Original post here.

The basic idea of how to convert a video for the Sansa Fuse Mp3/Video player is simple. What’s not so simple is directions.

1. You will need to make sure you Sansa Fuse is set correctly. Set it to MSC Mode.

2. If not installed already, you will need to install k9copy. You can do this simply by:


sudo apt-get install k9copy


Note this is a KDE application, so it may add the required KDE libraries to make this application work, and this may take some time. As Alton Brown says: “Your patience WILL BE rewarded. Your impatience, will be punished!”

3. Follow the directions give in the post above, to install fuzemux, and video4fuze.

4. Now the k9copy part. To change the settings, bring up k9copy, and find “configure k9copy”

Hit the MPEG-4 encoder and select the vido tab:

It should look like this: Encoder: mencoder

Width: 224 Height: 176

and I arbitrarily set the file size to 500 meg.

Video part done!

5. Now to the audio. Select the Audio tab (still under MPEG-4) — codec is mp3 (lame) and bitrate: 128. The gain was preset to 7 (I did NOT change this)

It should look like this:

6. If you have never used k9copy, it can be a bit intimidating. What you want to do, is to OPEN the DVD. All the title sets will be presented: (make sure you check ALL the title sets)

Set you input/and output as shown in the image above. Your name is going to be different then: “SOUTH_PACIFIC”

7. Hit the COPY button, and then go do you favourite 30 minute activity: walking, biking, television, reading. You know: something other then watching k9copy work!

It will create an output file called .avi in your home directory.

NEXT!

8. While the directions say to start video4fuze on the command line, in reality, that didn’t work for me. Why? Because at least in Ubuntu 10.10 (64 bit), it installs it into /usr/share/video4fuze

And while that’s NOT in-correct, it’s probably NOT in your path either.

Two choices:

either manually navigate to the directory


cd /usr/share/video4fuze


or

create a launcher:

You will note, that this is a Python Script.

so to run it: python /usr/share/video4fuze/video4fuze.pyw

And the screen pops up. Select the input file. The output file will be called, /home/username/input_file2_fuze.avi

You will note, that video4fuze – is really a front end for mencoder.

Again, this is NOT fast. So yea, another 30 minute thing.

10. Plug in your Sansa Fuse to your usb port. My Sansa Fuze has 8 G internally, and a 16G external drive. So I put this on the external drive. Videos will be 300 – 500 meg.

You MIGHT need to create a VIDEOS folder on the Sansa Fuze. (mkdir or nautilus will do this).

11. Copy and Paste time. Simply copy the /home/username/input_file2_fuze.avi file video4fuze created to your mp3 player VIDEOS folder. This will take some time, depending on how fast your ram is. Mine isn’t so, this time a 15 minute break. (Who said any of this was fast?)

12. When it’s done copying:


sync


sync to flush the buffers to disc.

13. Unplug the usb cable, let the fuze refresh, and enjoy!

Wayno

HOW TO AVOID BRICKING A TRACFONE!

You can see from previous post that I bricked my LG 500 Tracfone. I wanted to change the PIN, but ended up bricking it.

As used by Tracfone: A PIN always refers to the SIM Card Pin. And hey: there is no way to get that unless you call the carrier. It can not be displayed on the phone.

Security Code however, is what I wanted to change. The default is: “0000″ – and I didn’t want that. So here’s how to change the Security Code on a Tracfone:

1. Hit the Menu button.

2. Select the Settings icon.

3. Select the Security icon.

4. Select the Change Codes icon.

W A R N I N G ! ! ! DANGER WILL ROBINSON! W A R N I N G ! ! !

NOTE: DO NOT SELECT THE PIN CODE. NOPE THAT IS FOR THE SIM CARD! WRONG!

5. Choose Security Code

6. Press ok (or the middle button) and it will ask for the Current Security Code. Mine defaulted to “0000″ (yeah too easy to guess!) — I changed it to what I wanted. Confirmed it. It saved it.

7. To “Auto Lock the phone”

A. Hit the Menu button.

B. Select the Security Icon.

C. Select the Phone Lock icon.

D. Change from “OFF” to “ON”

You will be prompted for that Security Code we just changed. You are now all set!

Hope this avoids a call to Tracfone Customer Service to get a Puk (Personal Unlock Key) to unbrick your phone. But just in case, Tracfone’s Customer Service Number is: (800) 378-1874

and so it goes…;
Wayno

Nothing to do with Linux, but I’l bet there are others wondering how to do this.

The manual supplied with the phone does NOT tell you, nor is the information anywhere on the net. This information was obtained via an email to Tracfone Customer Support.

My email:
———
Original Message Follows:

Hi I have an LG500 phone. I like it, but the manual is….well lacking. I have the following 3 questions:

1. How do I enable the speaker phone on this phone?. The manual does NOT say, nor is it obvious.

2. How do I change the pin number?

3. This says I can add applications to the phone?

What and where do I get them? Cost, how to? etc. I don’t mind reading the manual, it’s just the manual supplied does NOT give you much information.

Thanks,

Wayno

=====================

Thank you for your interest in TracFone Wireless. We are responding to your recent inquiry.

We would like to take this opportunity to apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced with this issue.

Please follow the steps below to turn on the speaker phone:

1. Once you answer or place a call, press the key located in the center of the navigation keys. “Speaker on” will display.

2. To turn it off, press the key in the center of the navigation keys again. “Speaker off” will display.

3. To return to the main screen, press the PWR/END key.

Please follow the steps to change the PIN:

What you want is: Security Code NOT Pin Number.

DO not TRY THIS. RESULTED IN A LOCKED PHONE. PIN BLOCKED. ENTER PUK Code.

To get the PUK you will need to call Tracfone Customer Service: (800) 867-7183

Information removed, for your protection! (Did I just say that?)

For us to better assist you in downloading applications for your phone, please contact our Sales Support Department at 1-800-323-2366. For your convenience, our representatives are available Monday-Sunday from 8:00 AM to 10:45 PM EST. Thank you for your patience.

Thank you for being a TracFone Wireless customer. We appreciate your business.

Sincerely,

TracFone Wireless