[MPlayer-users] Creating a stupid person do all mplayer package

[RC]

On Wed, 19 Oct 2005 00:55:39 -0400
Ergzay <ergzay at everyoneproductions.com> wrote:

> Well for one thing, I hate windows so much that its caused me not to 
> become familiar with the inner workings. I have absolutely no clue
> what  syntax a .reg or .inf file is or where to put it. 

It's not simple... 

Windows registry associations are rather convoluted.  They file
extension (eg. ".avi") is created as a key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.  The
"default" string is a text value pointing to another key in the same
tree (eg. "movie.avi").  That key needs a sub-key named "shell", and
"shell" needs a sub-key, named whatever you chose (eg. "Open").  It
will show-up in the context menu for that type of file.  That key needs
another sub-key named "command".  The "default" string for the "command"
key is where you put the command-line you want explorer to use to play
the video, with "%1" being replaced by the filenamed.  You generally
want to use the full-path to the exe.

This doesn't include any of the details like keyboard shortcuts for that
command, the icons you want associated with files of that type, or
multiple selectable commands for each filetype in the context menu.  You
can learn that by looking at other filetype associations in the
registry.

Use regedit to add those keys to your registry.  Once you've done so for
all filetypes you want, select each top-level key, and chose "File" and
"Export".  Once you've saved them all to seperate reg files, append them
all together (minus the one-line header), to get one big reg file for
all filetypes.

> I will attach along  with the file I give them a .txt file explaining
> any installation steps  needed and where to place what files.

I don't know how you're going to explain it to them, when you don't know
how to do it.

> I want to leave some files (.wmv, .rm and such), if they have the 
> players that play them, associated with their appropriate programs. If
>  they don't have the programs for one type, then they should be 
>  associated to mplayer.

To do that, you'll need to write a Windows API program that reads each
filetype key from the registry, verifies the key it is pointing to
exists and is not corrupt, and verifies that the executable for the
default shell command exists where the registry key says it is.  Then it
needs to use that information to decide if it wants to overwrite the
information for that filetype in the registry, if it should leave it
alone.

I wish you luck on that task.  How you're going to determine that the
program each filetype is associated with is actually a media player, as
opposed to an editor, notepad, etc., is certainly beyond me, but maybe
you won't mind fixing those cases manually.

> I also want to use the current CVS for the binary if possible. I know
> how to compile mplayer CVS just fine already  on OS X, just need to
> know how to cross compile.

I still don't know why you insist on compiling it yourself.  The
binaries work just fine.


Also, as I said in the previous e-mail, most people are better off just
installing Media Player Classic, and each of the codecs they may need. 
I would certainly suggest the same for you, particularly since you don't
know much about Windows to start with.