The VideoLAN Forums. Discussion and support for VLC media player and friends. I have some questions about VLC Player command line options.
Everybody loves. It works under Windows, Mac, and Linux; it’s free and open source; it does practically everything we expect it to do and more; etc. Yet there is one thing that makes VLC really special for Linux – the command line.
Every function, tip, and trick can be used via the command line, with the advantages that we all know about. It becomes easy to make scripts, to gain independence from the graphical interface, to look cool, etc.
The Basics No surprises here, the basic syntax for reading a file is. Vlc -p modulename -advanced Conclusion Of course, you can still do more with VLC and the command line. Summing up broadly, there is still audio content streaming, using different modules, screen casting, and more. But the syntax is very similar to the examples above, and should now seem a bit clearer.
I invite you to play a little with the syntax, and to make your own examples in order to be more familiar with this great tool. Do you have other examples? Basic or advanced? Please let us know in the comments.
Either use top or ps a and look for the process for vlc then try kill-15 process number. If for some reason that does not work, kill -9, or just plaiin kill may be the same as kill -15.
This will work for any program pretty much If it does not show with ps a, do ps ax. HTH, and you will need the x for gui programs. - You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Vinux Support Forum. To post to this group, send email to. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to.
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26/2/2013, 18:05 น. You'd need to be root to kill a media player? I wasn't thinking so much as it's true that kiilall works for GUI programs, and I guess vlc launches the GUI even when started in a console?
There's bound to be a command to kill the program natively though, and if it does start the gui when run from the commandline as I think it would, there's probably a keyboard shortcut you can run when in the vlc window. Henry.follow me on Twitter @BurtHenry.connect on.GTalk or.AIM (this address).Yahoo burt1iband (&I'm on.FaceBook)??????????????????????????????n????? - - You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Vinux Support Forum.
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To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to. For more options, visit. Bill Taylor 26/2/2013, 19:49 น. On Feb 26, 2013 9:15 PM, 'Burt Henry' wrote: You'd need to be root to kill a media player?
I wasn't thinking so much as it's true that kiilall works for GUI programs, and I guess vlc launches the GUI even when started in a console? There's bound to be a command to kill the program natively though, and if it does start the gui when run from the commandline as I think it would, there's probably a keyboard shortcut you can run when in the vlc window.
Henry.follow me on Twitter @BurtHenry.connect on.GTalk or.AIM (this address).Yahoo burt1iband (&I'm on.FaceBook) ý?????ý?????ý?????ý?????ý????? Bando?ers@gmail 26/2/2013, 22:22 น. I've used this on skype regularly when using vinux3.x and didn't use sudo. I think not generally needed on Ubuntu, but my memory is pretty bad.lol Of course makes total sense what you say re starting these programs in console vs gnome-terminal or similar.
Henry.follow me on Twitter @BurtHenry.connect on.GTalk or.AIM (this address).Yahoo burt1iband (&I'm on.FaceBook)??????????????????????????????n????? If you ron vlc in terminal, it starts vlc gui. I think if you start vlc in condole it might start vlc-nox, but perhapd not. I know mplayer works like that.
Yes you need to sudo to use killall command. David On Feb 26, 2013 9:15 PM, 'Burt Henry' wrote: You'd need to be root to kill a media player? I wasn't thinking so much as it's true that kiilall works for GUI programs, and I guess vlc launches the GUI even when started in a console? There's bound to be a command to kill the program natively though, and if it does start the gui when run from the commandline as I think it would, there's probably a keyboard shortcut you can run when in the vlc window. - B. Henry.follow me on Twitter @BurtHenry.connect on.GTalk or.AIM (this address).Yahoo burt1iband (&I'm on.FaceBook) ??????????????????????????????n?????
Cindy-Sue Causey 27/2/2013, 2:07 น. From another terminal, do killall vlc I have not followed the thread, but killall will fourcefully stop the program. - - You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Vinux Support Forum.
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The full disclaimer details can be found at. This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScannerand is believed to be clean. Please consider the environment before printing this email. Robert 27/2/2013, 3:04 น. Thanks for your suggestions to cancel vlc, when run from the console. I wanted something simple for my CLI document.
I am aiming my article ‘how to Use the Command Line”, primarily at beginners. The problem with switching to another console or terminal, is the constant distraction from an audio track being played by vlc. Opening another virtual console (ctrl+alt+F2) requires coping with the user and password prompts.
![Player Player](/uploads/1/2/5/3/125353724/454688419.png)
Using ‘top’ is the most difficult because there is the added step of getting a process ID before issuing the ‘kill’ command. Going to a terminal with ctrl+alt+t and typing “killall vlc” is the simplest and it works. Mplayer can be killed with the ‘q’ or ctrl+c. These do not work with vlc when playing a video file. When streaming BBC4 radio with: $ vlc URL ctrl+c will kill vlc and return me to the command prompt. However, when I play a video with: $ vlc my-video.vob Ctrl+c, and a few other ctrl hot keys, does not work.
Mplayer works fine with an audio file: $ mplayer my-audio.mp3 The ‘q’ is the simple way to quit mplayer. Mplayer does not want to play my video files with the formats:.vob,.mp4 and.avi.
It gives the message. Cannot get I/O permissions. Vlc does play these video formats, without additional options. I was hoping for a simple hot key that would kill vlc. I can't expect a beginner to jump through a lot of hoops. Thanks again for your responses.
Peter Tesar bando?ers@gmail 27/2/2013, 7:47 น. To: - - You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Vinux Support Forum.
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To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to. For more options, visit. Bando?ers@gmail 28/2/2013, 4:55 น. A couple thoughts and un-solicited opinions.smiles. First I would like to say that an article's certainly a good idea. It should be kept simple.
I just tested a couple things to make sure, would have been a better tester if I'd realized that you were asking specifically about vid playing I'd have been a better tester/only tested audio files as I mainly use vlc for this and I was not thinking about any difference in how audio and video would respond to hotkeys/should have, but. One important thing is that indeed sudo is not and should not be needed for killall with any program that's not started with these elevated permissions. (just wanted to clarify as this had been brought up in another msg.) There's no great difficulty with typing user name and pw, i.e. You type your usernmae hit enter and then your password, something that even a new user should be able to do as one does not have to wait any appreciable amount of time, and if it does not enter correctly for some reason you just do the same thing again. If vlc's opened from a terminal, comtrol+alt t it is closed from that terminal with control c, but as you say the same is only true from a console for audio files. I seldom suggest using gnome for running programs from the commandline. (good for killall.lol.) I guess my one question/descenting opinion is this: why would you have a novice user using CLI for video, or the commandline to start VLC or any GUI program that's inaccessible,) if you are aiming at maximum simplicity when There are accessible ways to play video content such as totem or rhythmbox.
When run from a true CLI console control + C does not work for video with VLC as you say. I'd look at the online help for a way to toggle fullscreen-mode, and if one does not exist that's a serious strike against a fine media player. Totem for instance closes with control c video as well as audio, but one must start the program with display exported. Export DISPLAY =:0 Again this complicates things for the new user a bit, but nothing's running to distract with noise when the command is entered and it is good until one logs out of the console or reattaches x11.
I have a couple suggestions for the included.bashaliases file including an alias for exporting display. Again I agree that keeping it simple is important, but learning to work from more than one console is basic to CLI usage, not in the jumping through hoops category in my opinion. I atually almost always start more than one console as soon as I log-on to my computer. This is good practice as one is ready to do what needs to be done with out the delay of logging in when one is working.
Keep up the good work. Regards, Burt On 04:33, Angelo Sonnesso wrote. Thanks for your suggestions to cancel vlc, when run from the console. I wanted something simple for my CLI document. I am aiming my article ‘how to Use the Command Line”, primarily at beginners.
The problem with switching to another console or terminal, is the constant distraction from an audio track being played by vlc. Opening another virtual console (ctrl+alt+F2) requires coping with the user and password prompts. Using ‘top’ is the most difficult because there is the added step of getting a process ID before issuing the ‘kill’ command.
Going to a terminal with ctrl+alt+t and typing “killall vlc” is the simplest and it works. Mplayer can be killed with the ‘q’ or ctrl+c. These do not work with vlc when playing a video file. When streaming BBC4 radio with: $ vlc URL ctrl+c will kill vlc and return me to the command prompt. However, when I play a video with: $ vlc my-video.vob Ctrl+c, and a few other ctrl hot keys, does not work. Mplayer works fine with an audio file: $ mplayer my-audio.mp3 The ‘q’ is the simple way to quit mplayer.
Pete 28/2/2013, 15:27 น. I don't mean to speak for Burt, and although screen is on my list of things to look into, I haven't really felt a pressing need since I have multiple terminals and six consoles available to me. To me, in this example, taking advantage of terminals and consoles, which you already have in abundance, and which the the user is already aware of, is easier than introducing another concept just to run the kill command. Like I said, nothing against screen, and that's just my $0.02. Christopher (CJ) chaltain at Gmail bando?ers@gmail 1/3/2013, 12:23 น. Rob and all, Screen is not that hard to use, but it is a whole new set of keystrokes to learn, and my memory is not the greatest. Attaching and reattaching for example was not obvious to me, the concept that is.
Remember that I'm talking about my 1ssst look at screen when I had only a few weeks, maybe months, using Vinux. I don't remember what else, but there were a few other things that I didn't completely understand in the beginning. I left screen alone, and didn't go back to it for well over a year. The 2nd try or actually I think the 3rd time I started screen I'd reread some documentation and could do most of what I wanted to with out any issues. While I usually do things in multiple consoles these days screen does stuff that puts it pretty high up on the 'things to learn list' that I'd give to a new blind-vinux-user.
It's especially valuable if you ever use ssh to run a remote machine. It can be a good way to start off running if you habitually want to use the same programs in your CLI sessions, e.g. Starting an email client, ttytter, and irssi for instance, all at once by starting Screen. You can cut and paste with screen as well, while speakup's copy and paste keys copy, not cut as is announced, leaving the content in its original position. There's much more that I've not yet learned, but it is a powerful tool, and again, one I recommend to any and all who regularly work on the command line. You can log your screen sessions as well, so this gives an alternative to script. I wish I'd been using it right now to make it easier to edit this message.
Regards, and I do agree that for the newbee that using a 2nd console is easier than working with screen for the job in question. Screen documentation is certainly there, but I think a quick-start guide for beginners, written for screenreader-users would be valuable. The existing docs show alot and for the novice something that cuts right to the chase and gives examples of how to do a few more or less basic tasks could make folks more productive, folks who might well be turned off, scared or confused by the man pages and the like. I can't remember where the best, most new-user friendly stuff is, i.e.
Man-page, info nodes, or a help command, but I was able to start using screen pretty quickly when I calmly read which ever one I used. That brings up another often overlooked point, info pages. Instead of man, type info and the name of a program you want to learn about.
In some cases info will just return the man-page, or nothing, but in many cases a good and more thorough explanation of an application is found with info. Some progam devs give more of a howto with examples in the 'iinfo' compared to that in the manpage. Things are also organized with links, so one can jump right to the sectiono most relevant to them. Henry.follow me on Twitter @BurtHenry.connect on.GTalk or.AIM (this address).Yahoo burt1iband (&I'm on.FaceBook)??????????????????????????????n????? Bando?ers@gmail 23/9/2013, 7:21 น. Go to another console, log on as the same user that is running vlc or as root is you have a root user, then do: killall -9 vlc HTH, Willem On Wed, 19 Nov 2014, Dowl Bee wrote: Is there not a quick fix for this yet??
Wow, I am shocked. On Tuesday, February 26, 2013 5:48:46 PM UTC-6, Pete wrote: HelloFrom the virtual console, I run vlc to play video files:.vob or.avi. I tried killing it with: ctrl+c, ctrl+d and ctrl+z, with no effect. The only way to stop the playing is to reboot. Is there a hot key I could use to get back to the console?
Peter Tesar - Remember to frequently check our Wiki: Our website: You can search or view our group on the web: Talk to us on IRC #Vinux Unsubscribe from Vinux by emailing - You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups 'Vinux support forum' group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to. - This message is subject to the CSIR's copyright terms and conditions, e-mail legal notice, and implemented Open Document Format (ODF) standard. The full disclaimer details can be found at.
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kyle, 0:40 น. Hello, From the virtual console, I run vlc to play video files:.vob or.avi. I tried killing it with: ctrl+c, ctrl+d and ctrl+z, with no effect. The only way to stop the playing is to reboot. Is there a hot k ey I could use to get back to the console? Peter Tesar - Remember to frequently check our Wiki: Our website: You can search or view our group on the web: Talk to us on IRC #Vinux Unsubscribe from Vinux by emailing - You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups 'Vinux support forum' group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to. Pete, 5:25 น. Hello, From the virtual console, I run vlc to play video files:.vob or.avi. I tried killing it with: ctrl+c, ctrl+d and ctrl+z, with no effect. The only way to stop the playing is to reboot.
Is there a hot k ey I could use to get back to the console? Peter Tesar - Remember to frequently check our Wiki: Our website: You can search or view our group on the web: Talk to us on IRC #Vinux Unsubscribe from Vinux by emailing - You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups 'Vinux support forum' group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to. Darrell Bowles, 8:01 น.