Please help Linux newbie. How do I play mp3 files using Linux And what are

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ITYM "Codec" (plural: codecs). The term "codec" comes from the words "COder and DECoder". A codec is a component (originally hardware, but now software) that encodes and decodes data streams. In your case, a codec is specifically the module that converts MP3 (or other audio data) into hearable data. You need an MP3 codec in order to listen to MP3 data.

As for your RealPlayer error, I believe that this is a known problem with RealPlayer. The RealPlayer program requires a library (a "DLL" to the Windows crowd) that you do not have on your system. Normally, it would not be difficult to get this library so that RealPlayer will work, but you'd have to do it manually. RPM would probably throw a dependancy fit, and downgrade most of your software if you used it to install the library with.

However, all is not lost. Your Fedora system comes with a number of utilities that will play MP3 files. You just have to find one. Someone more knowledgable on Fedora can (and probably will) suggest an appropriate alternative. However, I can suggest such tools as mpg321, mpg123, lien, ximp3, TrueMusic, or any one of hundreds of other MP3 players for Linux.

HTH - -- Lew Pitcher

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