I’m using zypper dup and only the Packman Essentials repo. I just found the solution based on a Google search for posts involving VLC failure to play AVI files in the past, and a discussion with DeepSeek V3 AI. Here is the discussion I had with DeepSeek:
---
title: The issue you're experiencing with VLC crashing when playing AVI files could ind
date: 2025-02-24 21:31:25
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**:Model Instructions:**
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**:You:** I have an issue with the VLC multimedia player. I will play mkv and mp4 video files with no problem. However, most avi files will not play - VLC instantly crashes. There are three options in the hardware decoding selection: VA-API video decoder, VDPAU video decoder, and VA-API video decoder with DRM. The selection is set to "Automatic". What is the default setting for VLC and could that be the source of the problem with playing AVI files?
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**:01JJ8F86W1HCP7K7H50QFA4H6V::deepseek-chat:** The issue you're experiencing with VLC crashing when playing AVI files could indeed be related to hardware decoding settings, but it might also stem from other factors such as codec issues, corrupted files, or bugs in VLC itself. Let's break this down:
### Default Hardware Decoding Setting in VLC
By default, VLC uses **Automatic** for hardware decoding. This means VLC will attempt to use the most appropriate hardware acceleration method available on your system (e.g., VA-API, VDPAU, or DXVA2 on Windows). If no compatible hardware decoder is found, it falls back to software decoding.
### Possible Causes of the Issue
1. **Hardware Decoding Incompatibility**: Some AVI files may use codecs or formats that are not well-supported by your GPU's hardware decoder. When VLC tries to use hardware acceleration for these files, it crashes.
2. **Corrupted AVI Files**: If the AVI files are corrupted or encoded with non-standard settings, they might cause VLC to crash.
3. **Codec Issues**: AVI is a container format that can use various codecs (e.g., DivX, XviD). If the required codec is missing or incompatible, VLC might fail to play the file.
4. **VLC Bug**: There could be a bug in the version of VLC you're using that specifically affects AVI playback.
### Steps to Troubleshoot
1. **Disable Hardware Decoding**:
- Go to `Tools > Preferences` (or `Ctrl + P`).
- Under "Input / Codecs," find "Hardware-accelerated decoding" and set it to **Disable**.
- Restart VLC and try playing the AVI files again.
2. **Update VLC**:
- Ensure you're using the latest version of VLC. Older versions may have bugs that have since been fixed.
3. **Check File Integrity**:
- Verify that the AVI files are not corrupted by trying to play them with another media player (e.g., MPV, MPC-HC).
4. **Reinstall Codecs**:
- If disabling hardware decoding doesn't work, try reinstalling or updating your system's codecs.
5. **Test Different Hardware Decoders**:
- Manually switch between VA-API, VDPAU, and other options in the hardware decoding settings to see if one works better for your system.
6. **Enable Debug Logging**:
- Enable logging in VLC (`Tools > Messages > Verbosity level 2`) and check the logs for errors when attempting to play an AVI file.
7. **Try Another Media Player**:
- If none of the above works, consider using another media player like MPV or MPC-HC for problematic AVI files.
If disabling hardware decoding resolves the issue but you still want hardware acceleration for other formats, you can selectively enable it only for specific file types by creating custom profiles in VLC's preferences.
Let me know if you need further assistance!
---
**:You:** I tried disabling hardware decoding, I also tried each of the options (except the VA-API with DRM) for hardware decoding, and I can confirm that the avi files are not corrupt because they played perfectly fine before the latest update to my operating system. I assume there is some conflict in the update. I am using openSUSE Tumbleweed and the files updated were the following:
2025-02-23 10:30:52|install|libavutil59|7.1-1699.3.pm.16|x86_64||packman-essentials|f2741eed85896b96b3cb445d16cefb93ece15f6fed2b8298a351fc6116a8ab05|
2025-02-23 10:30:52|install|Mesa-vulkan-device-select|25.0.0-1699.406.pm.1|x86_64||packman-essentials|2fd4fae23b2d16e5a62335d92a0347599439966991119c446f64099b60221a7b|
2025-02-23 10:30:52|install|libavutil56_70|4.4.5-1699.10.pm.2|x86_64||packman-essentials|962320bebbf4b66ffb2fd085313856d4f47ca3c18909cc4f31610a9c1fdba19b|
2025-02-23 10:30:53|install|libvdpau_radeonsi|25.0.0-1699.406.pm.1|x86_64||packman-essentials|96ee71073f1ec9bd8a9c071143cd5593cd9fffa46efd5b8d879b0a5469581f02|
2025-02-23 10:30:53|install|Mesa-libva|25.0.0-1699.406.pm.1|x86_64||packman-essentials|a84dce5ae2548b9792dbc5770dc12e17c01a7cb1c7a84793934d44a987e10ded|
2025-02-23 10:30:53|install|libvdpau_r600|25.0.0-1699.406.pm.1|x86_64||packman-essentials|5fbdf81f982b738505b9c37e417e4fa4d83e9717b7ed07546bbf9abdd1a14b3c|
2025-02-23 10:30:53|install|libgbm1|25.0.0-1699.406.pm.1|x86_64||packman-essentials|4381854b8ec957b5ad2e11920702613628c62b5360051a879dc29e2571bf82d3|
2025-02-23 10:30:53|install|libpostproc58|7.1-1699.3.pm.16|x86_64||packman-essentials|939a62c37755027aaf287600b784714a442e3e60241e83a01b58f01f2200562d|
2025-02-23 10:30:53|install|libswscale8|7.1-1699.3.pm.16|x86_64||packman-essentials|c4380a144d62b610b8b82bffa81715c5e016df354ec864b6508324e276f56ba6|
2025-02-23 10:30:53|install|libswresample5|7.1-1699.3.pm.16|x86_64||packman-essentials|02219f0eb19dafeb3b21bee79c7cc63e20eed5c7da7f15ecd1f7221ff0c2380a|
2025-02-23 10:30:53|install|libvulkan_radeon|25.0.0-1699.406.pm.1|x86_64||packman-essentials|3d7fa728099802b70d5c5ae84ddc266925789e2a1dc47400f3a2bca3997444cb|
2025-02-23 10:30:53|install|libpostproc55_9|4.4.5-1699.10.pm.2|x86_64||packman-essentials|24bbda824fd8ce88a13198e59d4806818c8f2b2fdba5d321e45443557372921f|
2025-02-23 10:30:53|install|libswscale5_9|4.4.5-1699.10.pm.2|x86_64||packman-essentials|20467ffa1d5cf036fe1ab8aca745660825ee7548c5a3f9295f6ea9022657b7a6|
2025-02-23 10:30:53|install|libswresample3_9|4.4.5-1699.10.pm.2|x86_64||packman-essentials|d2d8c59456173a984bc995da18b86801cbe2c10b4a48447bba3d94b76834f4bc|
2025-02-23 10:30:54|install|Mesa-gallium|25.0.0-1699.406.pm.1|x86_64||packman-essentials|4d402e2d56ae922ca9aa60181e5c9b47ed2d104c5a9e4ed3990b4339f8983b9f|
2025-02-23 10:30:54|install|Mesa|25.0.0-1699.406.pm.1|x86_64||packman-essentials|f40e9f77a4a2d8531a5ec9a00fabd17d020e5676b536e2f379be42c048875ea3|
2025-02-23 10:30:54|install|Mesa-dri|25.0.0-1699.406.pm.1|x86_64||packman-essentials|1a316e5a742a72d62fa694ea034908428950e31428abf14fe821c37d84e073b8|
2025-02-23 10:30:54|install|Mesa-libEGL1|25.0.0-1699.406.pm.1|x86_64||packman-essentials|d3d111b1653145fa8705b7e1880333b4a0b249db81f03d50d467afd6a772ff63|
2025-02-23 10:30:54|install|libavcodec61|7.1-1699.3.pm.16|x86_64||packman-essentials|628b731ad2f3ac14074f6c294c8f7fb830aaa10bd668460663da8fda2ca52a90|
2025-02-23 10:30:55|install|libavcodec58_134|4.4.5-1699.10.pm.2|x86_64||packman-essentials|f79ec124b3e9914cb610d529be7334d7cb3b31663742f9475219b3ca958977f3|
2025-02-23 10:30:55|install|Mesa-libGL1|25.0.0-1699.406.pm.1|x86_64||packman-essentials|811d9b2b876e0fcaf102b20c168a21bd1366955779097d62a01f3efae4c22a7c|
2025-02-23 10:30:55|install|libavformat61|7.1-1699.3.pm.16|x86_64||packman-essentials|1cb569458b3c222ae6082c56c0ab8b0c8f22a44c25c0e4c2152b1306935ee86a|
2025-02-23 10:30:55|install|libavformat58_76|4.4.5-1699.10.pm.2|x86_64||packman-essentials|93a2972044b204bced1cd3ffd76edeb1d7a368a217b5040626f2e0d1173a5834|
2025-02-23 10:30:55|install|libavfilter10|7.1-1699.3.pm.16|x86_64||packman-essentials|9dc82a9df8e7bec96815d637f279b8f425416628f4dcfd2afa94a6fa80e2c00c|
2025-02-23 10:30:55|install|libavdevice61|7.1-1699.3.pm.16|x86_64||packman-essentials|c7e3daaa115decffccb4449201c99b426040c988259e6666cceb0821899df81f|
2025-02-23 10:30:55|install|ffmpeg-7|7.1-1699.3.pm.16|x86_64||packman-essentials|d389bcf24056c3d62a65b6f645b422e736b03b46cc6fe0c28d3407173ab48376|
Is it likely that one of those files is the cause of the problem?
---
**:01JJ8F86W1HCP7K7H50QFA4H6V::deepseek-chat:** Yes, it is highly likely that one or more of the updated packages are causing the issue with VLC and AVI file playback. The updates you listed include critical multimedia libraries (`libavutil`, `libavcodec`, `libavformat`, etc.) and Mesa graphics drivers, which are directly related to video decoding and hardware acceleration. Here's a breakdown of the potential culprits:
---
### **Likely Problematic Packages**
1. **`libavcodec` and `libavformat`**:
- These libraries are part of FFmpeg, which VLC uses for decoding video and audio streams.
- If there was a regression or bug in these libraries during the update, it could cause crashes when handling specific codecs or container formats (like AVI).
2. **Mesa Graphics Drivers (`Mesa`, `Mesa-libva`, `Mesa-vulkan-device-select`, etc.)**:
- These packages handle hardware acceleration (VA-API, VDPAU) for video playback.
- If there's an incompatibility between the updated Mesa drivers and your GPU or VLC's implementation of hardware decoding, it could lead to crashes.
3. **FFmpeg 7 (`ffmpeg-7`)**:
- FFmpeg 7 is a major version update, and while it brings new features, it might also introduce bugs or regressions that affect compatibility with older codecs or containers like AVI.
4. **VDPAU Libraries (`libvdpau_radeonsi`, `libvdpau_r600`)**:
- These libraries handle GPU-accelerated video decoding via VDPAU.
- If there's an issue with these libraries, it could cause crashes when VLC tries to use them for AVI files.
---
### **Steps to Troubleshoot**
Since you're on openSUSE Tumbleweed (a rolling-release distribution), you have a few options to resolve this:
#### 1. **Downgrade Problematic Packages**
- Use `zypper` to downgrade the packages to their previous versions:
```bash
sudo zypper install --force <package-name>=<previous-version>
```
For example:
```bash
sudo zypper install --force libavcodec61=7.0-1699.2.pm.15
```
- You can find the previous versions in your package manager history or by checking the repository.
#### 2. **Test Without Hardware Acceleration**
- Disable hardware acceleration in VLC completely (you've already tried this, but ensure it's fully disabled):
1. Go to `Tools > Preferences > Input / Codecs`.
2. Set "Hardware-accelerated decoding" to **Disable**.
3. Restart VLC and test again.
#### 3. **Use Software Decoding Only**
- Force VLC to use software decoding for AVI files:
1. Go to `Tools > Preferences > Input / Codecs`.
2. Under "Codecs," set "Preferred video codec" to **FFmpeg**.
3. Restart VLC and test again.
#### 4. **Check for Known Issues**
- Check the [openSUSE Bugzilla](https://bugzilla.opensuse.org/) or [VLC Bug Tracker](https://trac.videolan.org/vlc/) for reports of similar issues after recent updates.
- Search for keywords like "AVI crash," "Mesa," or "FFmpeg 7."
#### 5. **Switch Backports Repository**
- If Packman Essentials is causing issues, consider switching back to the main Packman repository or another trusted source for multimedia packages:
```bash
sudo zypper mr --disable packman-essentials
sudo zypper addrepo <packman-main-repo-url> packman-main
sudo zypper refresh
sudo zypper dup --from packman-main
```
#### 6. **Test with Another Media Player**
- Install another media player like MPV or SMPlayer and test if they can play the AVI files without crashing.
```bash
sudo zypper install mpv
```
- This will help determine if the issue is specific to VLC or affects all media players.
---
### **Conclusion**
The most likely cause is a regression in one of the updated multimedia libraries (e.g., FFmpeg 7) or Mesa drivers affecting hardware acceleration for AVI files in VLC. Downgrading these packages temporarily should help isolate the issue until a fix is released.
If you need further assistance with downgrading specific packages or troubleshooting further, let me know!
---
**:You:** I changed the VLC option "video output module" from "automatic" to "Xvideo Output (XCB)" and now the avi files play. Can you explain why that solved the issue?
---
**:01JJ8F86W1HCP7K7H50QFA4H6V::deepseek-chat:** Yes, changing the **Video Output Module** in VLC from "Automatic" to "Xvideo Output (XCB)" likely resolved the issue because it bypassed problematic hardware acceleration or rendering paths that were causing crashes. Here's a detailed explanation of why this worked:
---
### **What is the Video Output Module?**
The **Video Output Module** in VLC determines how video frames are rendered and displayed on your screen. It acts as an interface between the decoded video data and your system's display server (e.g., X11 or Wayland). Common options include:
- **Automatic**: VLC selects the best output module based on your system configuration.
- **Xvideo Output (XCB)**: Uses the X11/XCB extension for rendering, which is a lightweight and stable method for displaying video.
- **OpenGL**: Uses GPU-accelerated rendering, which can be faster but may introduce compatibility issues.
- **VA-API/VDPAU**: Uses hardware acceleration for decoding and rendering, which can cause crashes if there are driver or library issues.
---
### **Why Did Changing to "Xvideo Output (XCB)" Fix the Issue?**
1. **Bypassing Hardware Acceleration**:
- When set to "Automatic," VLC might have been trying to use hardware-accelerated rendering methods like VA-API, VDPAU, or OpenGL.
- If there are bugs or incompatibilities in your updated Mesa drivers (`Mesa`, `Mesa-libva`, etc.) or FFmpeg libraries (`libavcodec`, `libavformat`), these methods could crash when handling AVI files.
- By switching to "Xvideo Output (XCB)," you forced VLC to use a simpler, software-based rendering path that doesn't rely on hardware acceleration.
2. **Stability of Xvideo (XCB)**:
- The Xvideo extension is a well-tested and stable method for displaying video on Linux systems using the X11 display server.
- It avoids many of the complexities and potential pitfalls of modern GPU-based rendering methods.
3. **Avoiding Driver Issues**:
- Your recent system updates included new versions of Mesa and related graphics libraries (`Mesa-vulkan-device-select`, `libvdpau_radeonsi`, etc.).
- These updates might have introduced regressions or incompatibilities with certain codecs or container formats (like AVI) when used with hardware acceleration.
- By switching to Xvideo, you avoided these driver-related issues entirely.
4. **Simpler Rendering Pipeline**:
- Xvideo uses a straightforward pipeline that doesn't involve complex interactions between VLC, FFmpeg, and your GPU drivers.
- This reduces the likelihood of crashes caused by edge cases in specific file formats or codecs.
---
### **Why Did This Only Affect AVI Files?**
AVI files often use older codecs (e.g., DivX, XviD) that may not be as well-supported by modern hardware acceleration methods compared to newer formats like MP4 or MKV. Additionally:
- AVI files might use non-standard encoding settings that trigger bugs in newer versions of FFmpeg or Mesa drivers.
- Hardware acceleration pipelines are more sensitive to such edge cases than software-based rendering methods like Xvideo.
---
### **Should You Stick with "Xvideo Output (XCB)"?**
Using "Xvideo Output (XCB)" is a good workaround for now, but it has some trade-offs:
#### Pros:
- Stability: It avoids crashes caused by hardware acceleration issues.
- Compatibility: Works well with older codecs and container formats like AVI.
#### Cons:
- Performance: Software-based rendering may use more CPU resources compared to hardware acceleration.
- Limited Features: Some advanced features (e.g., high-quality scaling, HDR support) may not be available.
If you're satisfied with the performance and don't need advanced features, you can continue using this setting. However, if you want to re-enable hardware acceleration in the future:
1. Wait for updates to Mesa, FFmpeg, or VLC that fix the underlying issues.
2. Test different Video Output Modules after updates to see if stability improves.
---
### Final Thoughts
Your solution highlights how tweaking VLC's settings can resolve compatibility issues caused by system updates. If you encounter further problems or want to explore other options (e.g., testing different Video Output Modules), feel free to ask!
So basically changing the video output module to Xvideo Output (XCB) solved the problem, at least as a temporary workaround until some future update fixes it (if it ever does.)
I posted this entire DeepSeek discussion because it might help other debug this issue or similar issues. For now I consider this problem resolved at least temporarily.