I see you have been around our forum for a while, but its not clear to me that you have sorted out how software is installed in openSUSE?
Note, I always recommend to get software, that openSUSE users set up their software package manager with 4 software repositories and only 4 software repositories. Note software repositories are file servers on the internet with a LOT of software for openSUSE. This method of putting the software on a software repository (as opposed to on an individual web site) is a SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE from the MS-Windows way of doing things. Yes you can often get the software from the web site of the application, but that is the very last resort you should try.
So please set up your software repositories with only OSS, Non-OSS, Update and Packman. Just those 4. No others. None. If you added others, please disable them. There is guidance here for that: Repositories/11.2 - openSUSE-Community Please note if you have any 11.1 repositories setup, you MUST remove them. Only 11.2 repositories and ONLY the 4 I noted. The chances are the 1st 3 (OSS, Non-OSS, and Update) are already setup, and you only need to add Packman. JUST packman. No others. None! Adding others can cause problems.
Then once those 4 are setup, go to YaST > Software > Software Management and install the Packman packaged version of “mplayer”. You may also wish to install the plugin (for firefox browser) “mplayerplug-in”. Note you can tell packman packaged versions of applications by the “pm” in the version number. Instead of mplayerplug-in, one can also install gecko-mediaplayer, but I believe that is buggy and crashes firefox. Hence for now, instead I recommend do not in 11.2 install gecko-mediaplayer but instead install “mplayerplug-in”.
Note I recommended you install the packman packaged version of mplayer. You can read up more as to what is packaged by packman by going here: PackMan :: home
I’ve been running SuSE 9! as a server in my workshop from the first day it was released. It took me a few weeks! to get it up and running as i wanted it at the time.
apache, SShd, vsftp and samba
Since then its been switched on 24/7/365, its worked perfectly without having to log in too often to do anything with it. I only log in to create a new vhost and create a new account for hosting a website now and then, perhaps 4 times a year, thats how often i have had to log in and doo anything.
I now have a new server built with 11.2, getting my servers up and running was relatively easy this time although its not in service yet untill i’m happy and its tested. I still have Vhosts to set up and get a number of websites moved over etc.
I’m hoping to replace two other M$ Windows boxes in my workshop with this single computer as these are getting very old too, thus saving costs in hardware and running costs.
So i am now going to have to find out how to use SuSE Linux more.
I have a long way to go, a long way.
Thank you Oldcpu for your reply but just about everything is way over my head, but i’ll have a look at your sugestions later and see what i can do with my poor knowledge of linux.
Please get your software from a file server and NOT from the mplayer site.
To get your software from a file server, follow the guidance here Repositories/11.2 - openSUSE-Community . It will give you a choice of many file servers (called repositories). PLEASE only select these 4 and no others: OSS, Non-OSS, Update and Packman. Just those 4. An explanation:
**OSS **
= The main repository created by Novell/SuSE-GmbH. It has all the software that comes on the DVD plus a lot more. This is only open source free software.
NON-OSS
= This Novell/SuSE-GmbH repository contains non free (as in freedom) software, such as Flashplayer, Java, Opera, IPW-firmware, RealPlayer etc. i.e. its free for you to use, but not free for you to modify … etc …
Update
= The Novell/SuSE-GmbH Repository for official security and bugfix updates. It will have updates for both OSS and Non-OSS.
Packman
= Packman is a repository that contains many packaged software applications created by users in the openSUSE community. It is NOT an official Novell/SuSE-GmbH server. But it is the largest community file server/respository. It offers various additional packages for openSUSE. It has many multimedia applications and many other applications.
By setting up your software package manager with those 4 repositories, you can go to YasT > Software > Software Management and select and install mplayer.