vlc error output - need help reading <ISSUE ABANDONED >

[tomcloyd]

I cannot open a video DVD on my desktop which plays without a problem on my HP netbook. I work hard to keep both systems identical. Both do have vlc installed in identical ways. I have also installed libdvdcss2 on both. Still, no go with this disk on my desktop. After 2+ hours of troubleshooting I'm out of ideas. Here's the error output I get from my desktop (notice my attempt to set up a log file, which is utterly ignored - huh?) -

~/Desktop-local/___hold> vlc --logfile "/home/tomc/Desktop-local/___hold/vlc-log.txt"
VLC media player 1.1.8 The Luggage (revision exported)
Blocked: call to unsetenv("DBUS_ACTIVATION_ADDRESS")
Blocked: call to unsetenv("DBUS_ACTIVATION_BUS_TYPE")
[0x901e914] main libvlc: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.
Blocked: call to setlocale(6, "")
Blocked: call to setlocale(6, "")
(7591) KSharedDataCache::Private::mapSharedMemory: Opening cache "/var/tmp/kdecache-tomc/icon-cache.kcache" page size is 4096
(7591) KSharedDataCache::Private::mapSharedMemory: Attached to cache, determining if it must be initialized
(7591) KSharedDataCache::Private::mapSharedMemory: Cache fully initialized -- attached to memory mapping
(7591) KSharedDataCache::Private::mapSharedMemory: 4227072 bytes available out of 10485760
QInotifyFileSystemWatcherEngine::addPaths: inotify_add_watch failed: No such file or directory
QFileSystemWatcher: failed to add paths: /home/tomc/.config/ibus/bus
Bus::open: Can not get ibus-daemon's address. 
IBusInputContext::createInputContext: no connection to ibus-daemon 
(7591) KSycocaPrivate::openDatabase: Trying to open ksycoca from "/var/tmp/kdecache-tomc/ksycoca4"
Blocked: call to putenv("LANGUAGE=")
Blocked: call to setenv("TZ", ":America/Denver", 1)
Blocked: call to unsetenv("TZ")
Blocked: call to setenv("TZ", ":America/Denver", 1)
Blocked: call to unsetenv("TZ")
Blocked: call to setenv("TZ", ":America/Denver", 1)
Blocked: call to unsetenv("TZ")
Blocked: call to setenv("TZ", ":America/Denver", 1)
Blocked: call to setenv("TZ", ":America/Denver", 1)
libdvdread: Using libdvdcss version 1.2.10 for DVD access
libdvdread: Attempting to use device /dev/sr1 mounted on /media/2010-01-01 2111 for CSS authentication
libdvdnav:DVDOpenFileUDF:UDFFindFile /VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.IFO failed
libdvdnav:DVDOpenFileUDF:UDFFindFile /VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.BUP failed
libdvdread: Can't open file VIDEO_TS.IFO.
libdvdread: Using libdvdcss version 1.2.10 for DVD access
libdvdread: Attempting to use device /dev/sr1 mounted on /media/2010-01-01 2111 for CSS authentication
libdvdnav:DVDOpenFileUDF:UDFFindFile /VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.IFO failed
libdvdnav:DVDOpenFileUDF:UDFFindFile /VIDEO_TS/VIDEO_TS.BUP failed
libdvdread: Can't open file VIDEO_TS.IFO.
[0x95cfddc] main input error: open of `dvd:///media/2010-01-01 2111' failed: (null)

Would appreciate any help figuring out the problem, and then the solution. Thanks!

[Snowhog]

Re: vlc error output - need help reading

Do you have the medibuntu repository added, and have you installed the neccesary codecs/packages from it for DVD playback?

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Medibuntu

[vinnywright]

Re: vlc error output - need help reading

do you have 2 cd/DVD drives on that box?

what dose

ls -la /dev | grep sr

show

VINNY

[tomcloyd]

Re: vlc error output - need help reading

Do you have the medibuntu repository added, and have you installed the neccesary codecs/packages from it for DVD playback?

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Medibuntu

Medibuntu? Yes. And have installed on both machines:
* kubuntu-restricted-extras
* ubuntu-restricted-extras
* libdvdcss2
* w32codecs
* non-free-codecs

Should have told you this...sorry.

[tomcloyd]

Re: vlc error output - need help reading

do you have 2 cd/DVD drives on that box?

what dose

ls -la /dev | grep sr

show

VINNY

I did have 2 until a moment ago - the second being an external USB optical reader. Trying the internal reader only, with the other unplugged made no difference. With one reader only, here's the CLI output -

tomc@LDT:~$ ls -la /dev | grep sr
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root      3 2011-03-29 23:43 cdrom -> sr0
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root      3 2011-03-29 23:43 cdrw -> sr0
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root      3 2011-03-29 23:43 dvd -> sr0
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root      3 2011-03-29 23:43 dvdrw -> sr0
srw-rw-rw-  1 root root      0 2011-03-29 16:47 log
lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root      3 2011-03-29 23:43 scd0 -> sr0
brw-rw----+ 1 root cdrom  11,  0 2011-03-29 23:43 sr0
tomc@LDT:~$

[Snowhog]

Re: vlc error output - need help reading

I did have 2 until a moment ago - the second being an external USB optical reader. Trying the internal reader only, with the other unplugged made no difference.

Have you rebooted since unplugging the external USB optical reader and tried the DVD again?

[vinnywright]

Re: vlc error output - need help reading

vlc was trying to read the second drive /dev/sr1


with the dvd in the 1 drive in the box manualey open VLC and click medea open disk......the line that reads disk device /dev/sr1 chang the 1 to 0 and click play.

VINNY

[tomcloyd]

Re: vlc error output - need help reading

vlc was trying to read the second drive /dev/sr1


with the dvd in the 1 drive in the box manualey open VLC and click medea open disk......the line that reads disk device /dev/sr1 chang the 1 to 0 and click play.

VINNY

I don't understand. I don't have the option you're suggesting. What is says it's trying to read is /dev/dvd/. The modal error msg box, upon read failure, says "VLC is unable to open the MRL 'dvd:///dev/dvd'. Check the log for details."

[Snowhog]

Re: vlc error output - need help reading

We did.

libdvdread: Attempting to use device /dev/sr1 mounted on /media/2010-01-01 2111 for CSS authentication

[tomcloyd]

Re: vlc error output - need help reading

I did have 2 until a moment ago - the second being an external USB optical reader. Trying the internal reader only, with the other unplugged made no difference.

Have you rebooted since unplugging the external USB optical reader and tried the DVD again?

Nope. Have open 5 browser windows, 6 spreadsheets, 6 text files in editor, etc., etc. But...I'll give it a try. Sigh.

[oshunluvr]

Re: vlc error output - need help reading

If you haven't rebooted yet you might try sudo partprobe and then check mounts

[tomcloyd]

Re: vlc error output - need help reading

We did.

libdvdread: Attempting to use device /dev/sr1 mounted on /media/2010-01-01 2111 for CSS authentication

Sorry if I misunderstood.

I asked it to read /dev/sr0 - result:

Your input can't be opened:
VLC is unable to open the MRL 'dvd:///dev/sr0'. Check the log for details.

[vinnywright]

Re: vlc error output - need help reading

I will try agin.........open vlc
click medea .....top left
click open disk

the line that seas disk device should read /dev/sr0 ....if it dosent then Chang it to /dev/sr0

and click play

VINNY

OOPS misd the last post sory

[tomcloyd]

Re: vlc error output - need help reading

If you haven't rebooted yet you might try sudo partprobe and then check mounts

Yeah. No reboot. Suddenly a hot thread here..

tomc@LDT:~$ sudo partprobe
[sudo] password for tomc: 
Warning: Unable to open /dev/sr0 read-write (Read-only file system). /dev/sr0 has been opened read-only.
tomc@LDT:~$

[tomcloyd]

Re: vlc error output - need help reading

OK... using internal drive only, after fresh reboot, and asking for read of sr0, I get again -

Your input can't be opened:
VLC is unable to open the MRL 'dvd:///dev/sr0'. Check the log for details

This DVD is a copy of some original movie DVD, found in a desk drawer after someone moved out. It's probably not worth further effort. All other DVDs read fine, and due to the poor physical condition of this disk, I have to think that the problem is only the disk, not the hardware or system setup. I fear I may have made poor use of the time of the two of you willing to respond. I am not experienced at all with DVDs, else I'd have probably just given up and moved on, which is what I'm prepared to do now.

I do thank you for you quick and earnest responses.