(AlienBBC) MPlayer under linux

[mikeruss]

http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=47417

[Dongle]

I, i am trying to install Mplayer on my QNAP109-Pro (I do not know much about Linux). When I run ./configure, i hit an error telling me I do not have a valid gcc. I tried running the gcc -v command and the command is not recognized. Looking into this further, the QNAP comes with BusyBox v1.01 which does not seem to include this command. Therefore, my question is, do I actually need to have some version of Linux (Debian, etc) with more complete functionality (ie a compiler) running on the QNAP before I can install mplayer?

Many thanks in advance

[bpa]

To build mplayer you need a full development environment not only gcc (which implies ld) but also things make and a p[roper shell. Busybox is just a minimal set of file command and usually omits a few shell commands needed to build mplayer.

Furthermore you may need to alter mplayer to use fixed point arithmetic depending on the processor in the TS-109.

Often an appropriate mplayer is included with the AlienBBC plugin as part of the Slimserver/Squeezecenter package for QNAP.

[Dongle]

Thanks bpa. I have started from 'scratch' with a formatted QNAP build (hence I think no preinstalls of anything squeezecenter like - this was due to an install of 7.0 'over the top of' 6.5.4 which somehow led to the filesystem and mount becoming corrupted). I have then installed FlipFlip's (excellent) SSOTS and then SqueezeCenter 7.0. These all work well, now I am (of course) wanting to get the AlienBBC working. I was under the impression that I had to install mplayer as a separate step to adding the AlienBBC plugin (i.e. I didn't think it's included in the standard sc7 install). Certainly mplayer isn't recognised at the command line, is there any link or forum you know which discusses the sort of dev environment people are typically using? (are you talking about Debian, Fedora, etc?) Or am I overcomplicating something here (eg if there is some sort of binary I can use without building it myself)? Please excuse my Linux ignorance. Thanks again.

[bpa]

By using ssods_ts - you are using prebuilt package of Suqeezecenter and as such all the standard advice has to be read in conjunction with the advice from the source of your package as packaging can change some of the fundamentals.

I am vaguely familiar with SSODS but I am not sure about SSODS_TS ( I am guessing you followed the instructions here http://oinkzwurgl.org/ssods_ts ). If that is the case then I think you should read the SSODS FAQ ( see http://oinkzwurgl.org/ssods_faq#toc17 ) and check if already mplayer on your systems. If mplayer (or mplayer-stdout) is not on your system it will be in the SSODS you unpacked. The FAQ implies mplayer is available for TS-109 as part of the package.

[Dongle]

You are quite right, the SSOTS install already has mplayer(-stdout) there and all I needed to do was follow the brief instructions on http://oinkzwurgl.org/ssods_faq#toc17. Thanks

[TheIBM]

Many thanks to the chap(es)located at

http://www.ulverston.myzen.co.uk/min...s/alienbbc.htm

They published an excellent crib sheet to resolve the issues of installing AlienBBC on a Clarkconnect box, considering it relates to compiling AlienBBC from scratch the process would be eminently suitable for other flavours of linux providing you change the source of the development library's.

Well done, a credit to the open source community and fans of The Archers!

C