Linux Multimedia Hacks: Tips & Tools for Taming Images, Audio, and Video (Hacks)

Book Description

The fact that Linux has more multimedia application choices than Mac OS X and Windows combined may come as a surprise to many, but not to those who know Linux well. In Linux Multimedia Hacks, author Kyle Rankin showcases the best available multimedia tools so you can maximize the entertainment capabilities of your favorite OS. Included are tips and tricks for connecting to iPods, creating MP3s and Oggs, watching and making DVDs, turning your Linux box into a Tivo ala MythTV, and much more.

You don't have to be a Linux server guru to make use of this book. Linux Multimedia Hacks takes the best of Linux's multimedia tools and with step-by-step instructions shows even novice users how to do cool and useful things with images, audio, and video. It includes entry level hacks that nearly all Linux users will want, such as installing codecs for audio and video playback and managing thousands of photographs. Later, you'll find hacks that cover a variety of advanced projects, from ripping and organizing media files with metatags, to editing video and audio tracks, to creating your own DVDs. Basic or advanced, each hack stands on its own, so you can feel free to jump around to only the sections that interest you.

The book is divided into five easy-to-understand chapters:

Images: tips range from basic image edits to automated image manipulation
Audio: hacks include audio format conversion and tweaking metadata within audio files
Video: learn how to covert between video formats, plus how to create your own VCDs and DVDs
Broadcast Media: tips include how to access and create you own web broadcasts as well as watch and record TV
Web: learn how to make your multimedia creations available to the world

As one of the most powerful multimedia platforms around, Linux has far more capabilities and features than meets the eye. This latest Hacks book gives you the technical chops to enjoy them all.

Customer Reviews:

A must-have if you are serious about multimedia, even if you are not a heavy Linux user........2007-03-31

I got this book at a local Linux talk given by the author about a week ago. This book really opens my eyes to see how much resource there is for multimedia on the Linux platform. It's a must-have if you are serious about multimedia, even if you are not a heavy Linux user. As you see, a software dies on Windows PC when the software company (or Microsoft) stops supporting it (or the software company goes under), because you only have the binary code. But the Linux software lives on because you can always pick up the source code from the open source (that is if it's an open source project, of course. Fortunately, most of the Linux software are). Bottom line: this book does what it says ! I am very happy with it !

VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!.......2006-09-16

Do you want to master the entertainment possibilities of Linux? If you do, then this book is for you! Author Kyle Rankin, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that takes the best of Linux's multimedia tools and shows you step by step how to use these tools to do cool things you would not have thought possible with images, audio, and video.

Rankin, begins by defining hacks that are specifically for images. Then, the author describes hacks for all things video. Next, the author shows you how to get the most out of video tools under Linux, which are some of the best in the industry. The author then gives you tips for accessing and creating your own web broadcasts. Finally, he shows you hacks to help you tweak your web browser under Linux so it can get the most out of the multimedia Web.

For the most part, this most excellent book allows you to look for hacks based on the multimedia type. More importantly, with this book, you'll be able to move quickly beyond anything you previously thought was possible, without spending a small fortune on commercial software.

Into multimedia? Into Linux? This is the book you need........2006-09-06

Most versions of Linux have minimal multimedia abilities without the installation of additional software. Of course there is a lot of Linux software out there that can be used to change your Linux installation into a powerful multimedia computer with amazing capabilities. And, since it is Linux, it can be done at minimal or no cost for the software. Author Kyle Rankin details how to install and configure these products in this book. To keep the information organized he breaks it up into chapters on Images, Audio, Video, Broadcast Media, and Web. Working through the hacks you soon discover everything from how to rip a CD, convert file types, and edit a sound file to how to build a MythTV system where you can record television, watch videos, listen to music, and play arcade games from one system. There's even a tip for automatically removing commercials from digitally recorded television shows. When you are trying to figure out how to get your Linux system to do something special in the area of multimedia this is the first book you will want to turn to for answers. Linux Multimedia Hacks is highly recommended.

Both newcomers and advanced users of Linux learn how to edit images, audio and video, manage music, burn DVDs and VCDs, and more.......2006-05-02

Kyle Rankin's Linux Multimedia Hacks: Tips & Tools For Taming Images, Audio, And Video covers a program which typically disappoints multimedia fans with what seems like shortcomings in playing DVDs or MP3 files. Overcome these seeming detriments with a book which tells how to tweak and build Linux multimedia entertainment systems. Both newcomers and advanced users of Linux learn how to edit images, audio and video, manage music, burn DVDs and VCDs, and much more. Linux Multimedia Hacks isn't just one developer's knowledge base: it reflects contributions from many Linux experts - even the software creators themselves.

Superb collection of easy-to-use media tricks.......2005-12-12

I've spent the last few days going over this book and experimenting with the different hacks on my Fedora Core 4 workstation. I use Fedora Core 4 almost 100% of the time at home, and I've felt the need to manipulate and use multimedia objects for a long time now, but didn't have the practical knowledge at my fingertips to do so. For example, how do I take a screenshot? This book answers this and other questions.

Now I understand how to use ImageMagick, take screenshots, and work with mplayer. I've implemented some hacks with gratifying results and experimented with bits and pieces of other hacks. For example I installed mplayer and the software bits needed to import video from a camcorder with a Firewire (1394) port. Mplayer is now running smoothly, and I'm waiting for a convenient camcorder to come my way so I can plug it into my 1394 port and let it rip. These hacks really seem to work, and they are quickly implemented. The authors of the various hacks give brief explanations that help build multimedia skills. Each hack is written with great clarity.

This book will gently introduce you to the power of scripting in Linux. Simple 1- or 2-line scripts pepper the book, and by using them you can quickly get the effects you want without having to spend long periods of time learning how to do the same thing on a GUI interface. Now, I can dump all 300+ photos from my 1 Gb flash card into a new folder and then use a script to resize them to a size small enough for a web page and for sharing with other folks. Try doing that to hundreds of photos on a GUI interface! With the suggested scripts, you can let the computer do the work, not you, and you can congratulate yourself on your smarts. Each script is carefully explained in plain language. I especially like Rankin's discussion of how to set up a digital camera and download all the photos from it automagically.

Today the Linux desktop is every more GUI-friendly. It is very easy to use; some of my friends have used it without realizing they were on Linux. I can see thumbnails of all my imported photos on Gnome -- it just works. I can expand the thumbnails into new windows with the actual photo. I can plug a compact flash card into my card reader and Gnome will recognize that, too, and offer to download the photos in the card. I can and often do edit photos with the Gimp and email them to my relatives. This books discusses all these things except possibly the emailing bit.

I began to realize that my hard drive is way too small for all the media I hope to work with. I recently ordered a 400 Gb drive to solve this problem.

This book shows you how to work with your media at no cost to you. It rolls up a lot of useful knowledge right at your fingertips. I can't think of another source of well-thought out media hacks either on the internet or in the documentation that comes with your Linux distribution. Every person wanting to work with media on Linux ought to have this book. Rankin and the other hack contributors have done a superb job.

Average customer rating:

Harley Hahn's Student Guide To Unix
Perfect for someone who never even knew what UNIX was
Ideal book for getting started
Detailed, understandable, thorough and fun!
As said, a student's guide

Harley Hahn's Student Guide To Unix
Harley Hahn
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0070254923

Book Description

With its easy-to-read, coaching style and well-designed plan, A Student's Guide to Unix, 2/e is the best way to introduce students to the complex world of Unix. This edition is a comprehensive revision of the first Unix textbook specifically developed for the university environment. Designed to be a reference and an educational resource, the book describes all the basic skills involved, as well as countless tips, hints and techniques. This edition includes chapters on the Emacs editor, Job Control and the Korn Shell. It has also been improved as a reference text.

Customer Reviews:

Harley Hahn's Student Guide To Unix .......2006-11-10

I liked it and it is easy to understand.

Perfect for someone who never even knew what UNIX was.......2002-10-18

Having been using the UNIX system for six years, I'm still referencing from this absolute beginner book from time to time because the language is so non-technical, yet the information contained within is more than enough to get you started on using UNIX operating system and learn to love it.

The author did a very good job particularly in describing and tutoring the reader how to do common tasks such as using email systems, doing text editing, issuing commands from the CLI, etc. Not very in-depth but the point is, it is enough to get you interested to look for MORE, which is the most important thing. There is no point in explaining something in-depth only to discourage the reader to look for more information, and only to leave the subject untouched because it looks "hard". If you are a UNIX veteran/advanced user/system administrator, this book is not for you, as you have probably known way more than what this book contains.

I highly recommend this book as the very first book on UNIX to read on, if you have never even heard of UNIX before, and only experienced in Windows/MacOS environments.

Ideal book for getting started.......2000-03-01

I found this book to be excellent. I feel it teaches you all that you need to be a comfortable UNIX user. This may not be the ideal book if you are looking for a quick reference for commands etc. Great job by the author.

Detailed, understandable, thorough and fun!.......1998-11-05

I think this must be one of the best UNIX-manuals ever written. Mr. Hahn shows skills and knows how to teach even a beginner everything from basics to the more advanced. I would highly recommend this book to everybody who would like to learn a bit or eight about Unix- The most interesting and powerful MUOS there is!

As said, a student's guide.......1998-08-04

For a Windows 95 user like myself, Unix looked liked a dark and mysterious night, unpenetrable and unfathomable. This book came like a guiding light and saw me through.

Linux Game Programming w/CD (Prima Tech's Game Development)

Average customer rating:

Not specific enough for its title.
It could have been better.
Don't waste your time or money
Lacks any real information
Lacks depth, too short, plagued by syntax errors.

Linux Game Programming w/CD (Prima Tech's Game Development)
Mark Collins , Martin Donlin , Steve Baker , and Ben Campbell
Manufacturer: Muska & Lipman/Premier-Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0761532552

Book Description

With the growing interest in Linux on the desktop, it is only a matter of time until everyone will want high-quality Linux games. With commercial developers now setting up in-house teams for porting their titles to Linux, people are finally acknowledging that the OpenSource platform is a viable gaming platform. Linux® Game Programming is your guide to game development for Linux, covering all the APIs and methodologies you will need, as well as some more advanced techniques rarely discussed in other game development guides, such as neural networks and genetic algorithms. You will also find valuable information on 2D graphics using SDL, Xlib, and SVGAlib; 3D graphics using OpenGL; networking, lobbying, and threading; artificial intelligence and learning systems; genetic algorithms; and much, much more!

Customer Reviews:

Not specific enough for its title........2007-07-10

Mark Collins, Linux Game Programming (Prima, 2001)

The main problem with reading computer books that are six years old is that, well, they're six years old. This is not a huge problem in the Windows world; as we have seen, sometimes the most current Windows technology will stay around a lot longer than the service contracts mandate. That, however, is almost never the case with Linux, where a massive pool of developers pretty much ensures that things will grow and change on a monthly, if not daily, basis. Still, the basics of the necessary knowledge to get under the hood and tinker with Linux will hold true, so it's not like there's absolutely nothing to gain from a book like this if you're a total newb. (Sorry, I despise that spelling, but if I use the correct one, Amazon filters it for being one letter off from a certain slang term they don't seem to like.)

I am, in fact, that newb. Having finally thrown Microsoft over for good in every aspect of my life I can (I still keep a Windows box around for games, and I have to use it at work), all those database and game projects I was working on will have to be Linux projects now. So I started with what I could get at the library, Collins' six-year-old treatise on Linux game programming. First, let me say that if you're looking for hands-on tutorial stuff, this is not the book for you. Collins is more interested in getting you to understand the concepts--why you want to do something, rather than what it is you want to do. While this is obviously a good thing and leads to programmers who understand more of what they're on about, it's probably worth a caveat emptor for the people who are just looking for shortcuts, or answers to a specific problem. The second thing to be said, then, is that game design itself is the most portable part of any game project. While Collins does delve into some things that are more applicable to Linux development than any other sort (an entire chapter, for example, is devoted to the OpenSource debate), many of the specific tools Collins talks about, and all of the high-level concepts, are applicable to game designers who program for any platform. Thus, I could go two ways here; criticize the book for not really being about Linux specifically, or praise it for being universal?

The problem is, I can't do one or the other. How valuable you'll find it will likely depend on how much reading you've already done on designing games and developing games with C++. If you've done a good deal, you will get the most worth out of the chapters on SDL and openGL/openAL; otherwise, read the whole thing. ***

It could have been better........2004-04-27

This book was helpful in many regards. It showed the basic idea of how to use the APIs presented. However, allow me to warn that there are many technical errors. When I went to compile and run the included code snippets _as_they_were_written_ I would run into problems like "unrecognized symbol" because of an incorrect or missing include file or a program exiting because it looked for the wrong return value from a funcition. Sloppiness like that leads me to sum up: it could have been better.

Don't waste your time or money.......2004-01-26

This book sucks plain and simple. Code samples are incomplete and rife with syntax errors. You can learn more by doing a Google search for a few good tutorials.

Lacks any real information.......2002-09-03

If you are an absolute beginner to programming games in Linux this book might be useful in that it introduces you to some of the main libraries used in Linux game programming but the book lacks any real information. Even if you read it from cover to cover you still won't know enough to make even the simplest game. The best thing you can say about this book is thay it can give you some hints about where you can really learn to do Linux game programming.

Lacks depth, too short, plagued by syntax errors........2001-12-18

This book is a good overview of what gaming libraries are out there for programming in linux and some fundamentals on getting several of those gaming libraries. But that's it...

I've found the book to be extremely lacking in depth or finished code samples. It gives snippets on how to accomplish something then leaves you hanging. Plus there are quite a bit of syntax errors in the code that can leave a beginner quite frustrated. Nothing is worse than cutting and pasting code from a book word for word and not having it compile because of poor book editing.

The author tries to cover everything from sound, to video, to AI, to networking - with several different libraries - in a 300 page book. And a good fifty of those pages are concerning the gpl and other licenses. Knowing about the GPL and about open source is great, but not when I spent money on game programming (video, sound, ai). What this results in is less than 10 pages on one particular topic.

Book Description

Programming Linux Games discusses important multimedia toolkits (including a very thorough discussion of the Simple DirectMedia Layer) and teaches the basics of Linux game programming. Readers learn about the state of the Linux gaming world, and how to write and distribute Linux games to the Linux gaming community.

Customer Reviews:

Good beginning walkthrough for game programming.......2005-12-22

There aren't enough books written about game programming for Linux. Although this book is dated (A lot of API evolution can occur in 4 years), it is probably the best introduction I have seen so far. The book walks you through the creation of a simple, but full-featured game using mostly cross-platform APIs. It is elegantly written and easy to understand. Because of how much the libraries have changed, you will not be able to use all of the code directly, but it should not be difficult to look up the new function calls in the respective libraries' online documentations. It would be great if someone could write an update of the book. This book is not a one-stop place for all you need to know, but it is a good place to start and get you thinking. After reading the book, you should know what to look for to learn more.

Good into to SDL and Game Scripting. Horrible otherwise.......2004-08-15

The book starts off ok with a good introduction of the various API's and is ok reading up untill chapter 6 "Programming Linux Audio". This is where the book fails terribly. None of the audio samples will compile and the information about OpenAL is just plain wrong. First the function used to open a WAV file is no the corerct function to use for linux. The author uses the win32 version. This is just the start of the openAL errors. Minus one star!

Second the book's two websites (one of which no longer exists (Loki) ) contains no errata and no way to contact the author. The only information is avalible is a zip file of the books sample files (which do not compile of course). Minus two stars!

Ohter things about the book that did not work for me was the fact that the author uses C instead of C++. While C is still used for game development , most programmers are attempting to migrate to C++ and OOD. Books released about 1950 should reflect that!

Second the author uses Tcl as a game scripting engine. While I can agree to a point (based on the fact of the easy of implementation) the author should have used a common scripting engine such as Lua. (although the author does mention at the end of the book that Tcl was proably a bad idea.

Third the author should have introduced Autoconf very early in the book instead of waiting untill Chapter 10.

The main thing that I liked about the book was the good intro to programming with Linux in general. The topics of linux debugging and Makefiles I thought was good (assuming you have experince in these areas on other platfoms).

Also the coverage of SDL was a pretty good intro.

Easy reading.......2004-03-02

The computer game market is dominated by dedicated game console platforms, like Sony's Playstation and Microsoft's XBox. But the steady rise of linux on fast, cheap hardware and the parallel rise of an open source community leads one to wonder if there are alternatives.

Which leads to this book. It has some of the ambience of the flashback to the 70s or 80s, when programmers in their spare time might gin up a cool game, which would then spread like a virus when word got out. Of course, you can use the book's advice to design a proprietary game. Nobody says you need give it away.

The book's code examples are in C. Not Java, please note. While Java is good for some applications, typically in gaming, performance is always an issue, as measured by latency, for example. The book also does not mention C++. Pity. C++ compilers nowadays are usually as efficient as C compilers. Plus, if you want to code a game of any complexity (over 100 000 lines, say), then C scales badly, unless you use really strict design and coding standards.

Overall, though, the book is well done. Very easy reading if you're experienced. Very little knowledge of graphics is required. The book is more about the back end design. Graphics is pushed out to OpenGL and similar packages.

A good start but needs more detail.......2003-10-31

Programming Linux Games is an excellent beginning to Linux and cross platform game development.
Its main deficiencies are:
detail on the libraries suggested,
the use of C instead of C++,
and buggy openAL code which I could not get working.

It is a very good reference to basic SDL and OpenAL, and is very handy to have in one place.

I still recommend as a basic book on game programming.

decent but could have been much better.......2003-03-14

I had high expectations from this book, coming as it was from a
company specialized in porting the most complex games to Linux.
Unfortunately it seems that the fall of Loki has brought down this book with it. As other readers have said it is a good SDL
primer (covering just the basics). Other APIS are mentioned but just ina cursory view. There is a whole chapter dedicated to the code of a sound player software whoch is really out of place here.. it looks more like the author stuffed it in since he for some reason had developed it and he thought it was marginally relevant.. A good point is the book is about a working 2D game, Penguin Warrion ( a spaceship against spaceship typical game ) but the game development is not properly explained.. it loks like the book is an appendix to the game and not the contrary... in short to really learn something you must go and scan the code on your own...
With a little bit more affort and time to give the book more depth and solidity it could have been a great beginner's text..too bad!

Advanced Linux 3D Graphics Programming (With CD-ROM)

Average customer rating:

Absolutely Brilliant!
Not very advanced.

Advanced Linux 3D Graphics Programming (With CD-ROM)
Norman Lin
Manufacturer: Wordware Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1556228538

Book Description

Advanced Linux 3D Graphics Programming builds upon the foundation set in Norman Lin's Linux 3D Graphics Programming. This second volume provides programmers who are experienced in both Linux and fundamental 3D graphics concepts with a well-rounded perspective on 3D theory and practice within the context of programming larger interactive 3D applications.

Lin's primary goal is to provide a solid understanding of the concepts involved in interactive 3D graphics programming in order to enable the reader to write 3D programs, libraries, and games, and to analyze and understand others' 3D code. By focusing on more than just hard-core 3D algorithms, and by providing detailed information on equally important issues such as 3D modeling, world editing, digital sound, and collision detection, Lin gives the reader sufficient information to program and populate complete 3D worlds under Linux.

Lin's careful balance between theory and practice provides both working code examples and a firm theoretical foundation, thereby empowering the reader to become a member of the professional 3D programming community.

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely Brilliant!.......2002-06-13

I highly recommend this book. Reading through the introduction,
the author states an 'educational slant' to the design and construction of the code within the book. This is important to
keep in mind, as there is a trade off to keep the book more
illustrative of the 3D pipeline design process.

Recommended for anybody who wants to further their knowledge
of not just Linux, but to the entire 3D process on the computer.
An excellent addition to his primer on Linux 3D.

Not very advanced........2002-05-02

The "Advanced Linux 3D Graphics Programming" is the second volume in the set of books written by author Norman Lin. The title "advanced" is rather crudely portrayed in the examples the author has written. Many of the examples are based off true cross-platform development which adds hundreds of lines of not needed code considering the book was supposed to be for linux.

The "advanced topics" include texture-mapping, lighting, fog, and several other components which sound impressive at first however the examples given are rather long in code-size, and don't get straight to the point of what the example does. I was rather disapointed that the lighting section had no real details on the math behind it all.

From the title of the book, one would assume you would be programming 3d graphics in linux, however the author spends 60% of the book talking about Blender and World Foundry. Those programs should have been in a separate book rather then used as filler so the author could make several extra bucks on a new book.

The examples are all using the GLUT SDK for MesaGL (OpenGL for Linux) which doesn't teach you about true linux X11 initialization.

Book Description

Focusing on developing cross-platform shaders in OpenGL Shader Language (GLSL) using the RenderMonkey environment, this guide makes it possible to combine the producing of complex graphics effects with the convenience of using OpenGL. Covering the sharp growth of the capabilities of graphic accelerators that has made writing shaders for complex real-time graphic effects a popular and rapidly developing subject, this book also includes a CD-ROM with cross-platform source codes for the program examples given in the book; both work with Microsoft Windows and with the increasingly popular Linux system.

CorelDRAW for Linux f/x and Design: Create and Perfect Non-Traditional Effects with a Traditional Design Tool

Average customer rating:

CorelDRAW for Linux f/x and Design: Create and Perfect Non-Traditional Effects with a Traditional Design Tool
Shane Hunt
Manufacturer: Coriolis Group Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1576106861

Book Description

The only book on this award-winning graphics program for the Linux platform. Incorporates CorelDRAW#s bundled application PhotoPaint® by including tutorials that show how you can take CorelDRAW® graphics into PhotoPaint for further manipulation. Appendices include helpful resources like working with images from other Linux sources, such as GIMP, lots of Linux graphics resources, and primary differences for those converting from Windows environment. Chock full of "Linuxy" projects that use the penguin as the sole model for these high-tech projects.

Sunsoft Solaris 2.* Quick Reference (Solaris Made Easy Series)

Average customer rating:

Sunsoft Solaris 2.* Quick Reference (Solaris Made Easy Series)
Onword Press Development Team , and Clint Hicks
Manufacturer: OnWord Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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