Hi,
I’m brand new to Linux and opensuse, having been on Windows (currently 7) for most of my life; and
am having trouble playing mp4s. I’m being told that I don’t have the necessary codecs installed.
I’ve been to the suggested page to find them, but there are so many that I have no idea which one(s) to choose.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
… john
P.S. I’m afraid that I don’t know what version of opensuse I’m using.
Welcome to the openSUSE forum… 
OK, let’s establish that first. From a terminal, (“konsole” if using KDE, “gnome terminal” if using gnome) post the output of the following command:
cat /etc/os-release
Hi Sharman,
Thanks for your help. I’m using version 15.1 and the GUI is Gnome.
… john
P.S. Also I would like to find out how to stop it from going into sleep/suspend OR find out how to take it out of it. Currently,
I have to shut it off and reboot.
Please always post the complete output incl. the complete Commandline.
Use Code-Tags:
https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/536143-Using-Code-Tags-Around-Your-Paste
Please use the following openSUSE SDB: <https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Firefox_MP4/H.264_Video_Support>
For Leap 15.1, you’ll have to use the following Packman Repository: <https://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/linux/misc/packman/suse/openSUSE_Leap_15.1/Essentials/>
- That Repository contains all the Leap 15.1 “libavcodec”, “libavformat” and “libavdevice” packages needed.
- For Leap 15.1, the VLC Repository is empty
:<https://download.videolan.org/pub/vlc/SuSE/Leap_15.1/>
Leap 15.1 reached end of life Feb 2nd 2021 and is no longer supported.
If wish to retain 15.1 then we’ll try to address your issues, but before progressing any further, unless you have a very compelling reason to retain 15.1, I would seriously consider a fresh install of the current version of Leap, 15.4
Hi,
No, I have no attachment to 15.1. Is there a way of instructing the system to do the upgrade to 15.4?
… john
Hi dcurisfra/Saureland,
I’m not sure if you’re telling me about something that I should have done. I know next to nothing about opensuse or Linux, for that matter, so please let me know in clear language if I’ve breached the proper protocols.
Thanks,
… john
Unfortunately there is no supported upgrade path from 15.1 -> 15.4
“Point” releases shouldn’t be skipped, and there is the added “complication” that as starting with 15.3 binaries from SLES are used.
Full details of upgrade procedures are here: https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:System_upgrade
The best course of action would probably be not an upgrade but a fresh install. During the installation process you can chose to not format your /home partition, thus preserving any user data you have.
Well only direct way is to upgrade one step at a time.ie 15.1->15.2->15.3->15.4
Problem is the 15.2 is also out of support not sure you can get the repos for it.
Depending on how your partitions are set up a new install should keep all your personal info but you would have to reinstall any special programs you might use.
Using code tags (#in editor options) around the code show /etc/fstab. and someone will advise
.
The comment from @Sauerland was in reference to my request for you to post the output of “cat /etc/os-release” which we would expect to be shown thus:
paul@HP255G7:~> cat /etc/os-release
NAME="openSUSE Leap"
VERSION="15.4"
ID="opensuse-leap"
ID_LIKE="suse opensuse"
VERSION_ID="15.4"
PRETTY_NAME="openSUSE Leap 15.4"
ANSI_COLOR="0;32"
CPE_NAME="cpe:/o:opensuse:leap:15.4"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.opensuse.org"
HOME_URL="https://www.opensuse.org/"
DOCUMENTATION_URL="https://en.opensuse.org/Portal:Leap"
LOGO="distributor-logo-Leap"
paul@HP255G7:~>
@dcurtisfra’s comments were general guidance pointing you to further information re MP4 codecs, together with the appropriate repository to obtain those from… Possibly assuming your knowledge was a little greater than it is.
Well, OK, so be it.
I didn’t think of checking whether 15.1 was the latest version, when I installed it.
Does it matter where I get 15.4 from; and will I be given the option to overwrite 15.1
so that I can retain whatever customizations I’ve made? The only new program I’ve installed is Thunderbird,
and I can do that again, or even stick with Evolution, if it’s included.
Just out of curiosity, what changes are usually made in these upgrades, and how often do they happen?
… john
Hi Paul,
Thanks for the clarification, although I still don’t know what it means (not your fault. I’m pretty much ignorant about anything other than Windows and hardware); so if I don’t provide the information needed, please don’t hesitate to tell me what to do. I appreciate the help.
Thanks,
… john
Depends on where you made those customisations. Are they done on the system level? Or are they done on the user level?
User level configurations (often to the desktop) and all other user data (letters to the grandmother) are all in the user’s home directory. Thus saving the contents of /home, you will have saved those and you can restore that after a re-installation. When you have /home as a separate file system, that is not even needed (but making backups is always a good idea of course), because not touching the partition containing the /home file system will leave everything there as it was.
I is not clear what exactly you mean with “overwrite 15.1”. When you do a re-installation, it is your task to let the installation overwrite the existing 15.1 root partition. or to create a new 15.4 root partition alongside (if there is place on the disk, or on another disk of course).
Another possibility is to upgrade on line. In that case (almost) all packages will be overwritten (and you could loosely describe that as overwriting 15.1 with 15.4), but this type of upgrading is tested and supported for one version step at the time. However there are reports of people having done e.g. 15.2 > 15.4 in one step without problems.
BTW, if you have only MS Windows experience, then be prepared for a steep learning curve. The saying goes: “When going to Linux, forget everything you learned about MS Windows”. Several terms will have another meaning in Unix/Linux then they have in MS Windows, so be prepared for surprises and misunderstandings. 
Each “Point” release has it’s own documentation that provides fairly comprehensive details of changes from the previous version:
https://en.opensuse.org/Features_15.2
https://en.opensuse.org/Features_15.3
https://en.opensuse.org/Features_15.4
… Does it matter where I get 15.4 from …
Not really, but the preferred choice would be openSUSE:
As part of problem solving/help you may be asked to provide the output of a particular command. When executing that command we like to see the entire user interaction, ie, prompt with command used, output of the command, prompt - not because we don’t believe what you may tell us, but so we can see the command was executed as we expected it, and, that we have the full output.
For example, (and this may be useful in this case in relation to @hcvv’s comments regarding how your existing 15.1 file system is set up), could you show us the output of:
cat /etc/fstab
When you post that output here use “code” tags around it to preserve the formatting so it is easier to read, your output obviously will differ from mine.
paul@HP255G7:~> cat /etc/fstab
UUID=a3867c63-5de0-4d61-8887-a07482063f3d / ext4 noatime,acl,user_xattr 0 1
UUID=9f524b5d-bd57-4525-bc9b-2ca1784dd316 /home ext4 relatime,acl,user_xattr,data=ordered 0 2
UUID=EC92-E389 /boot/efi vfat codepage=437 0 0
paul@HP255G7:~>
When entering the requested command, ensure it is exactly as given with no typo’s. If you’re unsure of any aspect of what you may be asked to do please ask for clarification first, whilst on the “learning curve” there is no such thing as a silly question.
Thanks Henk.
If I’m reading this right, opensuse will, at some point, stop being updated?
… john
Hi Paul,
Thanks again. So I would type "
" at the beginning and end of the input/output, right?
..... john
[quote="tannington,post:16,topic:153805"]
Each "Point" release has it's own documentation that provides fairly comprehensive details of changes from the previous version:
When you post that output here use "code" tags around it to preserve the formatting so it is easier to read, your output obviously will differ from mine.
[/quote]
openSUSE (please see how it is spelled all over the openSUSE places) itself will be updated for quite some time (we all hope). But versions of it will reach their end. And support time of versions will overlap (e.g. 15.4 was released in february if my memory is OK, end 15.3 will end support in a month or so).
And about the CODE tags, just use the # button and copy/paste in between. This is the complete guide:
There is an important, but not easy to find feature on the forums.
Please in the future use CODE tags around copied/pasted computer text in a post. It is the # button in the tool bar of the post editor. When applicable copy/paste complete, that is including the prompt, the command, the output and the next prompt.
An example is here: Using CODE tags Around your paste.
Hi Henk,
Thanks for the run down.
I’m a little unsure as to whether any customizations I’ve made in 15.1 can be integrated into 15.4 under any method, ‘installing over’ or ‘installing beside’ 15.1? I doubt that I’ve made any system customizations, that would likely require an ability I don’t yet posses.
… john