Linux VCD Blues

This is based on true story. Fun intended. (Due apologies to Vikesh).
Kalyan

--------------------------------------------------



Linux Novice: Hey, Can you play this VCD on Linux?
Linux Expert: Sure. The recent linux distribution comes with lots of media players. It has
Got a separate menu called Multimedia. Audio/Video/DVD what not. I’ll show you.


LinuxExpert tries in all the available players only to find that none of them can play VCD.



Linux Novice: What happened?
Linux Expert: Wait, It might require a new CODEC. That should support both NTSC and PAL.
Also Linux file system is capable of handling both FAT32 and EXT2 filesytsems.
All you need to do it just mount them. And you can extend to any other file system, you know how?
Linux Novice: hmm... No. How?
Linux Expert :Ha ha ..Because you have source code avaialble. Most fascinating aspect of that is you can compile
the kernal.The linux kernal which is heart of the OS is common for all the distributions. You can write
your own device drivers, new servers and what not ?
Linux Novice :But how do you develop those device drivers..Do you have any easy to use IDE ?
Linux Expert :Yes.VI is one.And E-Macs is best IDE.You can write you own scripts to extend E-Macs.
Its LISP based Editor.So embedding Artifical Intelligence is very easy.

Linux Novice :Yah,I know.(grin) I once used it X-Emacs in windows.I could not do a copy/paste so given up.
But What about Multimedia ?
Linux Expert :Linux sound system is simply great.Its actually 24% smarter.It gives a file abstraction /dev/dsp or /dev/sound.
You just do a cat file > /dev/sound , it gets played.
Linux Novice :: Yah, I felt Sound is better.Whenever it can play sound.
Linux always works except in the cases where it does not work.
Linux Expert :It does not work ? Wait .. you have to change /etc/dev/config/users/$yourname/media/sound/audio/silence/config
it will surely work.
Linux Novice :Thats really long name.Is there any UI ?
Linux Expert :Oh.Linux is for experts.Offcourse you can write your own UI.As you know you can compile Linux kernal and write
device drivers and ..
Linux Novice :: But,Should not there be a simple Windowing environment that can play VCD ?
Linux Expert :GUI ? Yes,Linux has a Window server , we call it as X-Server.Its responsible for all the windowing activity.And it simplifies writing
VNC and stuff like that.Do you get it, you can play the movie here and watch it from some where else ...
Linux Novice ::If at all you can play here.(evil sad grin)
Linux Expert :Wait,I'll dowload the latest MPlayer.That can even play DVD.You know what DVDs are meant to be,they have special featuers like
selection of scenes,subtitles and uncut versions.
Linux Novice :But,I've a simple little normal VCD.
Linux Expert :Don't worry I can make DVD out this VCD and play in the DVD player.But the latest advanced multimedia codec for playing MPEG-2 layer
format should be avaialble.I'll download it from internet.
Poor Linux Novice spends money and gets internet connection.
Linux Expert :Good.Let me download the latest kernal and compile it for you.
Linux Novice :Oh..Will you compile it now ?
Linux Expert :Yes.It hardly takes 2 days to compile .And then you can enjoy all the latest features.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LN and LE keeps staring at the scrolling text installion screen admiringly and waits for the completion.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After 3 days,the installation finishes. The enthusiastic LinuxNovice puts the VCD waits eagerly.
LinuxExpert types series of commands.
ps,ls,ls -al,ps -9 1876,cls,cls,mont,unmont,change /etc..../config files,vi.
Linux Expert :Hey , When I gave ./configure,make,make install command I configured it for command line.
This is linux can't run windows.But still you watch VCD.
Linux Novice :WWWWhat ?
Linux Expert :Yah,Just write shell script or may be use python to decode MPEG-2 Video and convert to ASCII and display in text screen
Linux Novice fainted.He wakes up after some time.
Linux Novice : OOOOO...I have another solution ..
Linux Expert :What ?
Linux Novice :Shutdown the system and Start in Windows.You can play there.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PS : I'm not a fan windows either. I equally crib about windows too.