MediaCoder on Mac OS X 10.4 (x86) + Tips

Something made me to test this while reading the whole stuff about running under Linux+WINE. So yes, this is a confirmation that MediaCoder runs under OS X. I am sorry if this has been posted before (I've used the search form, but no relevant thread was returned). I am a really busy person and the site lacks any form of email contact.

So here I start with the typing.

Usually you have to start with the WINE installation. This guy from here wrote a great How-To about how to compile WINE from the sources. The easier alternative is to use MacPorts for the sources compiling, but taking the same steps as Alan Tan did. Personally I prefer the second option because MacPorts provides a pretty usable package manager. The only commands that you would need are:

  Code:

sudo port search port_name

  Code:

sudo port install port_name

where the port_name are the required/recommended packages: freetype (recommended), fontforge, and wine.

In order to use a Windows app under OS X you need to use the xterm from the X11 application (/Applications/Utilities/X11) instead of the Terminal, because WINE uses Apple's implementation of X11.

Tip: in order to use the $PATH environment variable, you need to make xterm a login shell. Go to X11 menu >> Applications >> Customize Menu ... In the 'Command' column that corresponds to the 'Terminal' menu name add -ls after xterm. Instead of xterm command, you need to have xterm -ls. Next time when you start X11, the first opened xterm won't be a login shell! Close that shell and open a new one (hot-key combination Apple+N) and voila, you have a xterm as a login shell which uses the settings from the .profile file.

Next step is to install Firefox for Windows under OS X. It looks like a horror movie with happy end, but I couldn't have patience to look for a workaround. Then after the Firefox setup has finished, you can install MediaCoder and start it.

Tip: don't forget that the default installation path for MediaCoder is:

  Code:

$HOME/.wine/drive_c/Program\ Files/MediaCoder/mediacoder.exe

so you can easily launch it with

  Code:

wine $HOME/.wine/drive_c/Program\ Files/MediaCoder/mediacoder.exe

or use a alias into the application profile. Aliases are pretty useful because they provide you the possibility to use custom shell commands.

Small how to: fire up a shell, or if you already have one in front of your eyes, go to your home directory with:

  Code:

cd $HOME

then edit your profile file with:

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nano .profile

Nano is a small text-mode text editor for UNIX-like operating systems. Go to the end of the file and add this:

  Code:

alias mediacoder='wine $HOME/.wine/drive_c/Program\ Files/MediaCoder/mediacoder.exe'

then save the file with Ctr+O and close the text editor with Ctr+X. Restart the shell (close and open it). Next time when you would login with a xterm shell, you can easily type

  Code:

mediacoder

in order to start the application.

Good Luck.

I almost forgot the screenshots:








It's a little bit unstable, it has a weird a$$ look, but it encodes fine.

PS: you guys are doing a great job with MediaCoder. Too bad that OS X lacks a tool like this one ...

Stanely you should sticky this next to my Linux/Wine Mediacoder Tutorial

I already stickied it. It's great news to hear MediaCoder runs on OS X, too!

It would be great if some people with a Mac could try this out and confirm:)

That's interesting.

[stanley]

Yes, interesting indeed. Thanks for sharing.

To be honest the only thing that might be a royal pain in the back is the WINE compiling and configuration. I didn't knew about the fact that the Xcode update is a requirement, so I failed several times in the compilation act till I found the How-To. The configuration can be an issue in some weird cases when there are some messed access rights into your own home directory. I also tested WINE on my coworker's Macintosh, and the winecfg application failed several times. In the first phase it couldn't create the .wine directory, so I had to manually create it and set the permissions in order to see if it works. It works. If this permissions issue occurs, use the Disk Utility to fix it.

  Code:

/Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility

Select the root partition of the OS X installation, the 'First Aid' tab from the area from the right side and obviously, click the 'Repair Disk Permissions'.

I am also curious if people could benefit from the stuff that I wrote, so I wish good luck to any Macintosh owner that's willing to try this.