Cannot get the stock Videos app (totem) to work with DVD's on Zorin 18 Pro

General Help
1

Hello and good day,

I am having an issue on getting the DVD functionality to work with Zorin 18 Pro. I have researched and performed the steps that Zorin stated on their web site and still no joy.

When I attempt to watch a DVD, I get the following error:

Unable to play the file
DVD source is required to play the file, but is not installed

There are two options in the dialog box that one can choose. Cancel and Find in Software. I select the Find in Software and it errors out stating:Unable to find requested software.

What is more strange is if I uninstall the Zorin version and install the Flatpak version, the drive attempts to start up the video but stops and there is nothing but a blank screen.

So it looks like Videos (totem) is not working correctly.

Why I state that is because I installed VLC and it will watch the DVD perfectly!

I'm sure that someone will just say to use VLC however I am just testing Zorin at the moment mainly to see if I can maybe get a few folks who are very much Linux newbies and I would like to see if I can just get what comes with Zorin going before just using VLC and calling it a day.

Thank you for any advice you can to help me address this issue.

MH

2

Welcome to the Forum!

Did You installed the whole Codec Stuff?

3

Totem has been dis-continued, you might want to try video player like Clapper or Showtime.

5

@wesoliv429 They don't have an issue with VLC!

This is when Synaptic Package Manager comes into its own. I am currently playing with Plasma 6.3.6 on LMDE7. When I launch Synaptic Package Manager and search for Totem, all the packages that are about to get installed are highlighted in green - look what is not included by default, "libdvd-pkg":

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I state in the Unofficial Manuals I have written for Zorin that one of the first things you should do is install Synaptic Package Manager as it is more efficient than gnome-software (Software).

6

Yes as far as I know I did. Followed the directions on the Zorin web site step by step.

7

Wonder why Zorin decided to use totem then?

On my installation the default video player on Zorin Pro is totem. Thanks for the info.

I'll take a look at the other app you suggested.

Thank you.

8

I believe, that the intent was as a suggested alternative to Totem.
Which is not dissimilar to one suggesting Q4OS as an alternative to Zorin OS.

The Zorin OS packages of Totem are maintained and current.
The reason it is said that Totem is discontinued is because Gnome, in its Latest Versions, has decided to change direction and as of Gnome 49, replace Totem with a new Gnome Videos app named "Showtime" that is more GTK and LibAdwaita compliant.

Totem's codebase is GTK3 compliant, but not as easily converted to GTK4, which has removed much of its functionality in order to SoftLock them into the LibAdwaita dependency.

The current "ShowTime" app is available only on Flathub. This would have necessitated ZorinGroup to create a .deb package for it, for Zorin OS users, or consign us to a default Application being a Flatpak, which would be a controversial decision to make.

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10

I followed the instructions here:

Installed a ton of stuff and didn't work - guessing these instructions were for an older version of Zorin? Really should be updated or removed, or labeled for the version it's for.

I went with VLC - it's way too complicated and it doesn't look very good, but it is the most functional player out there, I think. Plays DVDs too. :slightly_smiling_face:

11

I'm not sure if it is for an outdated version or not but I did at least attempt to get this going before asking for help.

VLC in it's default state may not "look pretty" but unless the ability has been removed, it can be themed to look more pleasing.

Yes as I said in my original post, I can indeed play DVD's with VLC. It was the one that comes with Zorin was the one I was targeting.

12

I wasn't making any suggestions for the distribution. I was simply attempting to compare that one video player worked but not the main one that came with the distribution when concerning DVD playback.

I personally can easily find another piece of software to use. I was looking at this situation from a very Linux newbie point of view.

The less than tech savvy people that I know and assist from time to time may not be able to understand that the application that came with the OS will not work with this even when you apply the "workaround or fix".

They just want it to work.

I do personally understand the issues in keeping up with the GNOME developers and how much this can be a PITA at times however the folks who come to Zorin may not understand this so such.

If Zorin is going to keep on bundling a certain item that should "just work" after running through a guide, it should just work.

Especially when folks who are paying for a Pro edition and who are extremely new at Linux. When folks see the word Pro, they just expect the installed things to just work.

I personally know that this approach is unrealistic however again look at the issue through a different viewpoint.

I'm not here to give the distribution a hard time. Not the case! I am testing distributions and hoping to get others to jump from the M$ ship and find a happy home with Linux and one of the contenders is Zorin.

I want to in full confidence tell folks to go to this site if they are a Linux newbie, purchase and download the Pro edition and after working through a any available guides (if necessary), have their computer "just work" as they wish.

I am in NO way badmouthing Zorin at all! From what I have experimented with it, I can see the appeal that can lure folks give Linux a try. I currently run Linux but not the Zorin distro.

It can be said that most people don't play DVD's on their systems anymore. Many manufactures have removed the optical drives from their systems! However I know a bunch of old school folks who do and wish to do so.

I happen to be one of them :slight_smile:

I will take a look at some of the suggested applications to see if they work any better.

VLC will be my backup plan.

I appreciate the input that I've received so far from here. As far as totem goes, it is very strange how the Flatpak version and the .deb version (that ships with Zorin) behave differently to this issue.

Now I wish that I knew more on the development side of things.

Oh well. I will tinker some more on the test machine and see what I can get figured out.

Thanks folks!

13

You could check that. Open Gnome Software, scroll down to the End and there is a Button called ''Codecs''. click on it and You get an Overview with Codec Packages. Install them all.

Then open the Terminal and type:

sudo apt install ubuntu-restricted-extras ffmpeg

ubuntu-restricted-extras is a Bundle Package which includes Codecs and Microsofte Fonts. Because of the last, You get a Licence Agreement Prompt. Navigate there with the Tab Key to Ok and press Enter. ffmpeg will add more Codec Support, too. And because You already have VLC installed, You don't need to install that.

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Max Greenfield Reaction GIF by CBS

15

They still must stay in alignment with the Law.

Wanting what you want is not a legal exemption.

Commercial DVDs (Video DVDs) almost always use CSS (Content Scramble System) encryption. Playing them requires libdvdcss, which is legally ambiguous or outright restricted in some jurisdictions.

Distributions, like Ubuntu or Zorin OS are restricted from supplying this in the same way as how they are restricted from supplying Proprietary drivers (broadcom is an example) or Microsoft fonts.

They do show you how you can get them on your own where it is legally permitted and as the Stance on Piracy makes clear: There are lines not to be crossed.

VLC is not a service, it is a standalone package, so it is not as restricted.
Why does Zorin OS not include it: VLC has had significant problems security side and would be a very controversial choice on many fronts.

As an aside: I spent well over fifteen years on Microsoft products before switching to GnuLInux and I can tell you, things did not "just work." From vague troubleshooting references, to try to hunt for answers on the web, to Microsoft Support networks, getting things to work was often like pulling teeth.

This guide is still applicable and accurate, but it shows a warning on the page that may apply.

In addition, variance in manufacturer coding may necessitate a user needing more packages like gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad, gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly, and/or gstreamer1.0-libav.

sudo apt install gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly gstreamer1.0-libav

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16

I've just created a video on Vimeo. Totem (now Videos) can play DVDs if that package is installed as per my last post. But SMPlayer is better all round than either Videos or VLC!