Yes I think Amiga pipes require that you write to it first then read from it.
Not so:
<pre> New Shell process 6 6.AmigaOS4:> run type PIPE:foobar [CLI 5] 6.AmigaOS4:> echo >pipe:foobar "bla de blah de blah*Nble deblah de more blah" bla de blah de blah ble deblah de more blah 6.AmigaOS4:> </pre>
wouldn't work if that were so.
Qualification:
Obviosu it depends what was meant but that statement. You can certainly open a pipe for reading before you open it for writing, but obviously you can't read anything from it till it's been writen too. (Not unless your PIPE handler is using stolen timelord tech :-0)
Apparently there is some problem with MPlayer reading the pipe.
Personally, I would like to know why mkfifo doesn't work. Maybe MPlayer requires a pipe created by mkfifo. It would be nice to know if MPLayer will work with a mkfifo pipe.
Personally, I would like to know why mkfifo doesn't work
Mkfifo will never work because AmigaOS is not UNIX/Linux, AmigaOS is based on TRIPOS and that was long time ago.
MKFIFO and MKNOD creates a file that links to IO handler, AmigaOS files-systems can't do that, and its not necessary anyway, in AmigaOS its always volumes that link to IO-handlers.
PIPES / SERIAL PORT / PRINTER PORTS
Amiga style: ser: par: pipe:
Linux style /dev/ser /dev/par /dev/pipe
MSDOS style COM1: COM2: PAR:
(NutsAboutAmiga)
Basilisk II for AmigaOS4 AmigaInputAnywhere Excalibur and other tools and apps.
WRT Mplayer Arexx it seams there is a bug relateing to audio only files. (which is mentioned in the bugtracker on the mplayer-amigaos google code site)
that's because MPLayer REXX port is created when MPlayer starts but the main thread loop is only present when a video is played since with audio only files there is no window and so no event loop..
Hmm can see why that would b a problem, is suspect blenders experimental arexx port would suffer from similar issues if a command line render was started.....
Shoe horning 'amiga tech' into linux apps is not always easy!
How do you deal with the wave after it's converted?
BTW you can stop mpayer with a CTRL-C you know, if you can keep track of the mplayer CLI number ( say by starting mplayer with run >T:mppid mplayer ) then use
C:Break CLINUM 7
That might make a better inetrim solution than on the fly conversion.