Skype After MPlayer

Since I started using Skype, it has always had a problem with video after running MPlayer. I managed to hit the right search terms today and finally found the answer. It seems MPlayer changes a XVideo attribute and then does not restore it before MPlayer terminates. Skype is not the only program that expects the XV_AUTOPAINT_COLORKEY attribute to be 1. After using the command

xvattr -a XV_AUTOPAINT_COLORKEY -v 1

to set the attribute back to 1, Skype video works.

MPlayer should restore configuration variables to the same state that it found it. It is just good behaviour. On the other hand, programs shouldn't expect that a user configurable attribute is always going have the correct value. I'm going to call it a draw and blame the bad programming on everyone. I was hoping it would be Skype's fault so I could blame the closed source program.

• https://developer.skype.com/jira/browse/SCL-350#action_27894
• http://ansuz.sooke.bc.ca/software/ogle-after-mplayer.php