vlc broken after other mm update (openSuSE 11.1)

English Multimedia
1

Hi,

Here is yet another unwary guy with a foot caught in the multimedia trap. Advice is welcome.

Short story: Had vlc going nicely since a long time on this box under SuSE 11.1. It eminently handled all sorts of media, not a problem in sight. Installed DVDstyler and vlc won’t play nothing, i.e. no video, just sound. On the other hand, smplayer, mplayer etc manage all the formats I tried so far. I could swap tools, except that I depend on some of the unique features of vlc.

After a while I realized vlc was installed from the VideoLAN repo. Deinstalled, changed repos, reinstalled from Packman. No visible improvement. I don’t have a wide assortment of formats available, but I get “No suitable decoder module” for the following formats I frequenly use: mp4v, WMV3, WMVA, h264.

The long story follows below. Thanks beforehand to anyone who takes time to review it.

/Hakan

pillar:~ # cat /etc/SuSE-release
openSUSE 11.1 (x86_64)
VERSION = 11.1
pillar:~ # uname -a
Linux pillar 2.6.27.7-9-default #1 SMP 2008-12-04 18:10:04 +0100 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

pillar:~ # LC_ALL=C zypper ve
Loading repository data…
Reading installed packages…
Dependencies of all installed packages are satisfied.

pillar:~ # exit
logout
hs@pillar:~> rpm -qa --queryformat '%{NAME} -> %{VENDOR}
’ | grep -i VideoLAN
libdvdcss -> VideoLAN Project (VideoLAN - VLC: Free streaming and multimedia solutions for all OS!)

hs@pillar:~> rpm --verify --query --all ‘libav*’ ‘libpostproc*’ ‘libswscale*’

hs@pillar:~> rpm --query --queryformat '%{NAME}-%{VERSION}-%{RELEASE}-%{ARCH} -> %{VENDOR}
’ libxine1 libxine1-codecs
libxine1-1.1.19-2.pm.48.13-x86_64 -> PackMan :: Startseite
libxine1-codecs-1.1.19-2.pm.48.13-x86_64 -> PackMan :: Startseite

hs@pillar:~> rpm --verify --query --all ‘xine’

hs@pillar:~> rpm --query --queryformat '%{NAME}-%{VERSION}-%{RELEASE}-%{ARCH} -> %{VENDOR}
’ gstreamer-0_10-ffmpeg gstreamer-0_10-fluendo-mp3 gstreamer-0_10-fluendo-mpegdemux gstreamer-0_10-fluendo-mpegmux gstreamer-0_10-plugins-bad gstreamer-0_10-plugins-base gstreamer-0_10-plugins-good gstreamer-0_10-plugins-good-extra gstreamer-0_10-plugins-ugly
gstreamer-0_10-ffmpeg-0.10.10-9991.pm.9991.1-x86_64 -> PackMan :: Startseite
gstreamer-0_10-fluendo-mp3-0.10.14-42.pm.42.4-x86_64 -> PackMan :: Startseite
gstreamer-0_10-fluendo-mpegdemux-0.10.57-42.pm.42.3-x86_64 -> PackMan :: Startseite
gstreamer-0_10-fluendo-mpegmux-0.10.4-43.pm.43.2-x86_64 -> PackMan :: Startseite
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-bad-0.10.18-9991.pm.9991.2-x86_64 -> PackMan :: Startseite
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-base-0.10.29-9991.pm.9991.3-x86_64 -> PackMan :: Startseite
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-good-0.10.22-9991.pm.9991.2-x86_64 -> PackMan :: Startseite
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-good-extra-0.10.22-9991.pm.9991.2-x86_64 -> PackMan :: Startseite
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-ugly-0.10.14-9991.pm.9991.1-x86_64 -> PackMan :: Startseite

hs@pillar:~> hs@pillar:~> rpm --verify --query --all ‘gst’
S.5…T /usr/lib64/gstreamer-0.10/libgstschro.so

hs@pillar:~> rpm --verify MPlayer

hs@pillar:~> rpm --verify --query --all ‘vlc’

hs@pillar:~> rpm --query --all ‘libav*’ ‘libpostproc*’ ‘libswscale*’ ‘xine’ ‘gst’ ‘layer’ ‘vlc’ | grep -v avahi | sort
amarok-xine-1.4.10-26.2.1
flash-player-10.1.102.64-0.1.1
gecko-mediaplayer-1.0.0-1.pm.1.1
gmplayer-1.0rc4_r32749-1.pm.2.2
gnome-mplayer-1.0.0-1.pm.1.1
gnome-mplayer-lang-1.0.0-1.pm.1.1
gst-fluendo-mp3-2-37.3
gstreamer-0_10-0.10.29-9991.pm.9992.1
gstreamer-0_10-ffmpeg-0.10.10-9991.pm.9991.1
gstreamer-0_10-ffmpeg-32bit-0.10.10-9991.pm.9991.1
gstreamer-0_10-fluendo-mp3-0.10.14-42.pm.42.4
gstreamer-0_10-fluendo-mpegdemux-0.10.57-42.pm.42.3
gstreamer-0_10-fluendo-mpegmux-0.10.4-43.pm.43.2
gstreamer-0_10-lang-0.10.29-9991.pm.9992.1
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-bad-0.10.18-9991.pm.9991.2
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-bad-lang-0.10.18-9991.pm.9991.2
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-base-0.10.29-9991.pm.9991.3
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-base-32bit-0.10.21-2.21.2
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-base-lang-0.10.29-9991.pm.9991.3
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-good-0.10.22-9991.pm.9991.2
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-good-extra-0.10.22-9991.pm.9991.2
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-good-lang-0.10.22-9991.pm.9991.2
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-ugly-0.10.14-9991.pm.9991.1
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-ugly-lang-0.10.14-9991.pm.9991.1
gstreamer-0_10-schroedinger-1.0.5-2.20
gstreamer-0_10-utils-0.10.21-3.13
gstreamer-utils-0.10.21-3.13
libavc1394-0-0.5.3-129.6
libavcodec52-0.6.26387svn-1.pm.2.1
libavcore0-0.6.26387svn-1.pm.2.1
libavdevice52-0.6.26387svn-1.pm.2.1
libavfilter1-0.6.26387svn-1.pm.2.1
libavformat52-0.6.26387svn-1.pm.2.1
libavutil50-0.6.26387svn-1.pm.2.1
libgstapp-0_10-0-0.10.29-9991.pm.9991.3
libgstbasevideo-0_10-0-0.10.18-9991.pm.9991.2
libgstinterfaces-0_10-0-0.10.29-9991.pm.9991.3
libgstinterfaces-0_10-0-32bit-0.10.21-2.21.2
libgstphotography-0_10-0-0.10.18-9991.pm.9991.2
libgstreamer-0_10-0-0.10.29-9991.pm.9992.1
libgstreamer-0_10-0-32bit-0.10.21-3.11
libgstsignalprocessor-0_10-0-0.10.18-9991.pm.9991.2
libgstvdp-0_10-0-0.10.18-9991.pm.9991.2
libpostproc51-0.6.26387svn-1.pm.2.1
libswscale0-0.6.26387svn-1.pm.2.1
libvlc5-1.1.5-5.pm.10.4
libvlccore4-1.1.5-5.pm.10.4
libxine1-1.1.19-2.pm.48.13
libxine1-codecs-1.1.19-2.pm.48.13
libxine1-gnome-vfs-1.1.19-2.pm.48.13
libxine1-pulse-1.1.19-2.pm.48.13
MPlayer-1.0rc4_r32749-1.pm.2.2
phonon-backend-gstreamer-0_10-4.2.0-40.18
phonon-backend-xine-4.1.3-4.2.9
pullin-flash-player-11.1-1.1
smplayer-0.6.9+r3597-1.pm.2.3
vlc-1.1.5-5.pm.10.4
vlc-noX-1.1.5-5.pm.10.4
vlc-qt-1.1.5-5.pm.10.4
xinetd-2.3.14-129.36.1
xine-ui-0.99.6-1.pm.4.1

2

Use what works for now
Updates may be slim coming as 11.1 support has ended

3

I have 11.1 on a laptop at home (running Gnome) and I am pretty certain it can play those formats using the Packman packaged vlc. … I’ll see if I can remember to check when I get home.

4

My vlc works. At least it seems to. I may not be playing the exact same codec examples as you referred to so it would be much easier if you could point to specific references that I could download. For example, reference:

Here are some of the results of similar commands on my 11.1 (32-bit) PC:

lee@localhost:~> cat /etc/SuSE-release
openSUSE 11.1 (i586)
VERSION = 11.1

lee@localhost:~> LC_ALL=C zypper ve
Loading repository data...
Reading installed packages...
Dependencies of all installed packages are satisfied

.

lee@localhost:~> rpm -qa --queryformat '%{NAME} -> %{VENDOR}
' | grep -i VideoLAN
libdvdcss -> VideoLAN Project ([VideoLAN - VLC: Free streaming and multimedia solutions for all OS!](http://www.videolan.org))

lee@localhost:~> rpm --query --all 'libav*' 'libpostproc*' 'libswscale*' '*xine*' '*gst*' '*layer*' '*vlc*' | grep -v avahi | sort
banshee-1-backend-engine-gstreamer-1.4.3-1.2.1
flash-player-10.1.102.64-0.1.1
gmplayer-1.0rc4_r32749-1.pm.2.2
gst-fluendo-mp3-2-37.6
gstreamer-0_10-0.10.29-9991.pm.9992.1
gstreamer-0_10-ffmpeg-0.10.10-9991.pm.9991.1
gstreamer-0_10-fluendo-mp3-0.10.14-42.pm.42.4
gstreamer-0_10-fluendo-mpegdemux-0.10.57-42.pm.42.3
gstreamer-0_10-fluendo-mpegmux-0.10.4-43.pm.43.2
gstreamer-0_10-lang-0.10.29-9991.pm.9992.1
gstreamer-0_10-libnice-0.0.10-0.pm.1.13
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-bad-0.10.18-9991.pm.9991.2
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-bad-lang-0.10.18-9991.pm.9991.2
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-base-0.10.29-9991.pm.9991.3
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-base-lang-0.10.29-9991.pm.9991.3
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-farsight-0.12.11-0.pm.1.6
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-good-0.10.22-9991.pm.9991.2
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-good-extra-0.10.22-9991.pm.9991.2
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-good-lang-0.10.22-9991.pm.9991.2
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-ugly-0.10.14-9991.pm.9991.1
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-ugly-lang-0.10.14-9991.pm.9991.1
gstreamer-0_10-utils-0.10.29-9991.pm.9992.1
gstreamer-utils-0.10.29-9991.pm.9992.1
libavc1394-0-0.5.3-129.3
libavcodec52-0.6.26387svn-1.pm.2.1
libavcore0-0.6.26387svn-1.pm.2.1
libavdevice52-0.6.26387svn-1.pm.2.1
libavfilter1-0.6.26387svn-1.pm.2.1
libavformat52-0.6.26387svn-1.pm.2.1
libavutil50-0.6.26387svn-1.pm.2.1
libgstapp-0_10-0-0.10.29-9991.pm.9991.3
libgstbasevideo-0_10-0-0.10.18-9991.pm.9991.2
libgstinterfaces-0_10-0-0.10.29-9991.pm.9991.3
libgstphotography-0_10-0-0.10.18-9991.pm.9991.2
libgstreamer-0_10-0-0.10.29-9991.pm.9992.1
libgstsignalprocessor-0_10-0-0.10.18-9991.pm.9991.2
libgstvdp-0_10-0-0.10.18-9991.pm.9991.2
libpostproc51-0.6.26387svn-1.pm.2.1
libswscale0-0.6.26387svn-1.pm.2.1
libvlc5-1.1.5-5.pm.10.4
libvlccore4-1.1.5-5.pm.10.4
libxine1-1.1.19-2.pm.48.13
libxine1-aa-1.1.19-2.pm.48.13
libxine1-arts-1.1.19-2.pm.48.13
libxine1-codecs-1.1.19-2.pm.48.13
libxine1-gnome-vfs-1.1.19-2.pm.48.13
libxine1-pulse-1.1.19-2.pm.48.13
MPlayer-1.0rc4_r32749-1.pm.2.2
mplayerplug-in-3.55+cvs20100124-0.pm.1.1
pullin-flash-player-11.1-1.1
smplayer-0.6.9+r3597-2.pm.2.2
vlc-1.1.5-5.pm.10.4
vlc-gnome-1.1.5-5.pm.10.4
vlc-noX-1.1.5-5.pm.10.4
vlc-qt-1.1.5-5.pm.10.4
xine-skins-1.0.3-2.pm.2.1
xinetd-2.3.14-129.36.1
xine-ui-0.99.6-1.pm.4.1

So if you can post links to SPECIFIC videos that give you trouble, I can try them. But thus far I can not find a PROPERLY CONSTRUCTED h264, wmva, wmv3, nor mp4v that my vlc does not play on this old openSUSE-11.1 32-bit PC.

5

Many thanks for taking time with this. I fiddled with the libraries to become more aligned to @oldcpu’s setup, but no improvement. So far I actually haven’t found any video that works with my vlc installation. Which indicates a fundamental flaw somewhere. But…

…since no solution was quickly found I’m prepared to go with @caf4926 and use the other media players. It’s a waste of time to spend too much energy on an 11.1 setup. For special needs I have a working vlc on another box running 11.3. It runs headless after I got into problems upgrading from 11.1… That’s another forum even if it explains why I still have an 11.1 box.

Again: thanks!

6

Packman are still pushing out updates for 11.1
So it’s worth keeping an eye on that, it may bring it back to life.

7

… any chance it is your vlc output video mode ? What output video mode did you select in vlc ? (ie under vlc > tools > preferences > video > output)