VLC could not open the file VIDEO_TS (Permission denied)

[GOGuy]

Mint 17.3 Cinnamon 64-bit on a Toshiba laptop.

I have transfered a video of a family wedding from VHS to DVD. I've made 3 DVDs because I thought there was a problem with the old Panasonic (does everything analogue or digital) video recorder, but in fact they all play OK under Windows 7 with both Media Player and VLC, but Mint produces (permission denied) errors with every application that I've tried to access the files. Obviously there are no questions of Digital Rights - I made the original video! Exactly the same problem occurs with legitimate DVDs that play without problem on the DVD player connected to the TV.

I'm not happy at having to rely on Windows (I only have W7 because it came pre-installed on this PC); my long-term strategy has been to use Linux starting with Ubuntu 8 and switching to Mint after Ubuntu 10.04. I want to be able to a) edit the original video, and b) be able to transfer the digital result to whatever replaces DVDs in the future.

Is it possible to fix/override this access problem in VLC and in Mint in general, please?

[richyrich]

Instead of trying to open the TS file, have you tried to open the 001 (or some such) file instead ?

[GOGuy]

Thanks for the suggestion, but there isn't one!

From what I've read while researching this problem, the usual arrangement is a Folder with a number of different, related, Audio Video etc., files inside. I suspect that what appears to be the file VIDEO_TS is in fact such a folder, but since Mint is denying access it won't read the folder header (or whatever).

[richyrich]

Arggh ! Blame it on my senility ! It was VOB file inside the TS folder that I meant . . When I insert a DVD, I have Mint set to auto-mount it, and it is completely readable in my File Manager. A double click on a VOB file will automatically open in VLC.

PS; the audio_ts folder is usually always empty, as the audio is included inside the vob files, which are in the video_ts folder.

[GOGuy]

I too have the optical drive set to Auto-mount. Wierdly, I can no longer even read a Live DVD even though I must have been able to in order to install Mint 17.2 in the first place.

I generally use an old tower for burning data DVDs because it has a faster optical drive and this is one of the purpose for which I kept it. This will open the files on Live DVD, using the drive on which the Live DVD was burnt a few days ago, but (under Properties) shows "The permissions of...cannot be determined".

To recap, this problem is replicated on two machines with substantially different hardware, both running Mint 17.3 Cinnamon (Linux kernel 3.19.0-32) recently upgraded from 17.2 and 1.13.0-39. Having typed this makes me wonder if this is a kernel problem? I'll 'revert' the laptop and see what happens.

[EDIT] Reverting the Linux kernel isn't simple or advised and I don't want to break an otherwise working Mint installation.

[richyrich]

If you upgraded the kernel when you upgraded to Mint 17.3, the older kernel should still be there. When you first boot, hold down the Shift key to get the Grub menu, then you should be able to use the arrow keys to navigate to, and choose the older kernel.
Another thing to check, is to see if you have cdr-tools (or cdtools, or similar, can't remember) installed . . use Synaptic Package Manager for an easy search/install.

[GOGuy]

Thanks for the latest suggestion, I'll try it and come back. In the meantime,I'd written:-

"I've given up trying to fix this problem. I don't usually have any need to play DVDs on a PC, and simply need to archive some 36 minutes of home video on VHS onto a secure, modern, medium while the VHS tape is still readable and our last VCR is still working.

I've solved the problem by 'giving in' and using Windows 7: re-boot into Windows, open the DVD in Explorer, copy the relevant .VOB file (in the folder that Mint refuses to recognise on the same PC!) to /Documents and Settings/User/Videos/VIDEO_TS folder on the W7 partition, unset Read only permission.

Reboot into Mint. Opening /media/user/Win7/Documents and Settings/User/Videos/VIDEO_TS/VTS_01_1.VOB with either VLC or SMplayer plays the file perfectly. Copy this file to /home/user/Videos/Converted_from_VHS without any difficulty and this plays without any problem. So now I can edit out the bits where people stand in front of the camera and the boring speeches.

It's a tedious work-around, but took less than 30 minutes compared with several hours of brain-ache trying to determine a. where the defect is (Mint or the Linux kernel) b. if a solution exists & c. what that solution might be. Never even managed to get find an answer to a, so I've no idea where to post a BUG report."

[GOGuy]

Reverting to the previous kernel makes no difference.

Synaptic Package Manager search on ALL "cd tools" produced a list of 22 items, only 2 installed: file-roller and genisoimage. interestingly, the last item on the list udftools looks as though it might be relevant. Installed it via Package Manager, but without any effect.

Can't see anything like cd-tools, but a search on "dvd tools" shows dvd+rw-tools as installed. Further searches on "dvd" and "drm" didn't show anything obviously missing.

Thanks once again for your suggestions - I am at least one step further forward, upgrading the kernel was a red herring. Part of my problem is that I have so little evidence to go on: I do know that Ubuntu 10.04 would play DVDs quite happily on the old tower - one of the things I tested when I first installed Linux after the Windows installation broke. Until now, I've not had cause to try to play DVDs with Mint.

[GOGuy]

The 'work around' in VLC and MPlayer is to side-step the known (listed in the Release Notes) defect in Mint 17, and use Media > Open Disc setting the Disc device to /dev/sr0. This is cumbersome and by the time I next want to play a video from a DVD I shall have forgotten the 'magic spell. However, copying or editing a video file from a DVD is, at the present time, impossible without recourse to Windows.

[richyrich]

That's not a workaround . . it is the way it has always been to open a dvd disk in vlc. I'm sorry you feel that way, but yes, linux is not microsoft windows !

[Flemur]

This is cumbersome and by the time I next want to play a video from a DVD I shall have forgotten the 'magic spell.

With vlc I just do "Media->Open disc" and there it is. (smplayer is confused, tho).

However, copying or editing a video file from a DVD is, at the present time, impossible without recourse to Windows.

I can just copy the DVD contents over with thunar (or CLI), commercial DVD/CD or otherwise.
Do you have libdvdcss2 installed?

[GOGuy]

That's not a workaround . . it is the way it has always been to open a dvd disk in vlc. I'm sorry you feel that way, but yes, linux is not microsoft windows !

Linux is not a serious alternative to Windows unless it works at least as consistently. Under Windows 7, inserting a video DVD (commercial or home) causes VLC to play it automatically. Under Mint, If I do exactly the same, the DVD format isn't recognised; selecting VLC as the application to use to open (play) a DVD, Mint reports a (Permission denied) Error. This is quite enough to cause ordinary, non-techy, users to give up on Linux and go back to Windows.

I can just copy the DVD contents over with thunar (or CLI), commercial DVD/CD or otherwise.

I don't wish to offend, but this is a work-around for a defect that shouldn't exist. Mint should handle files consistently across all Media types and supported formats.

Do you have libdvdcss2 installed?

A newbie without a technical background, wouldn't even understand the question let alone know how to check. I'm neither and Yes it is - part of 17.3 Cinnamon as standard as AFAIK. However I have come across suggestions that, at least in the past, the effectiveness of libdvdcss2 depends on which repository they have been installed from.

Thank you all for taking the time and trouble to respond. If I seem critical, it's because I really want there to be a Linux Distro that is a real alternative to Windows for everybody; and not just a viable alternative, but a much better one. Mint still has a considerable way to go.

[richyrich]

Yea, I bet if Clem & the Mint developers had Microsoft's billions behind them, they might be able to create something . .