[MPlayer-users] using the -geometry switch

[Miriam English]

Here a couple of examples of why the entire command line is useful for 
diagnosing problems:
I'm pretty sure mplayer requires any options to precede the filename, 
whereas if the options follow the filename then I believe they get 
handled by the window manager. Also, on some websites the "-" character 
gets converted to an mdash character, causing errors if commands are 
copy-pasted from them.

Most errors arise from faulty assumptions. Certainly that's true in my 
own programs. You may be assuming something is "obviously" correct, but 
by not showing it, we don't see the error and can't help. We have to guess.

Also, by displaying the command line, then if it doesn't have any 
errors, you eliminate a lot of possibilities right at the start, making 
it easier for those who want to help you. It doesn't matter how smart 
any person is, they are human and so make dumb mistakes. I've made more 
than my share of them.

See, if you had simply given the command line, it would have eliminated 
a lot of uncertainty and to-ing and fro-ing. The entire first paragraph 
of your response could have simply been replaced by the simple command 
line. And none of what I wrote above would have been needed.

Please don't take this as me being critical or nit-picky. I'm just 
trying to explain as clearly and unemotionally as possible.



arthurpeabody wrote:
> Quoth Miriam English: 'you still didn't tell us what command you're typing in.'
> I thought I did.  This mailing list is about the program mplayer, so you know that the command began with mplayer; this thread is about the -geometry switch, so you know the first argument is -geometry; I reported the parameters I supplied to -geometry in my message
>
> I restarted X without a window manager, just an xterm, and the -geometry switch worked properly, so it is my WM, which is more important than not having to move mplayer's display around.
>
> It's not an mplayer problem.  If anyone has any tips about how to configure the WM I'd appreciate them though.  I only use it to allow multiple windows; I start every app from the command line.  It's FVWM95.
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