On Tue, Mar 20, 2007 at 06:50:22AM +0000, Tony Whitmore wrote:
> Mike Burrows wrote:
> 
> > I guess there isn't a .deb package for mplayer so I'll have to work at
> > getting it set up.
> 
> You don't mention which Debian-based distro you're using, but on both
> Debian and Ubuntu there is indeed a .deb for mplayer. In Ubuntu it's in
> the multiverse repository (due to support for restricted codecs).
> 
> $ apt-cache search mplayer mozilla
> mozilla-mplayer - MPlayer-Plugin for Mozilla
> 
There's a new natty feature in Ubuntu Feisty which this mail reminded me of. 
It's called "command not found" - hold on, stay with me, I'm not joking.
If you type a command that doesn't exist, normally you get this:-
  alan@bishop:~$ mplayer
  -bash: mplayer: command not found
With the package command-not-found installed (which is by default installed 
as of Ubuntu Feisty [due out in april]) you get something like this:-
  alan@tigger:~$ mplayer
  The program 'mplayer' can be found in the following packages:
   * mplayer-nogui
   * mplayer
  Try: sudo apt-get install <selected package>
  Make sure you have the 'multiverse' component enabled
  -bash: mplayer: command not found
How cool is that!?
Works for loads of things. There is a database in the dependent package 
"command-not-found-data".
  alan@tigger:~$ cowsay
  The program 'cowsay' is currently not installed.  You can install it by 
  typing:
  sudo apt-get install cowsay
  Make sure you have the 'universe' component enabled
  -bash: cowsay: command not found
  alan@tigger:~$ figlet
  The program 'figlet' can be found in the following packages:
   * figlet
   * toilet
  Try: sudo apt-get install <selected package>
  Make sure you have the 'universe' component enabled
  -bash: figlet: command not found
Of course if you spell the command incorrectly it all goes to pot a bit:-
  alan@tigger:~$ moonbuggy
  -bash: moonbuggy: command not found
  alan@tigger:~$ moon-buggy
  The program 'moon-buggy' can be found in the following packages:
   * moon-buggy
   * moon-buggy-esd
  Try: sudo apt-get install <selected package>
  Make sure you have the 'universe' component enabled
  -bash: moon-buggy: command not found
However if you are following a tutorial or mailing list posting that 
suggests you run a command that doesn't exist on your system at least it 
gives you a good way to solve the issue without having to search for the 
package containing the command.
As with all things it's under development and may have bugs, which can be 
reported/viewed in launchpad:-
https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/command-not-found/+bugs
Cheers,
Al.