

Of course.  But Red Hat has the same issue.  And Fedora 3rd Party
(F3P) repositories (like Livna.org) solve the problem nicely.


-- 
     Linux Enthusiasts call me anti-Linux.
   Windows Enthusisats call me anti-Microsoft.
 They both must be correct because I have over a
decade of experience with both in mission critical
environments, resulting in a bigotry dedicated to
 mitigating risk and focusing on technologies ...
           not products or vendors
--------------------------------------------------
Bryan J. Smith, E.I.         b.j.smith at ieee.org