README for libdvdcss, a portable abstraction library for DVD decryption


Introduction
============

libdvdcss is part of the VideoLAN project, a full MPEG2 client/server
solution. The VideoLAN Client can also be used as a standalone program
to play MPEG2 streams from a hard disk or a DVD.


Building and Installing libdvdcss
=================================

See the INSTALL or INSTALL.libdvdcss file for this.

Running lidvdcss
================

The behaviourof the library can be affected by changing two environment
variables:
  DVDCSS_METHOD={title|disc|key}: method for key decryption
    title: decrypted title key is guessed from the encrypted sectors of
           the stream. Thus it should work with a file as well as the
           DVD device. But it sometimes takes much time to decrypt a title
           key and may even fail. With this method, the key is only checked
           at the beginning of each title, so it won't work if the key
           changes in the middle of a title.
           This is the default method,
    disc: the disc key is first cracked ; then all title keys can be
           decrypted instantly, which allows us to check them often,
    key: the same as "disc" if you don't have a file with player keys at
           compilation time. If you do, the decryption of the disc key
           will be faster with this method. It is the one that was used by
           libcss.
  DVDCSS_VERBOSE={0|1|2}: libdvdcss verbosity
    0: no error messages, no debug messages,
    1: only error messages (this is the default)
    2: error and debug messages


Troubleshooting
===============

A mailing-list has been set up for support and discussion about vlc and
libdvdcss. Its address is :

   <vlc@videolan.org>

To subscribe, send a mail to <listar@videolan.org> with the following
words in the mail body :

   subscribe vlc

To unsubscribe, do the same with the words :

   unsubscribe vlc


When reporting bugs, try to be as precise as possible (which OS, which
distribution, what plugins you were trying, and so on).


Resources
=========

The VideoLAN web site at http://www.videolan.org/ is a good start for
information about MPEG and DVD playing. Have a look at the documentation
section, as well as the bookmarks.