To my surprise, I am having difficult playing some mp4 files with vlc. I have the packman repository loaded, as that usually provides everything in that regard. What can I do?
This is the message I get from vlc
Codec not supported:
VLC could not decode the format "h264" (H264 - MPEG-4 AVC (part 10))
What do you mean with that?
You must add the Packman repository to your repo list (you probably did that) and then you must “switch vendor” to it. Did you do the latter?
zypper dup --from <the alias, name or number from the Packman repo>
I meant that Packman was enabled in my (YaST) repo list. Vendor change was not allowed. I suppose you mean I should allow it?
That is nice, but having it in the list does not install anything. It is like a library where you subscribe to. You then must go there and rent books, you do not get the books by miracle.
I have no idea why it is not allowed, but you should of course do the vendor change. As I said above. And as it is in all descriptions.
Brilliant! Thanks for your help. It works now.
I was not aware that the ‘allow vendor change’ flag should be set afresh each time I want an update from Packman.
Maybe have a look here:
https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Installing_codecs_from_Packman_repositories
By setting the correct repo priority you only need to switch vendor once…
That is not true.
Once you have switched, a following zypper patch or zypper up will not switch back. Same for updating using YaST.
A zypper up will update from all your enabled (and refreshed, but that goes automagically) repos without vendor switching.
And when you would do with allow=vendor-switch, you have the chance that packages are switched back from Packman to OSS. Not something you want I assume.