XMMS: The Cross-Platform Multimedia (MP3s, too) Player

XMMS: The Cross-Platform Multimedia (MP3s, too) Player

The easiest player is XMMS ”the evolution of x11amp (a previous MP3 player for Linux). It's got a very Windows -like interface that makes playing a few MP3s very easy. XMMS also ships standard with several distributions and is available at http://www.xmms.org / (direct download at http://www.xmms.org/download.html ). Now, SuSE does ship with XMMS, I do believe, but I neglected to install it when I set up my workstation, so I had to download and compile it.

Compiling is, as always, a very simple affair. After grabbing version 1.2.4, I just followed the directions for a normal, autoconf-style compile, which means configure, make, make install. Compilation and installation took about 15 minutes on my K6/2-450. I did not install all of the myriad options that can be had for XMMS, since XMMS is a suboptimal jukebox anyway. I've got no way to run it remotely (unless I've got a second machine with an X-windows server on it), which is what I'm striving for in this system. Still, it'll allow me to play a few MP3s and to verify that everything is set up properly for the next phase.

Once you've fired up X (if you don't know what this means, never mind), simply type xmms at a command prompt. This will fire up a copy of the Cross-Platform Multi media System (and all this time you've been wondering what XMMS stands for) and give you the image seen in Figure 20-7 .

Figure 20-7. XMMS main window.

Look for the little pl button on the right middle side of the window. I've circled it in Figure 20-8 .

Figure 20-8. XMMS Playlist button circled.

Click that button (or use the keyboard shortcut of Alt-E) and the window in Figure 20-9 will show up.

Figure 20-9. XMMS Playlist Editor.

In the lower left corner is the little button labeled + file. Click on that to add an MP3. This will bring up the window in Figure 20-10 . Select one of your favorite MP3s. You'll note that I've selected "Dream Universe" by Crystal Method. Note that you can select mutliple files by simply Ctrl-clicking, and you can select ranges by Shift-clicking. Once you've got some files added, you can click on the Close button.

Figure 20-10. XMMS Load file(s) dialog box.

You can also bring up the Load files dialog by clicking on the little Eject button, which is circled in Figure 20-11 , or by hitting l.

Figure 20-11. XMMS Eject button circled.