[MPlayer-dev-eng] [PATCH] FAQ (was Re: [MPlayer-users] Resizing annoyance...)

[D Richard Felker III]

On Thu, Feb 14, 2002 at 05:17:42AM +0100, Diego Biurrun wrote:
> Alexander Werth (gmx) writes:
>  > Am Don, 2002-02-14 um 01.35 schrieb Diego Biurrun:
>  > > and also fixes a small typo:
>  > > 
>  > > Use : mplayer <options> <filename> < /dev/null &
>  > > 
>  > > should be
>  > > 
>  > > Use : mplayer <options> <filename> > /dev/null &
>  > 
>  > Actually the original one is right. 
>  > MPlayer tries to read from stdin and bash stops the process then.
>  > This could by avoided by providing a fake stdin stream.
>  > Alexander Werth
> 
> No, the corrected one is right.  Mplayer plays the file in the
> background and the output is directed into limbo (/dev/null) so that
> you can continue using your console.

the original one was right. redirecting stdout to /dev/null may also
be nice, but it is nonessential. on the other hand, if you don't
redirect stdin, it *will not run*.

> With < /dev/null mplayer would be reading from /dev/null and not from
> stdin, wouldn't it?

you're confusing stdin with the controlling terminal. mplayer will
always read from stdin; using </dev/null just changes what stdin *is*.

rich