DVD Playback

[Kevin D. Kinsey, DaleCo, S.P.]

Eric Podany wrote:

>Hello all,
>   I'm even more of a newbie than most on this mailing list, so forgive my ignorance.  I'm trying to switch from W2k to FreeBSD, so I need to get a few integral pieces working, and I'll figure out the details later.
>   I've been looking at the ports listing, and found a few DVD players - mplayer, kplayer, and ogle.  Any recommendations on what to use?  Kplayer says it is for use with KDE, but I can't remember what window manager I am using.  How do I check that out?
>   And also, how do I download the ports to my machine?  I've found documentation on pkg_add stuff, but I'm still feeling tentative about it.  And will the ports integrate themselves into the window manager automatically after I download them, or do I need to set that up as well?
>
>A brief summary:
>
>1) Any recommendations on what dvd player to use?
>  
>

Sorry, but not really.  I do use mplayer in
FBSD-Gnome to view little movies from wherever,
but I don't have a DVD-ROM.  Mplayer's a good
tool, though, I think --- not having tried the others.

>2) How do I find out what window manager I am using?
>  
>

Well, for one, look at it...a description *might*
help.  Or, look at top(1), your WM is probably
near on that list....

How do you start X?  Look in your $HOME dir
for files that start with ".x"  (dot X) .... read them.

For me, it's the last line in .xinitic:

exec gnome-session     # so I'm using Gnome

>3) How do I download ports to my machine?
>  
>

Check out the handbook, chapter 4.5 & following.
Basically, I'd recommend cvsup.  If you have the
ports "skeleton" installed under /usr/ports, then
your machine will do the work for you.

$cd /usr/ports/some-category/fooapp
$make install clean

 ... will take a look at the Makefile, grab
whatever code is necessary from the appropriate
site, configure it, compile it, and install it,
and then clean up after itself....

>4) Will the ports integrate themselves into the window manager automatically after I download them?
>
>  
>

"Tools, not policy".  Likely not.  For example, in
the "less is more" WM's like blackbox that I've tried,
you enter the commands you wish it to execute in
some config file, and the name of a 'shortcut' for
this item (in the same file IIRC) and then this item
shows up in the menus....

In Gnome, you can use "add Launcher"....

>Thanks in advance for any help, I really appreciate it.
>~ Eric
>_______________________________________________
>  
>

You're welcome!  Welcome to FBSD!

Kevin Kinsey