VLC and Mplayer freeze computer

[rvavruch]

Completely fresh install of Linux Mint 16 64bit MATE, brand new computer. Using onboard graphics.

* I've tried gnome-mplayer, VLC and mplayer from the commandline.
* I have tried both AVIs and MKVs.
* The same videos play fine in Totem
* The same videos played fine on my old laptop through gnome-mplayer - Linux Mint 14 64bit Cinnamon.
* If I switch to a new tty (Ctrl+Alt+F1) everything runs fine and I can the audio fine, but when I switch back it freezes again. Audio also plays if I hold Ctrl+Alt down while in MATE (only tested in VLC).
* if I run

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mplayer -vo null <filename>

the audio runs fine.
* if I run

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mplayer -ao null <filename>

the freeze occurs

The video window opens up and then the entire screen freezes. I can move the mouse but can't interact with anything.

The video "plays" in the sense that one frame is show maybe every minute.

Stab in the dark I think there may be an issue with ffmpeg / libavcodec - seeing as the videos play fine in Totem.

[dots_thots]

I am having the same problem. I have found a workaround for mplayer though...

Most of the video drivers cause the same issue (xv, sdl etc.). However, it works fine for me using the x11 or the gl video driver...

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mplayer -vo x11 -zoom Elementary.S02E01.HDTV.x264-LOL.mp4

Note the "zoom" switch - this allows you to full screen it. It's not ideal because you can't double the video size by pressing n but it works and I'm hoping there will be a proper fix soon...

[zota]

vlc completely freezes my mint petra. I'm using glfrx-updates.
no solution yet?

[Tejas_0]

Use VLC all the time. No problem playing YT videos or films. Would freeze if Flash on in browser, when sound slows down and picture stops. Froze couple of times with FF. Should VLC freeze normally kill Flash or Firefox. Admittedly in Nadya had problem with Totem. Now always running with Totem purged.

[sotnim]

Exactly the same problem here.
Totem works. Flash videos work. VLC and mplayer freeze when set to the default output.

vlc completely freezes my mint petra. I'm using glfrx-updates.
no solution yet?

VLC has the equivalent to "-vo" in "Preferences>Video>Output modules" or "Preferences>Video>Output".

[Tejas_0]

The video window opens up and then the entire screen freezes. I can move the mouse but can't interact with anything.

The video "plays" in the sense that one frame is show maybe every minute.

Stab in the dark I think there may be an issue with ffmpeg / libavcodec - seeing as the videos play fine in Totem.

Recently taken to running YT Downloader youtube-dl. Normally ok, but yesterday installed youtube-dl before opening VLC gui. VLC took an eternity to open, looked at hard disk light, and it was glowing a constant red. Normally means a loop of sorts, disk being somewhat thrashed, can also hear it whirring away, and in this situation everything happens in slow motion.

Nothing for it but to restart. This time opened VLC gui first and then installed youtube-dl,

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mint@mint ~ $ apt  install --install-recommends -o Dir::Cache::Archives=/home/mint/p10/tmp/archives youtube-dl
...
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  libav-tools libavdevice53 libavfilter2 libvdpau1 mplayer2 rtmpdump
  youtube-dl
0 upgraded, 7 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/1,892 kB of archives.
After this operation, 6,339 kB of additional disk space will be used.
...
Setting up libavdevice53:i386 (6:0.8.7-1ubuntu2) ...
Setting up libavfilter2:i386 (6:0.8.7-1ubuntu2) ...
Setting up libav-tools (6:0.8.7-1ubuntu2) ...
Setting up libvdpau1:i386 (0.7-1) ...
Setting up mplayer2 (2.0-554-gf63dbad-1ubuntu1) ...
Setting up rtmpdump (2.4+20121230.gitdf6c518-1) ...
Setting up youtube-dl (2013.08.29-1) ...

(Run Live System from disk, hence start every session with clean slate) and everything worked as before.

VLC and youtube-dl run in series ok, but not in parallel. If VLC and youtube-dl are both running, at some point VLC repeats the last sound byte three times and then crashes the system. Screen going overall light grey (same as when Print Scrn takes screen shot in slow motion).

Another item of interest which may or may not be relevant is that the crash happens in the final seconds of a YT download.

Stab in the dark I think there may be an issue with ffmpeg / libavcodec - seeing as the videos play fine in Totem.

Suggest, for installed system, uninstalling libav-tools without deleting files, followed by running VLC [gui], and then re-installing libav-tools.

[DC80]

I have VLC installed but doesn't work at all. I have some backtrace and crash reports. According to the people of VLC every time I start VLC, libc crashes. Do I need to reinstall mint or can it be fixed.

The error I'm getting is "segmentationfault" every time I start VLC gui, CVLC (commandline) also has this error. Maybe the problems are related somehow.

[Tejas_0]

Do I need to reinstall mint or can it be fixed.

Tried seeing if VLC will run on Live System?

[DC80]

Nope, I didn't yet. I had this same problem posted on the VLC forums and they say my installation files (vlc) are corrupted somehow. Also the backtrace seems to show this crash.

Here is some backtrace of vlc:

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(gdb) run -vv
Starting program: /usr/bin/vlc -vv
[Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled]
Using host libthread_db library "/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libthread_db.so.1".
VLC media player 2.0.8 Twoflower (revision 2.0.8a-0-g68cf50b)
[0x605108] main libvlc debug: VLC media player - 2.0.8 Twoflower
[0x605108] main libvlc debug: Copyright © 1996-2013 VLC authors and VideoLAN
[0x605108] main libvlc debug: revision 2.0.8a-0-g68cf50b
[0x605108] main libvlc debug: configured with ./configure  '--enable-static' '--build=x86_64-linux-gnu' 'CFLAGS=-g -O2 -fstack-protector --param=ssp-buffer-size=4 -Wformat -Werror=format-security' 'CPPFLAGS=-D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2' 'CXXFLAGS=-g -O2 -fstack-protector --param=ssp-buffer-size=4 -Wformat -Werror=format-security' 'LDFLAGS=-Wl,-Bsymbolic-functions -Wl,-z,relro' '--config-cache' '--disable-maintainer-mode' '--disable-silent-rules' '--disable-update-check' '--enable-fast-install' '--prefix=/usr' '--docdir=/usr/share/doc/vlc-nox' '--sysconfdir=/etc' '--with-binary-version=1' '--enable-a52' '--enable-aa' '--enable-bluray' '--enable-bonjour' '--enable-caca' '--enable-dbus' '--enable-dca' '--enable-dirac' '--enable-directfb' '--enable-dvbpsi' '--enable-dvdnav' '--enable-faad' '--enable-flac' '--enable-fluidsynth' '--enable-freetype' '--enable-fribidi' '--enable-gnutls' '--enable-jack' '--enable-kate' '--enable-libass' '--enable-libmpeg2' '--enable-libproxy' '--enable-libxml2' '--enable-lirc' '--enable-live555' '--enable-mad' '--enable-mkv' '--enable-mod' '--enable-mpc' '--enable-mtp' '--enable-mux_ogg' '--enable-ncurses' '--enable-notify' '--enable-ogg' '--enable-opus' '--enable-oss' '--enable-pulse' '--enable-qt4' '--enable-realrtsp' '--enable-samplerate' '--enable-schroedinger' '--enable-sdl' '--enable-sftp' '--enable-shout' '--enable-skins2' '--enable-smb' '--enable-speex' '--enable-svg' '--enable-taglib' '--enable-theora' '--enable-twolame' '--enable-upnp' '--enable-vcd' '--enable-vcdx' '--enable-vorbis' '--enable-x264' '--enable-zvbi' '--with-kde-solid=/usr/share/kde4/apps/solid/actions/' '--disable-dxva2' '--disable-gnomevfs' '--disable-goom' '--disable-portaudio' '--disable-projectm' '--disable-sqlite' '--disable-telx' '--enable-alsa' '--enable-atmo' '--enable-dc1394' '--enable-dv' '--enable-fbosd' '--enable-libva' '--enable-linsys' '--enable-omxil' '--enable-pvr' '--enable-udev' '--enable-v4l2' '--enable-crystalhd' '--enable-mmx' '--enable-sse' '--disable-neon' '--disable-altivec' 'build_alias=x86_64-linux-gnu'
[0x605108] main libvlc debug: searching plug-in modules
[0x605108] main libvlc debug: loading plugins cache file /usr/lib/vlc/plugins/plugins.dat
[0x605108] main libvlc debug: recursively browsing `/usr/lib/vlc/plugins'

Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
0x00007ffff7de5a10 in ?? () from /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2
(gdb) 

I also have two crash reports which are extensive, understanding them is an other matter.

[elixxx]

maybe its worth to try the smplayer http://smplayer.sourceforge.net/. On weaker hardware it usually operates better than vlc. It also can be started using command line: smplayer <filename>.
smplayer installation is available at program manager.

[DC80]

Thank you very much Elixxx, however, I was already using SMplayer as an alternative. Still, with respect ofcourse, VLC has some functions that SMplayer does not have or so it seems. For example, I can search in time (the ctrl+t function), what's more, I "rip" music from some website's with VLC, SMplayer does not seem to have this function. I know, it is an interface for Mplayer but I find VLC player easier

For now I re-installed mint 16 and the problem seems to be solved. However there is a problem with Mint live cd. During the installation I was asked to partition my disks. I do like to do so, for one I have a seperate /home partition. If linux crashes (not likely) then my files are safe or not lost, anyway, the moment I press format the drive (choicebox / selection box) it hangs or crashes and I will need to restart over.

I do not know how to file a bug let alone know where

Any way, thanks again

[Tejas_0]

I do not know how to file a bug let alone know where

Bugtracking is on Launchpad

You have to register, but once you do, it's not as daunting as may at first appear

[Tejas_0]

P.S. On Monday got response to first ever Launchpad bug report of a few weeks ago.

Downloaded youtube-dl stand alone version, does not conflict VLC and safely runs while VLC playing video. Provides confirmation that one of software libs or programs pulled in from repos:

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mint@mint ~ $ apt  install --install-recommends -o Dir::Cache::Archives=/home/mint/p10/tmp/archives youtube-dl
    ...
    The following NEW packages will be installed:
      libav-tools libavdevice53 libavfilter2 libvdpau1 mplayer2 rtmpdump
      youtube-dl

in conflict with VLC.