gregor

i installed plf's mplayer rc3 , but when i try play any video it tells me:  

error opening/initializing the selected video_out (-vo) device

 

can someone help me?

 

thanks

try adding:

-vo sdl

Sometimes it is better to turn it off...

part of /etc/X11/XftConfig

match any size > 7 any size < 15 edit antialias = false;

match any pixelsize < 17 any pixelsize > 7 edit antialias = false;

match any weight == bold edit antialias = true;

match any slant == italic edit antialias = true;

BTW here are the fonts that I use in KDE (conterol center):

Arial 11

Fixed [Misc] 15

Tahoma 10

Verdana 10

Tahoma 10 (bold)

Arial 10

and in Konqueror (minimal size is set to 11):

Verdana

Fixed[Misc]

Georgia

Verdana

Verdana

Verdana

Duron 750 MHz & 256Mb RAM

Buffered disk reads: 37 - 38 MB/sec

boot time (+ login & startkde): less than 60s

kmail: 2-3s

konqueror: 3-4s

mozilla: 6-9s

(note: it does take longer the first time a program is loaded)

But Windows XP is still faster...

KDE performance tips

http://dforce.sh.cvut.cz/~seli/download/tips.html

cat /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit | grep ICE

Set up artsd to stop after one second so that there is sound in programs that don't use artsd.

http://gershwin.ens.fr/vdaniel/Doc-Locale/...ex-2.html#ss2.4

You should use applet instead:

http://dforce.sh.cvut.cz/~seli/download/tips.html

So instead of using the ALSA version that came with MDK 9 you downloaded and compiled the older version? Did that fix a similar problem?

Before that there were sound problems with xmms and some (SDL?) games.

My integrated sound card also uses AC-97 codec. I had to use ALSA 0.5.

How long will NVidia support its older cards on Linux? Can I expect drivers will no longer work 2, 3 or more years from now?

What is the amount of swap space used when you use it for some time & you have some programs open?

Run:

free -m

There is a lot of software for Mandrake:

http://plf.zarb.org/~nanardon/urpmiweb.php

KDE optimization

http://www.mandrakeusers.org/viewtopic.php?t=2482

Making Mandrake Fast(er)

http://www.mandrakeusers.org/viewtopic.php...1291&highlight=

Importing Remote SMB Directories

http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en/doc/90c/en...kdrake-smb.html

Network Neighborhood

http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en/doc/90c/en....html#id2871122

Filesystems and Mount Points

http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en/doc/90c/en...-mntpoints.html

Via SAMBA

http://www.mandrakeuser.org/docs/connect/index.html#ss

I think vimtutor is a great way to start learning vim.

Use

:set paste

if you are pasting from another program.

Try visual (v) mode for copying text.

Press CTRL+Q if you pressed CTRL+S (and nothing seems to work anymore).

I would start with deleting some files in my home & in tmp directory (e.g. .DCOP*).

BTW can you start KDE with any other user. E.g with root?

Remember that once Supermount is disabled, you have to mount/umount every removable media manually.

BTW kwikdisk is a nice tool for mounting.

KDE performance tips

http://dforce.sh.cvut.cz/~seli/download/tips.html

Note:

/etc/init.d/mandrake_everytime

and

/etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit

remove some files from tmp.

Speeding up KDE

http://www.trylinuxSD.com/kde1/pages/kde29.html

This also works:

ALT+F2

man:man

This is what I do:

- use a little bigger resolution

XFdrake

- use 100dpi fonts

/etc/X11/fs/config

default-resolutions = 100,100,75,75

- increase minimal font size in Konqueror a lot

- use Lucidatypewriter as monospace font in KDE

- use Unicode font in Konsole

- in Openoffice.org replace Andale Sans UI with Helvetica:

http://www.openoffice.org/FAQs/fontguide.html#8

You can use kmenuedit to create keyboard shortcuts to some applications.

But I think settings are lost every time you install application that updates menu (can someone confirm this?).

In KDE control center I had to set up sound server (artsd) so that it start at KDE startup and stops after one second of inactivity.

BTW on AC97 Audio Controller sound worked in all applications only with ALSA 0.5 (!):

http://www.alsa-project.org/

Additional courses:

http://tuxracer.fubaby.com/courses.php

(check out Hippo Run)

Configuration

.tuxracer/options

Enable

display_fps

if you are trying to improve performance.

Try disabling

use_cva

and check if that increases fps.

Disable

use_sphere_display_list

if Tux is all white.

I also...

Disable netscape plugin scanning at KDE startup in:

/usr/bin/startkde

#if [ -x /usr/bin/nspluginscan ]; then

# /usr/bin/nspluginscan

#fi

Disable dynamic desktop

Comment out all lines in:

/etc/devfs/conf.d

Comment out some sleep commands in

vim /etc/rc.sysinit

# sleep 1

Recompile kernel:

urpmi kernel-source

cd /usr/src/linux

make mrproper

cp arch/i386/defconfig .config

make xconfig

(select Procesor type...)

make dep && make clean && make bzImage && make modules && make modules_install && make install

add compact to /etc/lilo.conf

lilo

KDE

Edit file:

/usr/bin/startkde

Comment out:

#if [ -e /usr/bin/ksplashml ]; then

# ksplashml

#else

# ksplash

#fi

OpenOffice.org

Edit file:

/usr/lib/openoffice/program/sofficerc

set Logo to 0

Quanta:

You have to run it with --nologo switch (e.g. change it in menudrake or write a shell script)

It seems like an agp port problem, the card not releasing correctly, so maybe the video driver is also wrong. If the only thing changed was the monitor, could be settings in x itself.

Sorry... it must be something I did wrong. I tried it again, so I could report in more detail.

I uncommented line SVGATextMode S100x40 in "/etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit" and everything worked just fine (actually I do start X at boot time).

In the mean time I upgraded BIOS & recompiled kernel because I had some problems with sound, so maybe that fixed the problem?

Thank you for trying to help.

BTW I found a more detailed description of a problem I had:

When I switch from X to one of the terminals pixel clock (clockprobe) is not restored, instead pixel clock (clockprobe) stays the same (as in X), that is what puts monitor out of specification. (I run SVGATextMode before I run X).

Monitor: SyncMaster 753s

Graphic card: Matrox G400

If I don't run SVGATextMode, pixel clock is restored without a problem.

I am a complete novice with Linux and have never used it before!! I have used a SMALL amount of Unix at Uni while doing my degree in Business IT so I am not a computer novice.

Maybe you should instead consider joining Mandrake Club

http://mandrakelinux.com/en/club

Anyway I think your money would be better spent buying some support:

http://www.mandrakestore.com/mdksa/index.p...=en&tab_x=tab_1

and maybe a manual:

http://www.mandrakestore.com/mdksa/index.p...NG_=en#GOTO_240

and downloading (or getting someone to download it for you) Mandrake 9 and some additional packages

http://plf.zarb.org/~nanardon/urpmiweb.php