I have now done a reinstall to get the 2.6 kernel - and had a look round
- and done a fair amount of reading. The next step is to try to do
things that I know how to do in XP. How do you play a DVD in Debian?

In XP I just insert the DVD and it plays automatically in PowerDVD or
Windows Media Player.

I have tried for two hours - and haven't yet been able to play it in
Debian.
I've found that you have to mount the DVD using "#mount /cdrom".
Then the files on the DVD can be seen.

Then I tried using Kaboodle to play the presentation on the DVD - and
nothing worked. I tried launching files that had various extensions;
some were .vob files. Sometimes nothing happened; sometimes the player
appeared and then immediately disappeared - after about a second.

How do you play a DVD using Debian?
--
Chris

Chris wrote:

> I have now done a reinstall to get the 2.6 kernel - and had a look round
> - and done a fair amount of reading. The next step is to try to do
> things that I know how to do in XP. How do you play a DVD in Debian?
>
> In XP I just insert the DVD and it plays automatically in PowerDVD or
> Windows Media Player.
>
> I have tried for two hours - and haven't yet been able to play it in
> Debian.
> I've found that you have to mount the DVD using "#mount /cdrom".
> Then the files on the DVD can be seen.
>
> Then I tried using Kaboodle to play the presentation on the DVD - and
> nothing worked. I tried launching files that had various extensions;
> some were .vob files. Sometimes nothing happened; sometimes the player
> appeared and then immediately disappeared - after about a second.
>
> How do you play a DVD using Debian?

I haven't watched a movie on my machines for quite some time, but I remember
using Kaffeine or mplayer without any hassles.

In article <4358d689$0$41138$14726298@news.sunsite.dk>, Madhusudan Singh
<spammers-go-here@spam.invalid> writes
>Chris wrote:
>
>> I have now done a reinstall to get the 2.6 kernel - and had a look round
>> - and done a fair amount of reading. The next step is to try to do
>> things that I know how to do in XP. How do you play a DVD in Debian?
>> In XP I just insert the DVD and it plays automatically in PowerDVD or
>> Windows Media Player.
>> I have tried for two hours - and haven't yet been able to play it in
>> Debian.
>> I've found that you have to mount the DVD using "#mount /cdrom".
>> Then the files on the DVD can be seen.
>> Then I tried using Kaboodle to play the presentation on the DVD - and
>> nothing worked. I tried launching files that had various extensions;
>> some were .vob files. Sometimes nothing happened; sometimes the player
>> appeared and then immediately disappeared - after about a second.
>> How do you play a DVD using Debian?

>I haven't watched a movie on my machines for quite some time, but I remember
>using Kaffeine or mplayer without any hassles.

The irony is that these are some DVDs someone lent me that contain
tutorials on Linux - and I'm having to use the Windows machine to play
them!

As usual, it must be something simple I'm missing.
What might it be?
Do you have to mount the DVD?
If so, do you use "#mount /cdrom"?
When you can see files on the DVD, which do you open?
Are some players better than others?
--
Chris

Chris wrote:
> In article <4358d689$0$41138$14726298@news.sunsite.dk>, Madhusudan Singh
> <spammers-go-here@spam.invalid> writes
>
>> Chris wrote:
>>
>>> I have now done a reinstall to get the 2.6 kernel - and had a look round
>>> - and done a fair amount of reading. The next step is to try to do
>>> things that I know how to do in XP. How do you play a DVD in Debian?
>>> In XP I just insert the DVD and it plays automatically in PowerDVD or
>>> Windows Media Player.
>>> I have tried for two hours - and haven't yet been able to play it in
>>> Debian.
>>> I've found that you have to mount the DVD using "#mount /cdrom".
>>> Then the files on the DVD can be seen.
>>> Then I tried using Kaboodle to play the presentation on the DVD - and
>>> nothing worked. I tried launching files that had various extensions;
>>> some were .vob files. Sometimes nothing happened; sometimes the player
>>> appeared and then immediately disappeared - after about a second.
>>> How do you play a DVD using Debian?
>

apt-get install lsdvd mplayer ???

lsdvd to get a listing of the 'tracks' on the dvd

mplayer dvd://1 to play them

I guess there is a GUI for it, but this just seems simpler....

On 2005-10-21@18:47:22, CptDondo <yan@NsOeSiPnAeMr.com> wrote:
> Chris wrote:
>> In article <4358d689$0$41138$14726298@news.sunsite.dk>, Madhusudan Singh
>> <spammers-go-here@spam.invalid> writes
>>
>>> Chris wrote:
>>>
>>>> I have now done a reinstall to get the 2.6 kernel - and had a look round
>>>> - and done a fair amount of reading. The next step is to try to do
>>>> things that I know how to do in XP. How do you play a DVD in Debian?
>>>> In XP I just insert the DVD and it plays automatically in PowerDVD or
>>>> Windows Media Player.
>>>> I have tried for two hours - and haven't yet been able to play it in
>>>> Debian.
>>>> I've found that you have to mount the DVD using "#mount /cdrom".
>>>> Then the files on the DVD can be seen.
>>>> Then I tried using Kaboodle to play the presentation on the DVD - and
>>>> nothing worked. I tried launching files that had various extensions;
>>>> some were .vob files. Sometimes nothing happened; sometimes the player
>>>> appeared and then immediately disappeared - after about a second.
>>>> How do you play a DVD using Debian?
>>
>
> apt-get install lsdvd mplayer ???
>
> lsdvd to get a listing of the 'tracks' on the dvd
>
> mplayer dvd://1 to play them
>
> I guess there is a GUI for it, but this just seems simpler....

Be aware, that Debian does _not_ contain the DeCSS-Library (to
descramble the CSS content of a DVD).
But you may read [1] to get a clue what to do.

HTH && HAND
- Darsha

[1] http://www.crazysquirrel.com/computi...ian/decss.jspx

In article <435a2bd7$0$25090$79720d31@newsreader.inode.at>, Darshaka
Pathirana <nospam@tugraz.at> writes
>On 2005-10-21@18:47:22, CptDondo <yan@NsOeSiPnAeMr.com> wrote:
>> Chris wrote:
>>> In article <4358d689$0$41138$14726298@news.sunsite.dk>, Madhusudan Singh
>>> <spammers-go-here@spam.invalid> writes
>>>
>>>> Chris wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I have now done a reinstall to get the 2.6 kernel - and had a look round
>>>>> - and done a fair amount of reading. The next step is to try to do
>>>>> things that I know how to do in XP. How do you play a DVD in Debian?
>>>>> In XP I just insert the DVD and it plays automatically in PowerDVD or
>>>>> Windows Media Player.
>>>>> I have tried for two hours - and haven't yet been able to play it in
>>>>> Debian.
>>>>> I've found that you have to mount the DVD using "#mount /cdrom".
>>>>> Then the files on the DVD can be seen.
>>>>> Then I tried using Kaboodle to play the presentation on the DVD - and
>>>>> nothing worked. I tried launching files that had various extensions;
>>>>> some were .vob files. Sometimes nothing happened; sometimes the player
>>>>> appeared and then immediately disappeared - after about a second.
>>>>> How do you play a DVD using Debian?

>> apt-get install lsdvd mplayer ???
>> lsdvd to get a listing of the 'tracks' on the dvd
>> mplayer dvd://1 to play them
>> I guess there is a GUI for it, but this just seems simpler....

>Be aware, that Debian does _not_ contain the DeCSS-Library (to
>descramble the CSS content of a DVD).
>But you may read [1] to get a clue what to do.
>HTH && HAND
> - Darsha
>[1] http://www.crazysquirrel.com/computi...ian/decss.jspx

Thanks Darsha - that link is really useful.
You have taken me straight to the heart of the matter - which I would
never have guessed at in a million years.
I will quote a bit of it here for the sake of others.

----BEGIN QUOTE-------------------------------------------------
You would be forgiven for thinking that playing a DVD under Debian is
going to be easy but I'm afraid to say you would be wrong. The problem
is not that there aren't media players. The problem isn't that there
aren't codecs. The problem is that you need a CSS decoder (DeCSS) to
descramble the content. This wouldn't necessarly be a problem, the CSS
algorithum is well known, the problem is that it is in a bit of a legal
battle ground. To cut a long story short it was meant to be secret but
it's about the worst kept secret in the world. There have been numerous
implimentations but no one really knows if any of them are legal.
Implimentations are probably illegal in the US because of the DMCA and
probalby now in Europe too because of our version of the DMCA (EMCA or
something). Anyway that isn't getting you watching DVD's for free is it.
If you choose to follow these instructions you do so at your own risk -
you have been warned! )
----END QUOTE-------------------------------------------------

What a shame, though, that even very standard things are extremely
difficult to do under Linux. It's certainly a catch-22 if you can't
play without effort the DVDs that teach you about how to do things in
Linux.
(That's not a criticism - I just think it's hilarious!)
--
Chris

Chris wrote:


> Thanks Darsha - that link is really useful.
> You have taken me straight to the heart of the matter - which I would
> never have guessed at in a million years.
> I will quote a bit of it here for the sake of others.
>
> ----BEGIN QUOTE-------------------------------------------------
> You would be forgiven for thinking that playing a DVD under Debian is
> going to be easy but I'm afraid to say you would be wrong. The problem
> is not that there aren't media players. The problem isn't that there
> aren't codecs. The problem is that you need a CSS decoder (DeCSS) to
> descramble the content. This wouldn't necessarly be a problem, the CSS
> algorithum is well known, the problem is that it is in a bit of a legal
> battle ground. To cut a long story short it was meant to be secret but
> it's about the worst kept secret in the world. There have been numerous
> implimentations but no one really knows if any of them are legal.
> Implimentations are probably illegal in the US because of the DMCA and
> probalby now in Europe too because of our version of the DMCA (EMCA or
> something). Anyway that isn't getting you watching DVD's for free is it.
> If you choose to follow these instructions you do so at your own risk -
> you have been warned! )
> ----END QUOTE-------------------------------------------------
>

Interesting. I did not know about this at all.

> What a shame, though, that even very standard things are extremely
> difficult to do under Linux. It's certainly a catch-22 if you can't
> play without effort the DVDs that teach you about how to do things in
> Linux.
> (That's not a criticism - I just think it's hilarious!)


It all depends upon what you consider standard. For instance, I am not a
gamer, and rarely need to play DVDs on my machines (who needs it if you
have a DVD player ?). So, I would never either try to work on tools like
this or even request that someone consider doing so.

In this sense, the ease / difficulty of doing tasks is a reflection of the
user base, which is on an average better educated in computer related
stuff, a lot more internet savvy and (IMO there is no better way to put it)
a deal less hedonist (I am referring to gaming) than the average Windows
user.

Whether the above is good or bad depends on the person trying to switch. And
the fact that each such switch changes the overall content of Linux since
it brings one more user and makes a potential contributor / developer /
etc. out of him / her. And contrary to some trolls that infest many Linux
groups, that is about as democratic a state of affairs that I can imagine.

In that sense, what you consider standard is windows-specific, and it is no
surprise to me that the kinds of users in the two universes are different
and need different kinds of tools / work methodologies.

As to using these DVDs, consider learning to make them work and using the
Usenet effectively (as you have done during your journey into Linux) your
first lesson. And very probably, the most important one (Tom Friedman calls
it learning to learn).

In article <435a6eed$0$41138$14726298@news.sunsite.dk>, Madhusudan Singh
<spammers-go-here@spam.invalid> writes
>Chris wrote:
>
>
>> Thanks Darsha - that link is really useful.
>> You have taken me straight to the heart of the matter - which I would
>> never have guessed at in a million years.
>> I will quote a bit of it here for the sake of others.
>>
>> ----BEGIN QUOTE-------------------------------------------------
>> You would be forgiven for thinking that playing a DVD under Debian is
>> going to be easy but I'm afraid to say you would be wrong. The problem
>> is not that there aren't media players. The problem isn't that there
>> aren't codecs. The problem is that you need a CSS decoder (DeCSS) to
>> descramble the content. This wouldn't necessarly be a problem, the CSS
>> algorithum is well known, the problem is that it is in a bit of a legal
>> battle ground. To cut a long story short it was meant to be secret but
>> it's about the worst kept secret in the world. There have been numerous
>> implimentations but no one really knows if any of them are legal.
>> Implimentations are probably illegal in the US because of the DMCA and
>> probalby now in Europe too because of our version of the DMCA (EMCA or
>> something). Anyway that isn't getting you watching DVD's for free is it.
>> If you choose to follow these instructions you do so at your own risk -
>> you have been warned! )
>> ----END QUOTE-------------------------------------------------
>>
>
>Interesting. I did not know about this at all.
>
>> What a shame, though, that even very standard things are extremely
>> difficult to do under Linux. It's certainly a catch-22 if you can't
>> play without effort the DVDs that teach you about how to do things in
>> Linux.
>> (That's not a criticism - I just think it's hilarious!)
>
>
>It all depends upon what you consider standard. For instance, I am not a
>gamer, and rarely need to play DVDs on my machines (who needs it if you
>have a DVD player ?). So, I would never either try to work on tools like
>this or even request that someone consider doing so.
>
>In this sense, the ease / difficulty of doing tasks is a reflection of the
>user base, which is on an average better educated in computer related
>stuff, a lot more internet savvy and (IMO there is no better way to put it)
>a deal less hedonist (I am referring to gaming) than the average Windows
>user.
>
>Whether the above is good or bad depends on the person trying to switch. And
>the fact that each such switch changes the overall content of Linux since
>it brings one more user and makes a potential contributor / developer /
>etc. out of him / her. And contrary to some trolls that infest many Linux
>groups, that is about as democratic a state of affairs that I can imagine.
>
>In that sense, what you consider standard is windows-specific, and it is no
>surprise to me that the kinds of users in the two universes are different
>and need different kinds of tools / work methodologies.
>
>As to using these DVDs, consider learning to make them work and using the
>Usenet effectively (as you have done during your journey into Linux) your
>first lesson. And very probably, the most important one (Tom Friedman calls
>it learning to learn).

Madhusudan Singh - What a well-written and insightful article.
I found it useful in that it caused me to reflect on my reasons for
doing computing - and I'm not at all sure what those reasons are.

I got into computing round about when it started; I was an IBM Systems
Engineer in the sixties, working on IBM System 360, teaching COBOL and
Assembler, and the forerunner of the Internet - IBM 1050 Teleprocessing
System.

Then I left computing and did all sorts of other things - until I came
back to computing as a hobbyist. I have no real use for a computer. I
make up things to do on them - and I do like digital photography - but I
reckon the main thing for me is the sheer fascination of the technology.

I just want to know how things work - for no reason at all!

There is also the social aspect. Since friends and neighbours have
computers, being moderately competent provides an easy way of meeting
people - and that can lead to friendship.

There is actually a bit of conflict here. None of those I meet would
ever use Linux, and so, for chatting over the garden fence, Windows is
the only possibility. I have persuaded one or two hobbyist friends to
have a go at Linux - and they usually give up in frustration after a
week or two.

For the past few years I have tried Linux for a time, and then given up.
But each year the time I have persisted has increased. Support is
tricky. It would be good to be able to phone friend with a quick
question - because in computing the devil is in the detail. Newsgroups
are good - but slow.
Maybe I will have to bite the bullet and get into IRC.

The good news is that I enjoy learning for its own sake, without any
ulterior motive at all.

Thanks again for your thought-provoking article.

Chris
--
EXUBERANCE:
a passion to know more;
a playful spirit;
an empathy with nature;
a sense of joy.