alt.os.linux - Remote mplayer DISPLAY problem

Author

Remote mplayer DISPLAY problem

Cyde Weys

2002-06-24, 7:13 pm

Hey guys, recently I've been having some fun remote administering my
Linux computer while other members of my family are on it, using AIM or web
browsing or whatever. I've already figured out how to play mp3 files
(mplayer mp3file.mp3 does the trick, it appears there's only one audio
output device).
But the problem lays in trying to use mplayer to play video files
remotely. My sister really likes Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so I've
downloaded an episode and FTPed it over to my Linux computer. But when I
try mplayering it, it doesn't work, because the console obviously is not a
valid medium for playing video formats. So how do I play the file? I think
I need to type something such as export DISPLAY=_____ ... but I don't know
what to set DISPLAY to to get the X server. Thanks a lot for the help,
guys!

Anders Larsson

2002-06-24, 7:13 pm

Hi!

you have to allow this ip that your siter is on like do this "xhost ip"
and your siters computer type "export DISPLAY=3Dip"=20
so when she tries to run a X applikation it launches on your machine =
and displays on the remote machine
and if it still not works you have to edit your GDM,XDM,WDM,KDM or =
whatever tou use for login in X conf so it listens on TCP.=20

// Anders

"Cyde Weys" <vze23tnc@verizon.net> skrev i meddelandet =
news:WhnR8.8626$cE5.4087@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
> Hey guys, recently I've been having some fun remote administering =
my
> Linux computer while other members of my family are on it, using AIM =
or web
> browsing or whatever. I've already figured out how to play mp3 files
> (mplayer mp3file.mp3 does the trick, it appears there's only one audio
> output device).
> But the problem lays in trying to use mplayer to play video files
> remotely. My sister really likes Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so I've
> downloaded an episode and FTPed it over to my Linux computer. But =
when I
> try mplayering it, it doesn't work, because the console obviously is =
not a
> valid medium for playing video formats. So how do I play the file? I =
think
> I need to type something such as export DISPLAY=3D_____ ... but I =
don't know
> what to set DISPLAY to to get the X server. Thanks a lot for the =
help,
> guys!
>=20
>=20

Cyde Weys

2002-06-24, 7:13 pm

"Anders Larsson" <anders@anders.se> wrote in message
news:nXnR8.44777$n4.10499231@newsc.telia.net...
Hi!

you have to allow this ip that your siter is on like do this "xhost ip"
and your siters computer type "export DISPLAY=ip"
so when she tries to run a X applikation it launches on your machine and
displays on the remote machine
and if it still not works you have to edit your GDM,XDM,WDM,KDM or whatever
tou use for login in X conf so it listens on TCP.

Thanks for the help, but this isn't exactly the answer to the question I'm
asking. Still useful, but I need to know how to do all of this through
console only: I don't want the video to display on my screen; I just want to
remotely play it to my sister's screen from an SSH login.

Kurt

2002-06-24, 7:13 pm

Cyde Weys wrote:

> But the problem lays in trying to use mplayer to play video files
> remotely. My sister really likes Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so I've
> downloaded an episode and FTPed it over to my Linux computer. But when I
> try mplayering it, it doesn't work, because the console obviously is not a
> valid medium for playing video formats. So how do I play the file? I think
> I need to type something such as export DISPLAY=_____ ... but I don't know
> what to set DISPLAY to to get the X server. Thanks a lot for the help,
> guys!

Actually, there are two things. On your local computer, which has the X
server, you need to allow remote computers to display with the 'xhost +'
command. It is safer to only allow certain computers to use the local
display:

xhost + remotecomputername

And, after logging into the remote computer that you want to have
actualy run the application (in X terminology this is called the client)
from the local one, you need to set the display:

export DISPLAY=localcomputername:0.0

- Kurt

Kurt

2002-06-24, 7:13 pm

Cyde Weys wrote:

> Thanks for the help, but this isn't exactly the answer to the question I'm
> asking. Still useful, but I need to know how to do all of this through
> console only: I don't want the video to display on my screen; I just want to
> remotely play it to my sister's screen from an SSH login.

Oh, then just set the display to her computer. However, now you will
have to do an xhost + on her computer for this to work.

- Kurt

William McBrine

2002-06-26, 1:25 pm

Cyde Weys <vze23tnc@verizon.net> wrote:

> I don't want the video to display on my screen; I just want to
> remotely play it to my sister's screen from an SSH login.

So... Your sister is sitting in front of an X display, at the same
computer where the movie file is? Um, in that case, is there some reason
why she can't just type "mplayer buffy.mpg" herself?

When I saw your title, I assumed you were trying to run MPlayer on one
machine and have it display (via X) to another. Which you can definitely
do, but I _really_ don't recommend it. ;-) You can try it, though... use
a small window size with a low bit depth, on a fast network.

--
William McBrine <wmcbrine@telocity.com>

Cyde Weys

2002-06-29, 10:25 pm

"William McBrine" <wmcbrine@telocity.com> wrote in message
news:uhk2kjab82oj04@corp.supernews.com...
> Cyde Weys <vze23tnc@verizon.net> wrote:
>
> > I don't want the video to display on my screen; I just want to
> > remotely play it to my sister's screen from an SSH login.
>
> So... Your sister is sitting in front of an X display, at the same
> computer where the movie file is? Um, in that case, is there some reason
> why she can't just type "mplayer buffy.mpg" herself?

Well, she *could*, but then it wouldn't be a surprise :-)

I guess I need to do "echo $DISPLAY" while on that computer, and later, from
an SSH login, do a "export $DISPLAY=whatever_came_up_befo
re"

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