Frequently Asked Questions

How do I compile and import jvlc into Eclipse?

You need maven2 installed (http://maven.apache.org). Once you have maven installed, from the bindings/java folder type:

mvn install

and this will build jvlc. To create the needed eclipse project files, run

mvn eclipse:eclipse

then import the project as an Existing Java Project into Eclipse from the bindings/java/core folder.

I get this error: java.lang.UnsatisfiedLinkError?: Unable to load library 'libvlc-control': liblibvlc-control.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory. What can I do?

Java can't find libvlc-control probably because it's not in your LD_LIBRARY_PATH. Try to run

ldconfig -p | grep libvlc-control

and see it is listed there. If not configure your ldconfig properly (perhaps by editing ld.so.conf), or put libvlc-control in a path reachable by linker (for example, /usr/lib).

If ldconfig shows everything fine, be sure to run jvlc with the following switch:

-Djna.library.path=/usr/local/lib (or any path to libvlc-control)

I get this error: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError?: com/sun/jna/Library*

This means you don't have JNA in the classpath.

What features of Videolan are available to JVLC?

JVLC contains all the features available in Videolan. In fact, JVLC uses Videolan core as its core, so JVLC is capable of everything Videolan can do.

Is there any sample code?

vlc-trunk/bindings/java/samples contains sample code.

Why shouldn't I use JMF (Java Media Framework) for multimedia applications?

Well, JVLC and Videolan are free (as in freedom) software, so you can extend and adapt them to your needs, while JMF is free as in beer. Furthermore JVLC is really straightforward and simple to use.

How can I help you with this application?

Try the software and report any errors or bugs you find to me.