Playing music files from the Introduction to Linux by OnWorks

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Audio-CD creation is eased, among many others, with the kaudiocreator tool from the KDE suite. It comes with clear information from the KDE Help Center.

CD burning is covered in general in Section 9.2.2.

11.2.2. Playing music files

11.2.2.1. mp3 files

The popular .mp3 format is widely supported on Linux machines. Most distributions include multiple programs that can play these files. Among many other applications, XMMS, which is presented in the screenshot below, is one of the most wide-spread, partially because it has the same look and feel as the Windows tool.

Figure 11-1. XMMS mp3 player

Also very popular for playing music are AmaroK, a KDE application that is steadily gaining popularity, and MPlayer, which can also play movies.

Restrictions

Some distributions don't allow you to play MP3's without modifying your configuration, this is due to license restrictions on the MP3 tools. You might need to install extra software to be able to play your music.

In text mode, you can use the mplayer command:

[tille@octarine ~]$ mplayer /opt/mp3/oriental/*.mp3

CPU: Advanced Micro Devices Duron Spitfire (Family: 6, Stepping: 1) Detected cache-line size is 64 bytes

CPUflags: MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 1 3DNow2: 1 SSE: 0 SSE2: 0

Playing /opt/oldopt/mp3/oriental/Mazika_Diana-Krozon_Super-Star_Ensani-Ma- Bansak.mp3.

Cache fill: 1.17% (98304 bytes) Audio file detected. Clip info:

Title: Ensani-Ma-Bansak.mp3 Artist: Diana-Krozon

Album: Super-Star Year:

Comment: Genre: Unknown

==========================================================================

Opening audio decoder: [mp3lib] MPEG layer-2, layer-3 mpg123: Can't rewind stream by 450 bits!

AUDIO: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, s16le, 160.0 kbit/11.34% (ratio: 20000->176400)

Selected audio codec: [mp3] afm:mp3lib (mp3lib MPEG layer-2, layer-3)

==========================================================================

Checking audio filter chain for 44100Hz/2ch/s16le -> 44100Hz/2ch/s16le... AF_pre: 44100Hz/2ch/s16le

AO: [oss] 44100Hz 2ch s16le (2 bps)

Building audio filter chain for 44100Hz/2ch/s16le -> 44100Hz/2ch/s16le... Video: no video

Starting playback...

A: 227.8 (03:23:.1) 1.8% 12%

11.2.2.2. Other formats

It would lead us too far to discuss all possible audio formats and ways to play them. An (incomplete) overview of other common sound playing and manipulating software:

• Ogg Vorbis: Free audio format: see the GNU audio directory for tools - they might be included in your distribution as well. The format was developed because MP3 is patented.

• Real audio and video: realplay from RealNetworks.

• SoX or Sound eXchange: actually a sound converter, comes with th e play program. Plays .wav, . ogg and various other formats, including raw binary formats.

• Playmidi: a MIDI player, see the GNU directory.

• AlsaPlayer: from the Advanced Linux Sound Architecture project, see the AlsaPlayer web site.

• mplayer: plays just about anything, including mp3 files. More info on the MPlayerHQ website.

• hxplay: supports RealAudio and RealVideo, mp3, mp4 audio, Flash, wav and more, see HelixDNA (not all components of this software are completely free).

• rhythmbox: based on the GStreamer framework, can play everything supported in GStreamer, which claims to be able to play everything, see the Rhythmbox and GStreamer sites.

Check your system documentation and man pages for particular tools and detailed explanations on how to use them.

I don't have these applications on my system!

A lot of the tools and applications discussed in the above sections are optional software. It is possible that such applications are not installed on your system by default, but that you can find them in your distribution as additional packages. It might also very well be that the application that you are looking for is not in your distribution at all. In that case, you need to download it from the application's web site.