Kaffeine and playing files from off the local network

John Woodhouse a_johnlonger at yahoo.com
Fri May 27 23:42:24 BST 2011 

Just to complete the tale in the hope that it will do some good somewhere.


I have managed to get vlc to run with files on the nas via open with and a click 
launch. 1st I enabled kde auto mount but this didn't achieve anything and the 
problems remained. I then enable NFS on the nas and that has provided a solution 
except vlc itself can not open or save a file to the nas. This is clearly down 
to KDE, error messages when they are available are "you can only select local 
files". This should be prevented by the smb,http etc enable options in the dot 
desktop file. These are correct in vlc's case but KDE  will still  not allow 
access. I would have thought that it would be better all round to use these to 
bar paths rather than enable them if they are really needed.

Kwrite and maybe other strict K applications works perfectly with files on the 
nas just from a connection made with dolphin. The connection is also retained 
between re boots etc. Trouble is many apps most people use are not strict K 
applications. Some however look to use an instance of dolphin for file 
management - that's seems likely to be the problem as it routes file accesses 
straight through kde.

On the way to the auto mount + nfs part solution I tried dragging an nas avi 
onto a VLC window. Nothing happens. To get round that I created a desktop VLC 
icon. When I dragged the avi onto that it played but the plasma shell came up 
with an error message "sorry can't find file". It played anyway. If I drag a 
local file onto a VLC window it plays which indicates that launching like that 
is not a problem with qt4 applications.

There are some indications that the part working arrangement with auto mount + 
nas is still using cif for file loads. A side issue with NFS is that the auto 
load extends the time that the desktop is dead following a log in rather 
alarmingly. This and super slow samba seem to be down to not being able to enter 
an ip address for the server. This can be done when dolphin is used to connect 
to a microsoft network drive so it's a lot quicker. Trouble it that auto mount 
takes no notice of the fact that this connection has been made.

It seems from nosing around that problems in this area are occurring with 
servers other than a nas as well.

I have filed a bug via novell on this. I feel that kde has little credibility 
for anything other than toy use while this aspect is like this. Seems that gnome 
may not have the same problem.

Haven't looked closely but ark seems a trifle confused.

On a bright note multimedia if it can be loaded is streamed. Some reports 
indicate full downloads before playing.

John


----- Original Message ----
> From: John Woodhouse <a_johnlonger at yahoo.com>
> To: kde at mail.kde.org
> Sent: Mon, 23 May, 2011 22:43:53
> Subject: [kde] Re: Kaffeine and playing files from off the local network
> 
> Looking a little further the error messages and problems are clearly down to 
> kde. May be one or more of several  k .so files. Some even carry 2  copies of 
>the 
>
> error message and then there are the .mo  files.
> 
> 
> Also note the following.
> 
> Click on an mp3 on the nas and  it plays in amarok. Try to use the load as part 
>
> of a play list and amarok  can't do anything with the play list. It can't load 

> media off the nas  either.
> 
> Copy and rpm to the nas and click install with yast and up pops  yast and 
> complains because it's not running as root. The launch bypasses the  root 
>login. 
>
> Unbelievable, might be opensuse.
> 
> Edit a text file on the  nas with Kwrite and it can be changed and saved but no 
>
> backup file is  generated. Can also save a new file to the nas. Oh so close.
> 
> If I copy an  office file onto the nas and click on it Libre loads it. Editing 

> the file  and saving it appears to work but doesn't. The file remains the same. 
>
> If I  try and save a new file to the nas I get "can only select local  files".
> 
> 
> I'm sure I could find many more and maybe going on kwrite  some may even work.
> 
> Given the bug mentioned before I can't help wondering  what is going on. A file 
>
> is a file is a file and clearly going on kwrite the  paths do work. They also 
> work one way or partly with most of them. Kaffeine  expects an input pluging - 
>I 
>
> suspect as there is no such thing available  that this is old code from long 
>ago 
>
> piping up. kde3-kaffeine does the same  thing as well. The only plugin is for 
> mozilla. VLC is known to work off a  nas but doesn't. It works perfectly 
>locally 
>
> and lacks the codec problems of  others.
> 
> As to a nas. D-Link are an upfront company. Samba is happy with  it as is 
>windoze 
>
> but samba suffers the same problems. On the bright note  samba take ages to 
>find 
>
> the server each time it's accessed for the first  time from any app and I do 
>mean 
>
> ages. I assume this could be fixed if it was  possible to give it a direct ip 
> address. The dolphin link goes straight in  no messing about and it's just like 
>
> using the local drive. Samba is  slower.
> 
> I'm having difficulty getting my head round the reasoning for  .desktop files 
> containing  such things as  smb as mentioned in the  bug. All apps usually care 
>
> about is the type of file not where it is. I  suppose these could be used to 
> control what an instance of a file manager  shows but in this particular 
>respect 
>
> that makes little sense and most show  all. There is no earthly reason for 
> preventing an app from accessing a local  samba/windoze/na server. In this case 
>
> from the above it looks like there  might even be multiple app level file 
> managers. Maybe some one can explain  complete with reasons. I'm really 
>curious.
> 
> Out of interest I ran VLC as  root and was asked if I trust it!!! I said yes 
>but 
>
> it still wouldn't start.  I suspect that a root desktop is now impossible same 

> silly reasoning. It's  far easier for many many people to screw up the system 
> from the shell - just  a little harder to find out how to do it - which makes 
>it 
>
> far easier to mess  up.
> 
> John
> 
> PS Poor old konq isn't even aware of the network even now  samba is installed.
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----
> > From:  John Woodhouse <a_johnlonger at yahoo.com>
> > To: kde at mail.kde.org
> > Sent: Sun, 22 May,  2011 23:26:07
> > Subject: [kde] Re: Kaffeine and playing files from off the  local network
> > 
> > This is beginning to look like a bug that maybe  should spread. I have been 
> > playing around with amarok which seemed to  work with files off the nas. If I 
>
> > launch click an mp3 on the nas all is  ok. It plays but if I try to generate  
>a 
>
> 
> > play list with it it  fails to play them again. If I navigate to the nas  via 
>
> > amarok and  select an mp3 it won't accept it. So it looks like for some  
>reason 
>
> 
> > kde is passing it a file when an mp3 is launched. I don't think  they  are 
>being 
>
> >
> > downloaded before playing otherwise the  playlist should still  work.
> > 
> > 
> > I wonder if this all  relates to this "bug" https://bugs.kde.org/253547. 
>Biggest 
>
> >
> > problem with that is  that the  X-KDE-Protocols shown there are correct in my 
>
> >VLC 
> >
> > .desktop file. Amarok only  has http added.
> > 
> > It doesn't work either way with VLC despite it having a  files  input which 
> > includes an increased buffer time for use over the   network. I'm not sure if 
>
> >it's 
> >
> > "can only open local  files" when one is  selected off the nas error message 
>is 
>
> 
> > down  to kde or  what.
> > 
> > John
> > KDE 4.6.0 - 6   64bit
> > ___________________________________________________
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