Trouble Installing to OS X 10.5 (mencoder, mplayer, mpeg2enc.intel)

[gabroll]

I 've been trying to install ffmpegX and I can't get past the auto intall of the other components. Here's an image of each file located (right on my desktop) and each time I get this error message. I've also tried installing just one of the 3 components with no luck.

Any ideas?



Thanks guys! I'm trying to convert some wmvs without having to spend $40+, but if mmpegX doesn't work I think I'll just give in.[/img]

[Case]

1/ The installer window wants an admin account password. Are you logged in with a user account that has administrator privileges? Does this account have a password? If not, set a user account password in System Preferences > Accounts. (The installer tries to use the sudo command, which requires a non-blank password.)

2/ WMV comes in a wide variety of versions. Not all of them are supported by ffmpeg or mplayer, as decoders of ffmpegX. Most ffmpegX users convert WMV with help from QuickTime and the free Flip4Mac QuickTime Component. ffmpegX can use QuickTime (and thus Flip4Mac) to decode a source file by specifying so in the Options tab.

3/ Videohelp.com has a forum for just ffmpegX.

[gabroll]

Awesome. Thanks. It's got to be the blank password.

I'll end up sorting this out eventually, I just don't have QTPro and didn't want to purchase it just to convert a few files. Thanks again.

[redwudz]

Probably better asked and answered in our ffmpegX forum. Moving you.

And welcome to our forums.

[Case]

I just don't have QTPro and didn't want to purchase it just to convert a few files.

1/ ffmpegX doesn't care about the Pro registration of QuickTime.
2/ Exporting from WMV to QuickTime formats with QuickTime Pro won't work with the free Flip4Mac WMV player component. Telestream has a different product (Player Pro) for that.

I hope that makes sense...

[brucehobbs]

I'm stuck at the same point, but with a slightly different error:

##sh: sudo: No such file or directory

I'm logged in as an administrator and the account does have a password which I have entered before clicking Install. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

[Case]

##sh: sudo: No such file or directory

It seems that the shell (the command line environment that ffmpegX uses in the background) can't find sudo. I don't know how that could happen accidentally. It should never happen.

In the Terminal, try

which sudo

It should return the path where the sudo binary is, if it can be found in: { /bin /sbin /usr/bin /usr/local/bin /usr/sbin }.

In the Terminal, try

locate /sudo

It should return all paths that include "/sudo", which might help if the binary was moved somehow outside its normal directory.

If all this doesn't resolve where sudo is, then you might have to try and bring sudo back with Time Machine, Archive & Install or a manual re-install of the OS (or a specific part of the OS (BSD), using Pacifist).

[brucehobbs]

1) which sudo returns /usr/bin/sudo

2) locate sudo returns that file and 36 others

3) sudo works fine from the command line

Thoughts?

[Case]

Those results indicate that the sudo binary is fine (the right place and in working order).
This makes the error "##sh: sudo: No such file or directory" more bizarre.
I'll search some more, maybe I'll find other possible reasons for this error message.

[video_newbie]

Please move me if this is not the right place, but I am probably the 25734th person to be befuddled about the three resource files , mencoder, mplayer) that ffmpegx requests at the start.

mpeg2enc:
Following links to sources, I get the two tricks for obtaining mpeg2enc (hold option key when clicking on the download link AND make sure to download as "all files" otherwise the browser may think it needs to add .html to the filename).

I do have a question about this - there is also a file named mpeg2enc.intel is this necessary for use on Intel Macs?

mplayer and mencode:
My problem is that when I download and unpack the mplayer app, I don't see any files named simply mplayer or mencode, EXCEPT in the /Library/Application Support/ffmpegx/ directory, which is apparently the place these files need to be updated (???)
In the Applications folder /MPlayer-1.0rc2/ there are files named mencoder.c, menplayer.c and menplayer.h - are these the ones we're interested in?

Summary:
- Where do I put and find the right resource files and how do I recognize them when I've done it?
- Should these files have any extensions? (have assumed not up until now)
- Will files downloaded to the desktop have served their usefulness once the program has properly loaded, or should I park them in a safer place for the future?

[Case]

there is a file named mpeg2enc.intel is this necessary for use on Intel Macs?

mpeg2enc.intel is the file you want for the current version of ffmpegX (0.0.9y). It is a Universal Binary, meaning designed to run on both PPC and Intel.

... EXCEPT in the /Library/Application Support/ffmpegx/ directory, which is apparently the place these files need to be updated (???)

After installing, the files will have been copied to the location you mentioned.

In the Applications folder /MPlayer-1.0rc2/ there are files named mencoder.c, menplayer.c and menplayer.h - are these the ones we're interested in?

ffmpegX uses its own build of mplayer. MPlayer-1.0rc2 is a GUI player app that ffmpegX will NOT make use of.

Where do I put and find the right resource files and how do I recognize them when I've done it?

Download ffmpegXbinaries20060307.zip and unzip. You should now have a mplayer and mencoder binary. Just leave them in their download location, and use the Locate buttons to tell the installer where that is.

Should these files have any extensions? (have assumed not up until now)

These binaries do not have a file suffix (like most command line programs on Mac OS X).

Will files downloaded to the desktop have served their usefulness once the program has properly loaded, or should I park them in a safer place for the future?

The installer will copy the binary files, so you may archive or delete them after a successful install.

[nnoidone]

I'm confused...tried to download the missing components, but the link for mpeg2enc.intel results in just pages of code...is this right? are all the missing components in code? since I don't know coding, how do I install?

thanks.

[Case]

I'm confused...tried to download the missing components, but the link for mpeg2enc.intel results in just pages of code.

Tip: If you alt-click the mpeg2enc link, then the Safari browser will not display the code, but download the binary directly to your default download location.
The mplayer binary and mencoder binary will download together in a zip archive in a more regular way (after showing a SourceForge page). Safari will most likely decompress it into a folder with two files.
You should then have three binaries: mplayer, mencoder and mpeg2enc.intel. Use the Locate buttons in the installer window to let ffmpegX know where these binaries are. Then continue installing.
After a successful install, the downloaded files are no longer needed.

[nnoidone]

I'm confused...tried to download the missing components, but the link for mpeg2enc.intel results in just pages of code.

Tip: If you alt-click the mpeg2enc link, then the Safari browser will not display the code, but download the binary directly to your default download location.
The mplayer binary and mencoder binary will download together in a zip archive in a more regular way (after showing a SourceForge page). Safari will most likely decompress it into a folder with two files.
You should then have three binaries: mplayer, mencoder and mpeg2enc.intel. Use the Locate buttons in the installer window to let ffmpegX know where these binaries are. Then continue installing.
After a successful install, the downloaded files are no longer needed.

thanks, Case!!! I'll give it a try!!!

[nnoidone]

I'm confused...tried to download the missing components, but the link for mpeg2enc.intel results in just pages of code.

Tip: If you alt-click the mpeg2enc link, then the Safari browser will not display the code, but download the binary directly to your default download location.
The mplayer binary and mencoder binary will download together in a zip archive in a more regular way (after showing a SourceForge page). Safari will most likely decompress it into a folder with two files.
You should then have three binaries: mplayer, mencoder and mpeg2enc.intel. Use the Locate buttons in the installer window to let ffmpegX know where these binaries are. Then continue installing.
After a successful install, the downloaded files are no longer needed.

thanks, Case!!! I'll give it a try!!! :)

well...tried your suggestion...unfortunately, it didn't work...got several options when I control+click the link, including "Save linked file to downloads" and "Save linked file as..." but when I do either of these, I just get a downloaded version of a txt document, not a zip file or anything useful (to me anyway)

btw, couldn't find an "alt" key on my Mac keyboard, so tried "command" option" shift" and "control" but "control is the only one that had a good result when held while clicking the link...

[Case]

well...tried your suggestion...unfortunately, it didn't work...got several options when I control+click the link, including "Save linked file to downloads" and "Save linked file as..." but when I do either of these, I just get a downloaded version of a txt document, not a zip file or anything useful (to me anyway)

ffmpegX doesn't care about the fact that Safari renames the file by adding ".txt". The installer will accept the file anyway. No need to open or unzip the file. It is ready for the installer as-is.

btw, couldn't find an "alt" key on my Mac keyboard, so tried "command" option" shift" and "control" but "control is the only one that had a good result when held while clicking the link...

Mea Culpa. I should have called it the Option key. Just because Apple prints 'alt' on it since the 1990s, doesn't mean the key lost its historical name.

[nnoidone]

well...tried your suggestion...unfortunately, it didn't work...got several options when I control+click the link, including "Save linked file to downloads" and "Save linked file as..." but when I do either of these, I just get a downloaded version of a txt document, not a zip file or anything useful (to me anyway)

ffmpegX doesn't care about the fact that Safari renames the file by adding ".txt". The installer will accept the file anyway. No need to open or unzip the file. It is ready for the installer as-is.

btw, couldn't find an "alt" key on my Mac keyboard, so tried "command" option" shift" and "control" but "control is the only one that had a good result when held while clicking the link...

Mea Culpa. I should have called it the Option key. Just because Apple prints 'alt' on it since the 1990s, doesn't mean the key lost its historical name.

thanks for getting back! didn't know that a txt file would work without some coding by me...

and the "mea culpa" really isn't necessary ;) lol I didn't notice it before, but there is "alt" (in smaller lettering) printed on the "option" key...been a Mac user my whole computer life, so just got used to "option"...guess the "alt" was for windows converts ;) lol

thanks, again, for the help! :D

[lmitz]

Hi, I know this discussion ended quite a few months ago, but was hoping someone could answer a question I had when trying to install ffmpegX onto my iMac. I am able to locate all three binaries, and type in my password, hit Install, and then a box pops up saying "AppleScript Error-Folder does not exist (-43)". What am I missing? All of the files have been moved to the Applications folder, and I am using the .intel of the mpeg2enc, which was the most difficult out of all three to download, but finally got it. Help!

Thanks

[Case]

Please fill in your computer details in your Videohelp Profile (About me), so we know what model Mac you have and what version Mac OS X you are running. Then other users can easily check that by hovering over the computer icon () on the left with every post.

I don't recall the specific AppleScript error (no idea which folder it expects), so here is the general outline of how to install:

1/ Make sure you log in with a Mac user account that has administrator privileges. If your Mac has just one user account, then you're good to go.
2/ Move ffmpegX to the /Applications folder on your boot volume.
3/ Leave the three binaries in your default download location; the Desktop or the Download folder, or a subfolder in there.
4/ Launch ffmpegX.
5/ In the "ffmpegX components self-installer" window, make sure the (missing) binaries have their checkbox set. Use the Locate buttons in the installer window to let ffmpegX know where these binaries are. Type in your Mac user account password. Press Install.

If you did all this and the AppleScript error still reports a missing folder, then check the following:
1/ Navigate to Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/
Is there a folder 'ffmpegX'? (the installer would have tried to create such a folder, before putting stuff in there.)
2/ Repair permissions on you boot drive using Disk Utility. Always a good idea before and after installations.

[lmitz]

Hi Case,

Thanks for your response, I re-traced all the steps you suggested and believe that I have successfully installed the application. I tried to drag and drop one of the .mpg files and it converted it to an .mov file, but QuickTime still won't open it. It says that it's in a format that QuickTime doesn't understand, which doesn't make sense as QuickTime should be able to read .mov files easily. ?

Thanks

[Case]

I tried to drag and drop one of the .mpg files and it converted it to an .mov file, but QuickTime still won't open it.

When converting, an "ffmpegX Progress" window should come up. This window has a blue "i", which -when clicked- will give you access to the Process Information log. Wait for ffmpegX to finish a conversion, then copy this Process Information here for examination.

[lmitz]

Thanks for all your help Case! A colleague gave me the WinX HD Video Converter for Mac, and that's working out great. Thank you for your help.