openSUSE problems - a short list

[ivom66]

Here is an update, in case you are still reading this:

1. ffmpeg works, its just that instead of -acodec mp3 I have to specify -acodec libmp3lame as the output of the formats gives me:

DE mp3 MPEG audio layer 3
EA libmp3lame libmp3lame MP3 (MPEG audio layer 3)
D A mp3 MP3 (MPEG audio layer 3)

2. vlc doesn't work, it says:

VLC media player 0.8.6h Janus
[00000285] main playlist: nothing to play
[00000285] main playlist: stopping playback

I have the latest version from the VLC repository. I tried to downgrade it to packman reposotory version, but that did not help.

3. Totem works.

4. KVM compilation:

a) I have the kernel-sources package
b) I prepared sources for the currently running kernel
c) I still get the following error message:

error: linux/compiler.h: No such file or directory
/home/ivom/Downloads/kvm-70/kernel/external-module-compat.h:12:26: error: linux/string.h: No such file or directory

Any ideas?

[oldcpu]

Originally Posted by ivom66

2. vlc doesn't work, it says:

This can happen if you have not installed the codecs. Please ensure you have installed "xvid" and "w32codec-all".

[RedDwarf]

Originally Posted by ivom66

2. vlc doesn't work, it says:


I have the latest version from the VLC repository. I tried to downgrade it to packman reposotory version, but that did not help.

VLC and Packman repositories have some repeated packages. I try to use everything from Packman instead of VLC. Mix them can be really bad, specially since Packman VLC uses the dinamic library libavcodec that is *really* unstable between versions.

Not really an exhaustive list, but you can compare:

$ rpm -q --whatprovides $(rpm -qR vlc) | sort | uniq | grep "\.pm\."
faad2-2.5-1.pm.1
liba52dec0-0.7.4-3.pm.4
libffmpeg0-0.4.9-11.pm.svn20080629
libggi2-2.2.2-0.pm.1
libmpeg2-0.4.0b-23.pm.4
libtar-1.2.11-0.pm.3
libtwolame0-0.3.12-0.pm.1
libupnp3-1.6.5-0.pm.1
libx264-57-0.0svn20080617-0.pm.0
mad-0.15.1b-1.pm.3
vlc-0.8.6h-1.pm.1

About black windows and gstreamer output and so. If you have an Intel graphic chip you can test the updated driver I packaged ( Desktop Effects interfers with Video playback - Page 2 - openSUSE Forums ). If it works with the new version but no with the default one report the bug noting it.

Originally Posted by ivom66

4. KVM compilation:

a) I have the kernel-sources package
b) I prepared sources for the currently running kernel
c) I still get the following error message:


Any ideas?

No, since openSUSE uses version 0.63 you can't report a bug because you can't compile version 0.70.
But you have a 0.70 version available in the Build Service ( RepoView: KVM Kernel Modules and Tools (openSUSE_11.0) )
If that version still doesn't uses ALSA report the bug against the Build Service package like "enhancement".
Even if Build Service packages aren't "officially supported" this package is from an Novell employee.

Edit: KVM 0.70 changelog says

* Mon May 26 14:00:00 2008 agraf <at> suse.de
- enable ALSA

so...

[ivom66]

Thanks guys. I'm in a hurry now, but I will try the KVM and the "black screen" fix latter tonight.

As for the rest, I did a quick check, and:

1. I have xvid and win32codec_all

2. The output of command

rpm -q --whatprovides $(rpm -qR vlc) | sort | uniq | grep "\.pm\."

gave me only one line:

wxWidgets-2.8.8.0-0.pm.1

I replaced/downgraded packages with packman versions, and now I have the following output:

faad2-2.5-1.pm.1
jackdmp-0.71-0.pm.1
libggi2-2.2.2-0.pm.1
libtar-1.2.11-0.pm.3
libtwolame0-0.3.12-0.pm.1
libupnp3-1.6.5-0.pm.1
libx264-57-0.0svn20080617-0.pm.0
mad-0.15.1b-1.pm.3
portaudio20-20.0-0.pm.1
vlc-0.8.6h-1.pm.1
wxWidgets-2.8.8.0-0.pm.1

BUT, when I try to play a file, it says:

[00000569] dc1394 demuxer error: Bad MRL, please check the option line (MRL was: feb_17_2008.flv)
mdb:58, lastbuf:0 skipping granule 0
X Error of failed request:  BadAlloc (insufficient resources for operation)
  Major opcode of failed request:  140 (XVideo)
  Minor opcode of failed request:  19 ()
  Serial number of failed request:  86
  Current serial number in output stream:  87

and a same message for avi files.

[oldcpu]

Originally Posted by ivom66

and a same message for avi files.

Can you point us to a sample (on the web) of the files you are trying to play, that don't work?

[oldcpu]

Originally Posted by ivom66

  Major opcode of failed request:  140 (XVideo)

and a same message for avi files.

I don't know if its essential, but there is a packman packaged called "xivd" and "xvid4linux". Try installing those packman packaged versions also, and see if it makes any difference. Also, install the Packman packaged "w32codec-all".

[ivom66]

oldcpu, RedDwarf:

I guess I started this whole thing with a negative review, but definitely one thing is for sure: you can get replies quickly on openSUSE.

I am not in front of my PC right now, so I cannot try anything before tonight. I am sure I will get the VLC working thanks to your and other people comments. And it is just a matter of principle (try to finish what you started), because I have no problem with using totem.

Here is something I do know:

1. I did install xvid and win32 codecs, I am just not sure right now if I installed vlan or packman version.
   
2. By inspection, I can see that I do not have the same list as you (libffmpeg0-0.4.9-11.pm.svn20080629, libmpeg2-0.4.0b-23.pm.4). While I have these libraries, they are from vlan, not from packman, so they don't have the '.pm' suffix.

So, I will try to replace/downgrade vlan packages with packman ones.

Please note that I am repeating the word "downgrade" as that is what happens here. Vlan repository has newer versions of apps/libraries when compared to packman, and since I have a mixed bag of packages (some are from vlan and some from packman), that may be the cause of the problem. Maybe the easiest thing would be to do a clean re-install, I am not sure.

In any case, I believe that a good step forward would be to somehow synchronize these repositories, or to avoid duplicated packages.

RedDwarf:
In one of my previous messages I called a 1-click package a metapackage. It was my understanding that if a package contains a collection of other packages, it represents a "metapackage". But, since I am not very knowledgeable in the package terminology, I thought I could at least explain what I meant.

DenverD
Thank you for your reply. I will try to stick a USB key and see what happens. I do not expect problems there.

There is a remote chance that part of my problems is caused because I am sharing a /home partition between Ubuntu and openSuSE. Maybe there are some gnome settings that are different.

Magic31
Thank you also for your reply. I agree with you that yast package manager is a good thing, and fast enough.

One welcome improvement over previous versions of openSUSE in 11.0 was better packaging of programs that consist of several pieces. An example that always comes quickly to my mind is gvim. It used to be that under openSUSE you had to install several pieces, otherwise you get an application without menus or some other missing piece. With the new version, you install one packages and it "knows" to get all the parts of the program.

[RedDwarf]

Those BadAlloc and XVideo sound bad. Can I suppose this only happens with compiz activated and only on an intel graphic chip?
If so, perhaps they will be fixed with the updated driver, but who knows (but if on Ubuntu works...)

Originally Posted by ivom66

Please note that I am repeating the word "downgrade" as that is what happens here. Vlan repository has newer versions of apps/libraries when compared to packman, and since I have a mixed bag of packages (some are from vlan and some from packman), that may be the cause of the problem. Maybe the easiest thing would be to do a clean re-install, I am not sure.

In any case, I believe that a good step forward would be to somehow synchronize these repositories, or to avoid duplicated packages.

The thing is Packman is a repository with a long story on openSUSE. You have the pretty web page to search for packages and a mailing list to report problems...
The VLC repository is something more of a mistery to me. Not sure who manages it or anything else... And since Packman has more packages makes more sense to install libraries from it since more packages are compiled against those libraries.
Since nearly every package (all but gtkstyle and libdvdcss?) from VLC is also available at Packman the VLC repo isn't really very usefull. I only have it because libdvdcss... but for just a package you could easily install it manually and forget about the repository.

I don't think a reinstall is needed. Just filter by repository in YaST PM and verify packages one by one... are just a few.

Note that VLC and Packman repos use different schemes for version numbers. When VLC says his libffmpeg0 is version 0.4.9.13782 it means it's the 13782 revision from SVN. Packman instead of revision number uses dates. VLC version number can be higher than Packman without being really a newer version.
Also a thing is the version number an other the release number. lame 3.97-4.1 isn't newer than lame 3.97-1, both are version 3.97... the 4.1/1 only make sense inside the same repository.
But yes, I saw some packages more updated on VLC. I think they are only: faad/faac (2.5 vs 2.6), libmpeg2 (0.4.0b vs 0.4.1) and perhaps libdca0 (but Packman has the latest *stable* version). I will ask about these two at Packman mailing-list...

Originally Posted by ivom66

In one of my previous messages I called a 1-click package a metapackage. It was my understanding that if a package contains a collection of other packages, it represents a "metapackage". But, since I am not very knowledgeable in the package terminology, I thought I could at least explain what I meant.

I don't think Oxford (or whatever the english language authoritative entity is) has said anything is this respect ;-)
Other distros only have metapackages in the sense of an empty deb/rpm with bogus dependencies, that's the classic meaning of metapackage. openSUSE also has "patterns" and 1-Click links... I would not consider calling them metapackages wrong, but neither absolutely clear.

[oldcpu]

Originally Posted by RedDwarf

Those BadAlloc and XVideo sound bad. Can I suppose this only happens with compiz activated and only on an intel graphic chip?

RedDwarf has a good point. ivom66, if you can go into the setup with each of the applications (mplayer, vlc, xine-ui, ... etc ... ) and change to X11 for video, it may work with Compiz.

[ivom66]

I am happy to report that everything works now:

• KVM with alsa (v.70) works
• Kaffeine works
• VLC works
• USB flash drives - work
• Digital camera - the window does not pop up, but the cammera icon appears on the desktop and if I click on it it offers me to start F-spot to import pictures. Good enough for me.

Now to elaborate, just in case somebody else finds this useful:

Kaffeine started working even before I installed updated video driver, as soon I selected X11 for video output, as per oldcpu suggestion. I think I found one or two home videos with somewhat choppy audio, but the rest of the videos played nicely.

VLC started working after I removed VLC repository and switched completely to packman. I had a problem with audio, and it started working when I selected OSS audio output. I find this strange, but it works.

Updated video driver: I don't know if it helped or not. After I installed it and restarted X server my desktop background went totally black. I restarted it again, and this time everything seems to work fine.

Many thanks for your persistent help. I'll probably spend more time on openSUSE now as it has some newer applications than Ubuntu. I can start using it now that I don't have to play with the setup anymore. Except for Ekiga maybe, I have to figure out how to setup that firewall properly