Which Linux distros/versions does VLC support?

[derekw]

I'm just looking for some straight answers here. Exactly which distros/versions of Linux are supported by VLC?

I'm using debian sarge, which is listed as a supported (or at least available) platform on http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-debian.html.

However, following the installation instructions precisely leads to a failure and my requests for help in this forum have largely been ignored.

So before I spend any more time trying to get VLC to work, can someone please just give me the straight answer:

Which Linux distros/versions does VLC support?

-and-

HOW do I get support if it does exist?

Many thanks.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Well, it really depends...

Sarge is quite old now and noone really uses it. However, on my sarge it DOES work.

Etch has been released with VLC.
Sid and lenny work with VLC too (maybe a dependency pb those days), but that should be fixed soon.

Ubuntu has some correct versions of VLC in all since dapper.

FC, SuSe and redhat works according to the testers.

[kmf31]

If you compile VLC on your own every distribution (if it is not too old) is okay. I have installed VLC on a Suse 6.3 but with kernel (=> 2.6.xx) and glibc (=>2.3.2) updated. Only this is at the beginning a "pain in the ***" because you have to install by hand (source package and compiling yourself) every necessary library such as: libmad, ffmpeg, libdvbpsi, libmpeg, live555, ... and not to forget the libraries for the graphical interface (wx and related to this cairo etc. which is really tough with a lot of cross-dependancies or qt which is perhaps better than wx).
However, once you have a running version it is very easy to upgrade vlc or one of the libraries (if it is linked dynamically). It is also possible to have different versions of vlc in different trees. For exemple I use --prefix=/usr/local/VLC1, /usr/local/VLC2 etc. and then I add /usr/local/VLC1/bin etc. to the path or I use an absolute path to call VLC. In this way, I can test vlc-0.9.0-svn without disturbing the latest stable branch etc.

By the way the binary packages of Slakware are available as a tar.gz file
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-slackware.html
and quite easy to install in every distribution (provided it is not too old). You have to extract the files in the proper folder (I think /opt/vlc or similar) and add 1-2 symbolic links and /opt/vlc/lib to LD_LIBRARY_PATH or something like this). The downside is that for the moment there is only vlc-0.8.5 as Slakware-package available and none of the more recent vlc-0.8.6x versions (x=a,b,c).

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

kmf31: debian has a nice way to do it :

apt-get build-dep vlc

[yinglcs]

I am trying to compile VLC on RedHat EL 4. Can you please tell me what is the easiest way to do that?

I need to get all the necessary libraries and development libraries. How can I do that?

and when I run '/.bootstrap', I get this:

Code: Select all

$ ./bootstrap + AUTOMAKESUCKS=no + INSTALLSUCKS=no + ACLOCAL_ARGS='-I m4 ' + test -d extras/contrib/bin ++ pwd + export PATH=/home/scheung/src/vlc-trunk/extras/contrib/bin:.:/home/scheung/bin/bin:/home/scheung/bin/bin:/usr/kerberos/bin:/usr/local/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/home/scheung/bin + PATH=/home/scheung/src/vlc-trunk/extras/contrib/bin:.:/home/scheung/bin/bin:/home/scheung/bin/bin:/usr/kerberos/bin:/usr/local/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/home/scheung/bin + test -d extras/contrib/share/aclocal + ACLOCAL_ARGS='-I m4 -I extras/contrib/share/aclocal' ++ uname -s + test .Linux = .Darwin ++ uname -s + test .Linux = .BeOS + rm -f m4/autoconf260.m4 + case "$(autoconf --version|head -n 1)" in ++ autoconf --version ++ head -n 1 + echo 'Enabling provisional autoconf 2.59 work-around. Update autoconf ASAP.' Enabling provisional autoconf 2.59 work-around. Update autoconf ASAP. + cp -f extras/m4/autoconf260.m4 m4/ + amvers=no + for v in '"-1.10"' '"110"' '"-1.9"' '"19"' + automake-1.10 --version + for v in '"-1.10"' '"110"' '"-1.9"' '"19"' + automake110 --version + for v in '"-1.10"' '"110"' '"-1.9"' '"19"' + automake-1.9 --version + amsuff=-1.9 ++ echo -1.9 ++ sed -e 's/^-//' + amvers=1.9 + break + test 1.9 = no + case "${amvers}" in + libtoolize=no + glibtoolize --version + libtoolize --version + libtoolize=libtoolize + test libtoolize = no + gettextize --version ++ gettextize --version ++ sed -e '1s/[^0-9]*//' -e q + expr 0.16.1 '>=' 0.11.5 + autopoint=autopoint + GETTEXT=yes + pkg-config --version + PKGCONFIG=yes + aclocal=aclocal-1.9 + automake=automake-1.9 + autoconf=autoconf + autoheader=autoheader + set +x generating modules/**/Makefile.am and m4/private.m4 .................................................................. done. + rm -f aclocal.m4 configure config.log config.h config.h.in + rm -Rf 'autom4te*.cache' + rm -f config.guess config.sub missing mkinstalldirs compile depcomp install-sh + rm -Rf autotools + mkdir autotools + rm -f ltmain.sh libtool ltconfig + rm -f ABOUT-NLS + rm -Rf intl + rm -f stamp-builtin 'stamp-h*' mozilla/stamp-pic + rm -f vlc-config.in + printf '' + '[' yes '!=' yes ']' + libtoolize --copy --force You should add the contents of `/usr/share/aclocal/libtool.m4' to `aclocal.m4'. Putting files in AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR, `autotools'. + test -f ltmain.sh ++ uname -s ++ sed -n '/^CYGWIN/p' + test . '!=' . + autopoint -f Copying file ABOUT-NLS Copying file autotools/config.rpath Creating directory intl Copying file intl/ChangeLog Copying file intl/Makefile.in Copying file intl/VERSION Copying file intl/bindtextdom.c Copying file intl/config.charset Copying file intl/dcgettext.c Copying file intl/dcigettext.c Copying file intl/dcngettext.c Copying file intl/dgettext.c Copying file intl/dngettext.c Copying file intl/eval-plural.h Copying file intl/explodename.c Copying file intl/finddomain.c Copying file intl/gettext.c Copying file intl/gettextP.h Copying file intl/gmo.h Copying file intl/hash-string.h Copying file intl/intl-compat.c Copying file intl/l10nflist.c Copying file intl/libgnuintl.h Copying file intl/loadinfo.h Copying file intl/loadmsgcat.c Copying file intl/localcharset.c Copying file intl/locale.alias Copying file intl/localealias.c Copying file intl/localename.c Copying file intl/ngettext.c Copying file intl/os2compat.c Copying file intl/os2compat.h Copying file intl/osdep.c Copying file intl/plural-exp.c Copying file intl/plural-exp.h Copying file intl/plural.c Copying file intl/plural.y Copying file intl/ref-add.sin Copying file intl/ref-del.sin Copying file intl/textdomain.c Copying file autotools/mkinstalldirs Copying file po/Rules-quot Copying file po/boldquot.sed Copying file po/en@boldquot.header Copying file po/en@quot.header Copying file po/insert-header.sin Copying file po/quot.sed Copying file po/remove-potcdate.sin + aclocal-1.9 -I m4 -I extras/contrib/share/aclocal aclocal:configure.ac:5423: warning: macro `AM_PATH_LIBGCRYPT' not found in library + autoconf configure.ac:5423: error: possibly undefined macro: AM_PATH_LIBGCRYPT If this token and others are legitimate, please use m4_pattern_allow. See the Autoconf documentation.

Thank you for any help.

[funman]

you should install libgcrypt and libgcrypt-dev packages

[yinglcs]

Thanks. But I just 'make install' libgcrypt-1.2.4'

and it still gives me the same error message.

Code: Select all

./bootstrap + AUTOMAKESUCKS=no + INSTALLSUCKS=no + ACLOCAL_ARGS='-I m4 ' + test -d extras/contrib/bin ++ pwd + export PATH=/home/scheung/src/vlc-trunk/extras/contrib/bin:.:/home/scheung/bin/bin:/home/scheung/bin/bin:/usr/kerberos/bin:/usr/local/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/home/scheung/bin + PATH=/home/scheung/src/vlc-trunk/extras/contrib/bin:.:/home/scheung/bin/bin:/home/scheung/bin/bin:/usr/kerberos/bin:/usr/local/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/home/scheung/bin + test -d extras/contrib/share/aclocal + ACLOCAL_ARGS='-I m4 -I extras/contrib/share/aclocal' ++ uname -s + test .Linux = .Darwin ++ uname -s + test .Linux = .BeOS + rm -f m4/autoconf260.m4 + case "$(autoconf --version|head -n 1)" in ++ autoconf --version ++ head -n 1 + echo 'Enabling provisional autoconf 2.59 work-around. Update autoconf ASAP.' Enabling provisional autoconf 2.59 work-around. Update autoconf ASAP. + cp -f extras/m4/autoconf260.m4 m4/ + amvers=no + for v in '"-1.10"' '"110"' '"-1.9"' '"19"' + automake-1.10 --version + for v in '"-1.10"' '"110"' '"-1.9"' '"19"' + automake110 --version + for v in '"-1.10"' '"110"' '"-1.9"' '"19"' + automake-1.9 --version + amsuff=-1.9 ++ echo -1.9 ++ sed -e 's/^-//' + amvers=1.9 + break + test 1.9 = no + case "${amvers}" in + libtoolize=no + glibtoolize --version + libtoolize --version + libtoolize=libtoolize + test libtoolize = no + gettextize --version ++ gettextize --version ++ sed -e '1s/[^0-9]*//' -e q + expr 0.16.1 '>=' 0.11.5 + autopoint=autopoint + GETTEXT=yes + pkg-config --version + PKGCONFIG=yes + aclocal=aclocal-1.9 + automake=automake-1.9 + autoconf=autoconf + autoheader=autoheader + set +x generating modules/**/Makefile.am and m4/private.m4 .................................................................. done. + rm -f aclocal.m4 configure config.log config.h config.h.in + rm -Rf 'autom4te*.cache' + rm -f config.guess config.sub missing mkinstalldirs compile depcomp install-sh + rm -Rf autotools + mkdir autotools + rm -f ltmain.sh libtool ltconfig + rm -f ABOUT-NLS + rm -Rf intl + rm -f stamp-builtin 'stamp-h*' mozilla/stamp-pic + rm -f vlc-config.in + printf '' + '[' yes '!=' yes ']' + libtoolize --copy --force You should add the contents of `/usr/share/aclocal/libtool.m4' to `aclocal.m4'. Putting files in AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR, `autotools'. + test -f ltmain.sh ++ uname -s ++ sed -n '/^CYGWIN/p' + test . '!=' . + autopoint -f Copying file ABOUT-NLS Copying file autotools/config.rpath Creating directory intl Copying file intl/ChangeLog Copying file intl/Makefile.in Copying file intl/VERSION Copying file intl/bindtextdom.c Copying file intl/config.charset Copying file intl/dcgettext.c Copying file intl/dcigettext.c Copying file intl/dcngettext.c Copying file intl/dgettext.c Copying file intl/dngettext.c Copying file intl/eval-plural.h Copying file intl/explodename.c Copying file intl/finddomain.c Copying file intl/gettext.c Copying file intl/gettextP.h Copying file intl/gmo.h Copying file intl/hash-string.h Copying file intl/intl-compat.c Copying file intl/l10nflist.c Copying file intl/libgnuintl.h Copying file intl/loadinfo.h Copying file intl/loadmsgcat.c Copying file intl/localcharset.c Copying file intl/locale.alias Copying file intl/localealias.c Copying file intl/localename.c Copying file intl/ngettext.c Copying file intl/os2compat.c Copying file intl/os2compat.h Copying file intl/osdep.c Copying file intl/plural-exp.c Copying file intl/plural-exp.h Copying file intl/plural.c Copying file intl/plural.y Copying file intl/ref-add.sin Copying file intl/ref-del.sin Copying file intl/textdomain.c Copying file autotools/mkinstalldirs Copying file po/Rules-quot Copying file po/boldquot.sed Copying file po/en@boldquot.header Copying file po/en@quot.header Copying file po/insert-header.sin Copying file po/quot.sed Copying file po/remove-potcdate.sin + aclocal-1.9 -I m4 -I extras/contrib/share/aclocal aclocal:configure.ac:5423: warning: macro `AM_PATH_LIBGCRYPT' not found in library + autoconf configure.ac:5423: error: possibly undefined macro: AM_PATH_LIBGCRYPT If this token and others are legitimate, please use m4_pattern_allow. See the Autoconf documentation.

[kmf31]

If you compile a release of vlc (for exemple vlc-0.8.6c) you don't need bootstrap, you can directly go to ./configure ...

You need the bootstrap only if you compile vlc-trunk (i.e. 0.9.0-svn) obtained from svn. Here there is some probleme with autoconf and the last message gives some vague hint:

configure.ac:5423: error: possibly undefined macro: AM_PATH_LIBGCRYPT
If this token and others are legitimate, please use m4_pattern_allow.
See the Autoconf documentation.

but you have to find out for yourself. Maybe it is enough to edit the file configure.ac (e.g. try to comment the line(s) with the bad macro).
You can also try to install a newer version of autoconf at your system (easily found by google) and retry bootstrap afterwards.

Last possibility: instead of svn use a nightly-snapshot tar.gz package from here:
http://nightlies.videolan.org/build/source/
for example:
http://nightlies.videolan.org/build/sou ... 23.tar.bz2
here you can directly compile with ./configure. The snapshots are perhaps less proper than the svn-versions but with a bit of luck they compile fine and they are very comparable to the latest svn-versions.

[derekw]

The instructions at http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-debian.html describe a simple way to install vlc on sarge but they do not work. Would anyone care to address that?

[kmf31]

The instructions at http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-debian.html describe a simple way to install vlc on sarge but they do not work. Would anyone care to address that?

Would you care to describe what happens exactly and in particularly how exactly you tried ?

With that amount of information you provide (or more precisely you do not provide) one does not even know if you properly executed these instructions.

But okay this is simply an advice and you do as you please.

[derekw]

Would you care to describe what happens exactly and in particularly how exactly you tried ?

With that amount of information you provide (or more precisely you do not provide) one does not even know if you properly executed these instructions.

But okay this is simply an advice and you do as you please.

Hi, thanks for your help.

I have in fact posted exactly what I tried, as well as the output, a handful of times in this forum, but no one has directly addressed the problem. This was one such post: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=37885

I will gladly provide any additional information, just let me know what is needed.

[Artie]

I'm not quite sure I understand the original question correctly, but I'm using VLC in latest PCLinuxOS and I'm very happy with it. It's readily available in the repositories.

Artie

[derekw]

Still waiting for a response to this:

Would you care to describe what happens exactly and in particularly how exactly you tried ?

With that amount of information you provide (or more precisely you do not provide) one does not even know if you properly executed these instructions.

But okay this is simply an advice and you do as you please.

Hi, thanks for your help.

I have in fact posted exactly what I tried, as well as the output, a handful of times in this forum, but no one has directly addressed the problem. This was one such post: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=37885

I will gladly provide any additional information, just let me know what is needed.

[kmf31]

According to the error messages in the other topic, I would suspect that when you try install vlc for sarge that for some reason it does not search the "old" version vlc-0.8.1-blabla (which is originally provided with sarge) but a more recent version such as vlc-0.8.6 or similar which depends on some libraries you don't have on your system.
The question is why it does not search the old version ? Maybe you have added at a time a "source" for more recent, "experimental" debian packages or maybe this is simply broken for debian-sarge ??

I share the opinion that if you want to do things "automatically" in the debian way, you should upgrade to the latest stable debian version (maybe even the testing version, knowing that in debian the testing is often more stable than a final version of another distribution). The point is also if you really want to use vlc-0.8.1 which is very old, with no or bad wmv and h264 support ?

If for some reason you want absolutely avoid to upgrade your debian you can still try to compile vlc yourself and install all necessary libraries in /usr/local and outside the scope of the debian-package system (i.e.: with ./configure, "make", "make install" for every library). This will work but you have to do it for every library by hand, especially the libgtk-2.8 or libwxgtk-2.6.3 etc.

As an intermediate solution between debian automatic packages and recompiling yourself you can opt for the slackware package (according to my advice above!) which is 0.8.5 and already much more recent than 0.8.1. The advantage of the slackware package is that it is tgz easily to uncompress in some folder ("tar xvzf vlc-blabla.tgz") and it contains all necessary libraries inside! With a few adapations (to LD_LIBRARY_PATH and simbolic links) it is quite simple to install, still less simple as with debian packages but much more simple as compiling yourself.

[derekw]

Thank you, kmf31, for the first thoughtful and relevant reply to this issue. I was about to give up and move on.

To the OS upgrade suggestion, I can't justify the time and risk of upgrading the entire system just to run a single utility. Everything else works fine that I need to use, and I am productive and happy with it. Eventually the scale will tip and it will be time to upgrade, but I am quite a ways off from that.

To the debian package issue, I think it's a simple matter of published instructions that do not work. If the vlc folks don't want to support debian sarge, they should make note of it on their website and/or remove its installation instructions. Nevertheless I'll try your suggestion of rearranging the sources in the list and see if that helps.

To the compilation suggestions, I wouldn't want to attempt it. In the good ol' days I would do that but it usually turned out to be a wild goose chase that never ended. Like you said, I'd have to compile every library, but who knows where that would take me. So if something won't install with apt I don't even bother with it. I just don't have the time to invest in those activities any more.

[derekw]

I tried removing all other sources so my sources.list contains this:
deb http://download.videolan.org/pub/videolan/debian sarge main
deb-src http://download.videolan.org/pub/videolan/debian sarge main

Next I updated apt:
ben:/etc/apt# apt-get update
Hit http://download.videolan.org sarge/main Packages
Ign http://download.videolan.org sarge/main Release
Hit http://download.videolan.org sarge/main Sources
Ign http://download.videolan.org sarge/main Release
Reading Package Lists... Done

Then I tried the installation:
ben:/etc/apt# apt-get install vlc
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
E: Couldn't find package vlc

Guess that means they killed it. Wish they would update their website.

[xtophe]

As stated on the website VLC is packaged directly in sarge. There is no need to add the videolan repository except if you want to install libdvdcss.

Do you have the security repo in your sources.list ? because the version initial version in sarge had some security hole who get fixed.