just so you know, i started this somewhat later in the evening, and i wasn't expecting it to take me long at all, however here i am at 3am. writting this. i fee like there are people out there who will try to convince me this is mental illness, however i feel pretty abused right now. It just seems so wrong that this is so difficult. why is it so difficult to play a dvd on my old linux computer? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libdvdcss https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_Scramble_System https://www.videolan.org/developers/libdvdnav.html https://code.videolan.org/videolan/libdvdnav https://code.videolan.org/videolan/libdvdread https://www.videolan.org/developers/libdvdcss.html https://code.videolan.org/videolan/libdvdcss ...i installed libdvdcss-1.4.3, libdvdnav-6.1.1, and libdvdread-6.1.3 from source but still no for 2 dvd tested so far. ./configure make make check sudo make install im using vlc version 3.0.12. ...note here is the place to find old release versions on videolan: https://download.videolan.org/pub/videolan/ https://www.techstretch.co.uk/playing-dvds-in-mx-linux/ Install codecs to help with the translation of the video media: This is made very easy using MX-Tools. Click the “Whisker” icon in the bottom-left of your screen and type “Mx tools” in the search bar under your name. In the “Setup” section you will see “Codex Installer”. Click this to run it, enter your “root” password and click OK to accept legal responsibility for this non-opensource package. You only need to install the codex’s once). "...cannot connect..." https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=167359&p=2 something with regionset? https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=144288 regionset? https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/howto-linux-switch-change-alter-dvd-region-code/ $ apt search regionset Sorting... Done Full Text Search... Done regionset/stable 0.1-3.1+b1 amd64 view and modify the region code of DVD drives $ sudo apt install regionset [sudo] password for trygve: Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done The following NEW packages will be installed: regionset 0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 194 not upgraded. Need to get 11.5 kB of archives. After this operation, 38.9 kB of additional disk space will be used. Get:1 http://deb.debian.org/debian buster/main amd64 regionset amd64 0.1-3.1+b1 [11.5 kB] Fetched 11.5 kB in 0s (46.8 kB/s) Selecting previously unselected package regionset. (Reading database ... 328875 files and directories currently installed.) Preparing to unpack .../regionset_0.1-3.1+b1_amd64.deb ... Unpacking regionset (0.1-3.1+b1) ... Setting up regionset (0.1-3.1+b1) ... Processing triggers for man-db (2.8.5-2) ... ...apt worked! lucky i guess. $ regionset /dev/dvd regionset version 0.1 -- reads/sets region code on DVD drives Current Region Code settings: RPC Phase: II type: NONE vendor resets available: 4 user controlled changes resets available: 5 drive plays discs from region(s):, mask=0xFF Would you like to change the region setting of your drive? [y/n]:n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD_region_code $ regionset /dev/dvd regionset version 0.1 -- reads/sets region code on DVD drives Current Region Code settings: RPC Phase: II type: NONE vendor resets available: 4 user controlled changes resets available: 5 drive plays discs from region(s):, mask=0xFF Would you like to change the region setting of your drive? [y/n]:y Enter the new region number for your drive [1..8]:1 New mask: 0xFFFFFFFE, correct? [y/n]:y Region code set successfully! manpage incomplete, see: /usr/share/doc/regionset/README still vlc wont play "Playback failure: DVDRead could not read -1/4 blocks at 0x0e." this is the same error as before for this disk. i have tried 3 disk with different errors though none play. note the above is the error for dvd simple playback. normal dvd playback makes a sound, and then exits playback. ...from the log: "main error: too low audio sample frequency (0) main error: failed to create audio output dvdread error: read failed for -1/4 blocks at 0x0e" reading more in vlc log: "dvdread error: cannot open title (VTS_04_1.VOB) dvdread error: DvdReadSetArea(0,0,1) failed (can't decrypt DVD?) dvdread error: cannot open title (VTS_04_1.VOB) dvdread error: DvdReadSetArea(0,0,1) failed (can't decrypt DVD?) dvdread error: cannot open title (VTS_04_1.VOB) dvdread error: DvdReadSetArea(0,0,1) failed (can't decrypt DVD?) dvdread error: cannot open title (VTS_04_1.VOB) dvdread error: DvdReadSetArea(0,0,1) failed (can't decrypt DVD?) main error: too low audio sample frequency (0) main error: failed to create audio output dvdread error: read failed for -1/4 blocks at 0x0e main error: too low audio sample frequency (0) main error: failed to create audio output dvdread error: read failed for -1/4 blocks at 0x0e main error: too low audio sample frequency (0) main error: failed to create audio output dvdread error: read failed for -1/4 blocks at 0x0e " perhaps it is not a region issue, but a that i installed a version of libdvdread that is newer than my version of vlc. installing libdvdread-6.1.2 ./configure make make check sudo make install same issue Playback failure: DVDRead could not read -1/4 blocks at 0x0e. and the log: (play attempt) main: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface. main: playlist is empty (simple play attempt) main error: too low audio sample frequency (0) main error: failed to create audio output dvdread error: read failed for -1/4 blocks at 0x0e perhaps it is still too new. supposedly my version of vlc is from january 2021 looks like libdvdread-6.1.1 is from april 2020 ./configure make make check sudo make install do i have to uninstall the new versions? https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1439950/whats-the-opposite-of-make-install-i-e-how-do-you-uninstall-a-library-in-li sudo make uninstall alt make -n install $ cd /home/trygve/Documents/2025/libdvdcss-stuff/libdvdread-6.1.3/ $ sudo make uninstall [sudo] password for trygve: ( cd '/usr/local/share/doc/libdvdread' && rm -f AUTHORS ChangeLog COPYING NEWS README.md TODO ) /bin/bash ./libtool --mode=uninstall rm -f '/usr/local/lib/libdvdread.la' libtool: uninstall: rm -f /usr/local/lib/libdvdread.la /usr/local/lib/libdvdread.so.8.0.0 /usr/local/lib/libdvdread.so.8 /usr/local/lib/libdvdread.so /usr/local/lib/libdvdread.a ( cd '/usr/local/lib/pkgconfig' && rm -f dvdread.pc ) ( cd '/usr/local/include/dvdread' && rm -f bitreader.h dvd_reader.h dvd_udf.h ifo_print.h ifo_read.h ifo_types.h nav_print.h nav_read.h nav_types.h version.h ) make uninstall-hook make[1]: Entering directory '/home/trygve/Documents/2025/libdvdcss-stuff/libdvdread-6.1.3' make[1]: Nothing to be done for 'uninstall-hook'. make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/trygve/Documents/2025/libdvdcss-stuff/libdvdread-6.1.3' $ find /usr -name "libdvdread*" /usr/local/share/doc/libdvdread /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4 /usr/share/bug/libdvdread4 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdvdread.so.4.2.0 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdvdread.so.4 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/vlc/plugins/access/libdvdread_plugin.so $ cd /home/trygve/Documents/2025/libdvdcss-stuff/libdvdread-6.1.2/ $ sudo make uninstall ( cd '/usr/local/share/doc/libdvdread' && rm -f AUTHORS ChangeLog COPYING NEWS README TODO ) /bin/bash ./libtool --mode=uninstall rm -f '/usr/local/lib/libdvdread.la' ( cd '/usr/local/lib/pkgconfig' && rm -f dvdread.pc ) ( cd '/usr/local/include/dvdread' && rm -f bitreader.h dvd_reader.h dvd_udf.h ifo_print.h ifo_read.h ifo_types.h nav_print.h nav_read.h nav_types.h version.h ) make uninstall-hook make[1]: Entering directory '/home/trygve/Documents/2025/libdvdcss-stuff/libdvdread-6.1.2' make[1]: Nothing to be done for 'uninstall-hook'. make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/trygve/Documents/2025/libdvdcss-stuff/libdvdread-6.1.2' $ find /usr -name "libdvdread*" /usr/local/share/doc/libdvdread /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4 /usr/share/bug/libdvdread4 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdvdread.so.4.2.0 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdvdread.so.4 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/vlc/plugins/access/libdvdread_plugin.so $ cd /home/trygve/Documents/2025/libdvdcss-stuff/libdvdread-6.1.1/ $ sudo make install $ find /usr -name "libdvdread*" /usr/local/share/doc/libdvdread /usr/local/lib/libdvdread.a /usr/local/lib/libdvdread.la /usr/local/lib/libdvdread.so.8.0.0 /usr/local/lib/libdvdread.so /usr/local/lib/libdvdread.so.8 /usr/share/doc/libdvdread4 /usr/share/bug/libdvdread4 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdvdread.so.4.2.0 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdvdread.so.4 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/vlc/plugins/access/libdvdread_plugin.so $ cd /home/trygve/Documents/2025/libdvdcss-stuff/libdvdnav-6.1.1/ $ sudo make uninstall ( cd '/usr/local/share/doc/libdvdnav' && rm -f AUTHORS ChangeLog COPYING README TODO ) /bin/bash ./libtool --mode=uninstall rm -f '/usr/local/lib/libdvdnav.la' libtool: uninstall: rm -f /usr/local/lib/libdvdnav.la /usr/local/lib/libdvdnav.so.4.3.0 /usr/local/lib/libdvdnav.so.4 /usr/local/lib/libdvdnav.so /usr/local/lib/libdvdnav.a ( cd '/usr/local/lib/pkgconfig' && rm -f dvdnav.pc ) ( cd '/usr/local/include/dvdnav' && rm -f dvdnav.h dvdnav_events.h dvd_types.h version.h ) $ find /usr -name "libdvdnav*" /usr/local/share/doc/libdvdnav /usr/share/doc/libdvdnav4 /usr/share/bug/libdvdnav4 /usr/share/lintian/overrides/libdvdnav4 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdvdnav.so.4 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdvdnav.so.4.2.0 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/vlc/plugins/access/libdvdnav_plugin.so $ cd /home/trygve/Documents/2025/libdvdcss-stuff/libdvdnav-6.1.0/ ./configure make make check sudo make install $ find /usr -name "libdvdnav*" /usr/local/share/doc/libdvdnav /usr/local/lib/libdvdnav.a /usr/local/lib/libdvdnav.so.4 /usr/local/lib/libdvdnav.so /usr/local/lib/libdvdnav.so.4.3.0 /usr/local/lib/libdvdnav.la /usr/share/doc/libdvdnav4 /usr/share/bug/libdvdnav4 /usr/share/lintian/overrides/libdvdnav4 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdvdnav.so.4 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdvdnav.so.4.2.0 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/vlc/plugins/access/libdvdnav_plugin.so $ cd /home/trygve/Documents/2025/libdvdcss-stuff/libdvdcss-1.4.3/ $ sudo make uninstall ( cd '/usr/local/share/doc/libdvdcss' && rm -f AUTHORS COPYING NEWS README ChangeLog ) /bin/bash ./libtool --mode=uninstall rm -f '/usr/local/lib/libdvdcss.la' libtool: uninstall: rm -f /usr/local/lib/libdvdcss.la /usr/local/lib/libdvdcss.so.2.2.0 /usr/local/lib/libdvdcss.so.2 /usr/local/lib/libdvdcss.so /usr/local/lib/libdvdcss.a ( cd '/usr/local/lib/pkgconfig' && rm -f libdvdcss.pc ) ( cd '/usr/local/include/dvdcss' && rm -f dvdcss.h version.h ) make uninstall-hook make[1]: Entering directory '/home/trygve/Documents/2025/libdvdcss-stuff/libdvdcss-1.4.3' make[1]: Nothing to be done for 'uninstall-hook'. make[1]: Leaving directory '/home/trygve/Documents/2025/libdvdcss-stuff/libdvdcss-1.4.3' $ find /usr -name "libdvdcss*" /usr/local/share/doc/libdvdcss $ cd /home/trygve/Documents/2025/libdvdcss-stuff/libdvdcss-1.4.2/ $ cd /home/trygve/Documents/2025/libdvdcss-stuff/libdvdnav-6.1.0/ ./configure make make check sudo make install $ find /usr -name "libdvdcss*" /usr/local/share/doc/libdvdcss /usr/local/lib/libdvdcss.so.2.2.0 /usr/local/lib/libdvdcss.so /usr/local/lib/libdvdcss.so.2 /usr/local/lib/libdvdcss.a /usr/local/lib/libdvdcss.la /usr/local/lib/pkgconfig/libdvdcss.pc ...same error(testing 3 dvds with/without menu): Playback failure: DVDRead could not read -1/4 blocks at 0x0e. Your input can't be opened: VLC is unable to open the MRL 'dvdsimple:///dev/dvd'. Check the log for details. Your input can't be opened: VLC is unable to open the MRL 'dvdsimple:///dev/sr0'. Check the log for details. Playback failure: DVDRead could not read -1/4 blocks at 0x01. Playback failure: DVDRead could not read -1/4 blocks at 0x01. ...and the log: -- logger module started -- main: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface. main: playlist is empty -- logger module stopped -- -- logger module started -- main: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface. main: playlist is empty main error: too low audio sample frequency (0) main error: failed to create audio output dvdread error: read failed for -1/4 blocks at 0x0e -- logger module stopped -- -- logger module started -- main: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface. main: playlist is empty -- logger module started -- main: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface. mp4: Fragment sequence discontinuity detected 1 != 0 avcodec: Using Intel i965 driver for Intel(R) Ivybridge Desktop - 2.3.0 for hardware decoding -- logger module stopped -- -- logger module started -- main: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface. main: playlist is empty -- logger module started -- main: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface. main: playlist is empty dvdread error: cannot open title (VTS_04_1.VOB) dvdread error: DvdReadSetArea(0,0,1) failed (can't decrypt DVD?) -- logger module stopped -- -- logger module started -- main: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface. main: playlist is empty -- logger module started -- main: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface. main: playlist is empty dvdread error: cannot open title (VTS_04_1.VOB) dvdread error: DvdReadSetArea(0,0,1) failed (can't decrypt DVD?) -- logger module stopped -- -- logger module started -- main: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface. main: playlist is empty -- logger module stopped -- -- logger module started -- main: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface. main: playlist is empty main error: too low audio sample frequency (0) main error: failed to create audio output dvdread error: read failed for -1/4 blocks at 0x01 -- logger module stopped -- -- logger module started -- main: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface. main: playlist is empty main error: too low audio sample frequency (0) main error: failed to create audio output dvdread error: read failed for -1/4 blocks at 0x01 -- logger module stopped -- https://askubuntu.com/questions/376252/vlc-cant-read-dvds-even-after-i-installed-things-to-read-them sudo ln -s /dev/sr0 /dev/dvd man dmesg man sudo man ln ...looks like mine is already linked ...interesting. playing a 4th dvd loads dvd menu on first try... however when i actually click play it fails again, so it definitely a problem with my setup. not bad dvds Playback failure: DVDRead could not read -1/4 blocks at 0x01. and from the log: -- logger module started -- main: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface. main: playlist is empty main error: too low audio sample frequency (0) main error: failed to create audio output vlcpulse error: digital pass-through stream connection failure: Not supported main error: module not functional main error: failed to create audio output avcodec: Using Intel i965 driver for Intel(R) Ivybridge Desktop - 2.3.0 for hardware decoding main error: Timestamp conversion failed for 10357367: no reference clock main error: Could not convert timestamp 0 for FFmpeg main error: too low audio sample frequency (0) main error: failed to create audio output dvdread error: read failed for -1/4 blocks at 0x01 main error: too low audio sample frequency (0) main error: failed to create audio output vlcpulse error: digital pass-through stream connection failure: Not supported main error: module not functional main error: failed to create audio output avcodec: Using Intel i965 driver for Intel(R) Ivybridge Desktop - 2.3.0 for hardware decoding main error: ES_OUT_SET_(GROUP_)PCR is called too late (pts_delay increased to 300 ms) -- logger module stopped -- ...ifound something while searching apt for libdvdcss stuff... $ sudo apt install mx-codecs [sudo] password for trygve: Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done The following packages will be upgraded: mx-codecs 1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 193 not upgraded. Need to get 0 B/88.6 kB of archives. After this operation, 90.1 kB of additional disk space will be used. (Reading database ... 328883 files and directories currently installed.) Preparing to unpack .../mx-codecs_22.10.01_amd64.deb ... Unpacking mx-codecs (22.10.01) over (21.1.01) ... Setting up mx-codecs (22.10.01) ... Processing triggers for mime-support (3.62) ... Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.17-2) ... Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.23-4) ... ...and it actually installed with apt! wow! ...still not playing ...mplayer is in apt. should i install? will it install? i kind of want to get vlc working. https://ffmpeg.org/doxygen/2.2/index.html https://ffmpeg.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libavcodec $ apt search avcodec libavcodec58/mx,now 7:4.1.6-1~mx19+2 amd64 [installed,automatic] FFmpeg library with de/encoders for audio/video codecs - runtime files libavutil56/mx,now 7:4.1.6-1~mx19+2 amd64 [installed,automatic] FFmpeg library with functions for simplifying programming - runtime files https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/trouble-playing-store-bought-movie-dvds-4175532051/ sudo lshw -C disk *-cdrom description: DVD-RAM writer product: DVD-RAM GH82N vendor: HL-DT-ST physical id: 1 bus info: scsi@1:0.0.0 logical name: /dev/cdrom logical name: /dev/cdrw logical name: /dev/dvd logical name: /dev/dvdrw logical name: /dev/sr0 logical name: /media/trygve/DVD_VIDEO version: KU02 capabilities: removable audio cd-r cd-rw dvd dvd-r dvd-ram configuration: ansiversion=5 mount.fstype=udf mount.options=ro,nosuid,nodev,relatime,uid=1000,gid=1000,iocharset=utf8 state=mounted status=ready https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats/PlayingDVDs (ubuntu-restricted-extras) obviously i can't install these since i'm on MX not ubuntu. https://ivanblagojevic.com/how-to-install-restricted-codecs-on-mxlinux-mx-codecs-installer/ mx codecs installer... ...cannot connect. nice! https://mxlinux.org/wiki/help-files/help-mx-codecs-installer/ $ apt search w32codec Sorting... Done Full Text Search... Done mx-codecs/mx,now 22.10.01 amd64 [installed] restricted codecs installer $ apt policy mx-codecs mx-codecs: Installed: 22.10.01 Candidate: 22.10.01 Version table: *** 22.10.01 500 500 http://mirrors.rit.edu/mxlinux/mx-packages/mx/repo buster/main amd64 Packages 100 /var/lib/dpkg/status ...this is sort of a disaster. i thought this would be easier than bluray, but at this point all i can think is that it must be missing codecs, and there appears to be no way to get the codecs on my old version of mx. kind of a major bummer. ...btw, i realized this should be set to 0 (mask=0xFF) $ regionset /dev/dvd regionset version 0.1 -- reads/sets region code on DVD drives Current Region Code settings: RPC Phase: II type: SET vendor resets available: 4 user controlled changes resets available: 4 drive plays discs from region(s): 1, mask=0xFE Would you like to change the region setting of your drive? [y/n]:y Enter the new region number for your drive [1..8]:0 New mask: 0x00, correct? [y/n]:y ERROR: Region code could not be set! ...that is annoying. i guess i sort of botched my dvd player now(to region 1). anyway, it is way past my bedtime and i am getting kind of sleepy. it would be nice to be able to place dvds on my linux desktop, though i suppose i suppose there are other dvd players around here. idk, perhaps i will finish this one day. hopefully i don't get a compulsion to figure this out. idk, there is so much dust on my dvd player. sometimes you just have to hide out and watch a dvd. $ sudo apt install libavutil-dev [sudo] password for trygve: Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done The following NEW packages will be installed: libavutil-dev 0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 193 not upgraded. Need to get 358 kB of archives. After this operation, 1,539 kB of additional disk space will be used. Err:1 http://mirrors.rit.edu/mxlinux/mx-packages/mx/repo buster/main amd64 libavutil-dev amd64 7:4.1.6-1~mx19+2 404 Not Found [IP: 2620:8d:8000:15:1ead:ed:c0:ffe 80] E: Failed to fetch http://mirrors.rit.edu/mxlinux/mx-packages/mx/repo/pool/main/f/ffmpeg/libavutil-dev_4.1.6-1~mx19+2_amd64.deb 404 Not Found [IP: 2620:8d:8000:15:1ead:ed:c0:ffe 80] E: Unable to fetch some archives, maybe run apt-get update or try with --fix-missing? ...i'm a zombie. aparently it is already installed $ apt search libavutil libavutil56/mx,now 7:4.1.6-1~mx19+2 amd64 [installed,automatic] FFmpeg library with functions for simplifying programming - runtime files i guess i know what i'm doing tomorrow. it's sort of bugs me that we live in a world where you can't watch a dvd(at least i can't).