installing video players in FC8 (Xine Player,real player and vlc player)

To install video players in your FC8 machine, i recommend you to install real player and vlc player and Xine Player.

1. Real player to playback real media files
2. VLC player as MPEG, DVD, and DivX player
3. Xine Player which we can install the Binary Codecs to support the formats that Xine does not directly support

Installing Real Player:
First, go to https://player.helixcommunity.org/2004/downloads/ and download the rpm package from the Linux/x86 section.
Then go to terminal windows and enter the following commands:
install compat-libstdc++-33 compatibility libraries:
$ sudo yum install compat-libstdc++-33

then, cd to the directory where you save the real-player RPM and enter the command
$ sudo rpm -ivh [filename]

in my case, i entered
$ sudo rpm -ivh RealPlayer-10.0.4.750-20050401.i586.rpm

After the rpm is succesfully installed, the installation progress completed and your real player is ready to be used.

Installing vlc Player:

installing vlc player is very easy.
just enter the following command in terminal and wait, your vlc player will be ready upon the completion of the command.
$sudo yum -y install vlc

Installing Xine Player:

Firstly, install the Xine Player by using the following command

$ sudo yum install xine xine-lib-extras xine-lib-extras-nonfree libdvdcss

Then, enter the following instrcutions and wait for the download to be completed.
$ sudo wget http://www.mplayerhq.hu/MPlayer/releases/codecs/all-20071007.tar.bz2

after the download is completed, enter the following instructions into the terminal
$ sudo mkdir -p /usr/lib/codecs
$ sudo tar -jxvf all-20071007.tar.bz2 --strip-components 1 -C /usr/lib/codecs/

Your Xine Player is now ready to be used.

Note: the all-20071007.tar.bz2 in tar -jxvf all-20071007.tar.bz2 --strip-components 1 -C /usr/lib/codecs/ is the filename of the binary codec you downloaded. Sometimes, the filename will be saved a little differently with the filename stated. Please use ls command to check whether the filename is matched.

Installing audio player that supports MP3 in Fedora Core 8 - Amarok

The MP3 player that i recommend in Fedora Core 8 is Amarok. The reason i recommend Amarok is because its support various types of audio format including MP3 and it is easy to be installed.

Before you start to install Amarok, you have to install livna repository first.
To install livna repository, go to http://rpm.livna.org/rlowiki/ and click on the "Fedora 8 repository RPM".
A download windows will pop up and choose the "Save to Disk" option.
Go to terminal and cd to the directory you saved the livna RPM file in just now.
use the following command to install livna.
# rpm -ivh [filename]
for my case, my command is
# rpm -ivh livna-release-8.rpm


Now, you may proceed to install amarok with the additional features enabled.
in the terminal, enter
# yum -y install amarok amarok-extras-nonfree
your amarok player will be ready to be used.



Notes:
- before you run the installation, please use su command to gain root privileges
- livna repository has to be installed before installing amarok player so that you will be able to install amarok-extras-nonfree

Installing nVidia and ATI cards in Fedora by using kmods from Livna

Just a while ago,my friend, bob from fedoraforum.org, introduced me a better way of installing graphic card drivers that is by installing kmods from Livna. By using driver from nvidia, the process of installing graphic card driver has to be redo once there is kernel change. However, if we use kmods from Livna, we don't need to do so.

Here's some very nice and useful articles that bob introduced me:
Getting nVidia cards to work in Fedora
Getting ATI cards to work in Fedora



special thanks to:
bob @ fedoraforum.org
Steward Adam || Firewing1

Compiz-fusion not showing title bars (problem solved)

After installing compiz-fusion in my fedora machine, there is a serious problem occuring.
I found that my windows are shown without title bars and i couldn't switch between programs.

somehow, it can be fixed by disable the desktop effects and enable back the desktop effects or you can also simply run the compiz-icon to fix the problem.

However, running compiz-icon every time you log in is a tiring job and i bet you won't like it.
So, This is the way to make the process automated.

System > Preferences > Sessions >> Startup Programs > add

key in the values
Name: fusion-icon
Command: fusion-icon

then click OK and close the windows.

Try to restart the windows and i guess the problem is solved.

Installing Compiz Fusion in Fedora Core 8

Before you install compiz-fusion in fedora core 8, please make sure that you have your graphic card driver installed.
you can make sure that your fc8 does have direct rendering enabled using the command below:
glxinfo | grep direct
if your direct rendering is running, you will get a result as showned below:
[root@localhost ~]# glxinfo | grep direct direct rendering: Yes


In order to install compiz-fusion, these are the commands that you need to enter into your teminal:
$ su
# wget http://www.dfm.uninsubria.it/compiz/fusion/compiz-fusion.repo -O /etc/yum.repos.d/compiz-fusion.repo
# yum install compiz-all fusion-icon-all compiz-fusion-plugins-unsupported compiz-bcop ccsm emerald-themes

after yum have finished installing the p rogram into your machine, you have to enable the desktop effects:
System > Preferences > Look and Feel > Desktop Effects >> Enable Destop Effects

In some cases, you will get an error message says that cannot enable desktop effects.
in this case, you may try to do this:

$su
#gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

you will get the xorg.conf at gedit. now, trace the section shown in screenshot below:
In the section "Module", add a line Load "extmod"
for example:

Now, save and close the file.
Now, try to enable the desktop effects again.
If you are able to enable the desktop effects, your installation is completed.

However, if you are not able to enable the desktop effect, you may try to enter the following command into your teminal.
compiz --replace

That's all, wish you will be able to install compiz-fusion in your fedora. Have fun.


Here's some link that you might be interested in
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/forum/showthread.php?t=171130
Compiz not showing title bars

Installing nvidia driver in FC8

It's easy to install nvidia driver in Fedora Core 8. there are only 3 steps to go.

STEP 1
go to http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us and choose your graphic card at the menu.

STEP 2
The nvidia driver can't be installed in X server. This will be happening if you run it in terminal of X server
However, in Fedora core 8, we are required to modify a file called inittab. The way to do this is:

[chew5011@localhost etc]$ su
Password:
[root@localhost etc]# gedit /etc/inittab

you will get a document opened in gedit.
within the document, you will see a part that looks like this:
change id:5:initdefault: to id:3:initdefault:
Caution: Only Change the '5' to '3'. Don't modify any other thing!!!
ok, after that, restart you computer and you should be log into fedora without starting the server X.


STEP 3
Now, you already restarted the computer, and you are logged in as root in fedora (without starting server X)
the only thing you need to do is to cd to the directory containing Nvidia driver and run it using the command
./[filename]
After that,what you need is only follow the instructions shown on your monitor. And your driver will be installed.


Remember to change back the setting in inittab to "id:5:initdefault:"

TIPS: to start the server X from the command prompt, type in startx

Activating Browser Windows in Fedora Core 8

By default, fc8 won't open directories in browser windows when you double click it, It opens directories in some windows like the printscreen below and i feel that its very inconvenient because there is no address bar and shortcut locations.


So, if you want to open directories in browser windows,here is the step.
System > Personal > File Management --> Behavior
Check the always open in browser windows option

This is an example of a browser windows.

Installing VMware in Fedora Core 8 (Problems Solved)

I am using Fedora FC8 on Dell Inspiron 1520.
This is my experience when i was installing VMware Player into my computer.

Firstly, download the latest .rpm installation file from http://www.vmware.com/products/player/ and run it as usual. in case you don't know how to run it as usual, this is the way to do it in terminal :

• cd into the directory containing the rpm file of vmplayer
  
• type in rpm -ivh [the rpm file's filename]
  

After running the rpm file, for certain reason, the VMware didn't finish the installation.
You can't get the shortcut of VMware Player which is supposed to be in Application>System Tools.
That is probably because of the VMware is not configured yet(just my guess anyway).

If you browse through internet, there will be some post that says, you can fix it by running a script called vmware-any-any-update115. However, in my case, (VMware-player-2.0.2-59824.x86_64 and vmware-any-any-update115) this fix doesn't work. Although this fix do run the configuration for me, however, it replaced some file called vmmon (i don't really remember the name, but who cares?) with the older version of it and caused the VMware Player couldn't operate correctly. You will be able to open VMware Player, however, you won't be able to open any virtual machine, it will promt you that some file's version is mismatched.

So, this is the fix that works for me. Browse to /usr/binyou will find a file named vmware-config.pl
just run the file and follow the instruction and everything will be fine.
to run it:

• [root@localhost VMWare]# cd /usr/bin
  [root@localhost bin]# ./vmware-config.pl
  
  

For my case, i just press enter all the way. And my VMware Player works like champ.
here's the printscreen when i am running a VMware Player.