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6.3 Usage questions

Q: Ok, I compiled gmerlin and started the player, now how do I play a file?

A: The easiest way is to open the Incoming or Favourites album and use one of the buttons at the bottom to open a file or URL. Or drag the file from a filemanager into an album. Later you might want to create your own albums.

Q: Can I play a VCD image from harddisk before burning?

A: Yes. If you use vcdimager, you have 2 files: a .bin file and a .cue file. If you load the .cue file with the avdecoder plugin, you'll be able to play the VCD image.

Q: Can I play a DVD image from harddisk or from a mounted DVD drive?

A: Yes, in the dvd directory, go to the subdirectory video_ts and load the file video_ts.ifo.

Q: Can I play an audio CD image from harddisk before burning?

A: Not yet.

Q: How can I make gmerlin the default audio CD player on my Desktop environment?

A: First, find out how to configure the default audio CD player on your system. Usually, you can set a command, which is executed, when a new audio cd is inserted. Assuming your cdrom device is /dev/hdd, the command for opening and playing an audio cd is:

gmerlin_remote -launch -openplay cda:///dev/hdd

If you just want ot open the CD (without starting playback), use:

gmerlin_remote -launch -open cda:///dev/hdd

Q: How can I make gmerlin the default DVD player on my Desktop environment?

A: Same as for audio CDs, but replace cda:// with dvd://.

Q: How can I configure gmerlin as a Mime handler for media files on my Desktop environment?

A: Find out how to set up mime handlers (e.g. right click onto a file and select “Open with...”). Then, enter the command gmerlin_launcher.

Q: How can I map multimedia keys on my keyboard to gmerlin functions?

A: You need some way to configure custom shell commands for multimedia keys. Check the documentation of your Desktop system. To remote control gmerlin, use the commandline program gmerlin_remote. Type gmerlin_remote -help for supported options and commands.