5 ms·

ffmpeg is downright magical - just don't get caught using the one in the Ubuntu/Debian repositories. Compile your own ffmpeg if you have any need to do serious

ffmpeg is downright magical - just don't get caught using the one in the Ubuntu/Debian repositories. Compile your own ffmpeg if you have any need to do serious work; the Libav fork just isn't as capable. The reasons are obvious if you look into the development philosophies of the two projects. https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki/FFmpeg-versus-Libav https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki/FFmpeg-versus-Libav

MarcScott 12y ago
I think that ffmpeg is returning in Ubuntu 15 http://www.webupd8.org/2014/11/ffmpeg-returns-to-official-ubuntu.html http://www.webupd8.org/2014/11/ffmpeg-returns-to-official-ub...
- shmerl 12y ago
  Actually in Debian as well.
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
Thaxll 12y ago
Don't compile it just use the official binaries!
- dangerlibrary 12y ago
  That's a good option if the official binaries support all the codecs you need and have all the correct hardware acceleration flags set for your particular CPU/GPU. That's ... theoretically possible, I suppose.
  - astrange 12y ago
    ffmpeg binaries come with all possible codecs and all possible CPU features. The first is actually bad, because it will do far more things than you've actually tested and can secure. (In fact, nobody on earth has tested most possible ffmpeg command lines.) The second is the way almost all sensible x86 software should behave.
    - deleted 12y ago
      [deleted]
  - keeperofdakeys 12y ago
    Programs like ffmpeg compile in code paths for all hardware acceleration flags (mmx, sse, avx), then use runtime detection to use the right code for your cpu.
undersuit 12y ago
I used the http://www.deb-multimedia.org/ http://www.deb-multimedia.org/ repository in a pinch for ffmpeg recently. Third party repo aside, what criticisms are there for this ffmpeg compared to a compiled copy?
jamiesonbecker 12y ago
Use the version at http://deb-multimedia.org http://deb-multimedia.org echo "deb http://www.deb-multimedia.org stable main non-free" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/deb-multimedia.org.list apt-get -q update; apt-get -qy dist-upgrade apt-get -qqy install ffmpeg
- lozf 12y ago
  I always build my own as, afaik, it's the only way to get full support for the more interesting codecs e.g. fdkaac & h265.
  - ars 12y ago
    You can ask him to add them, he's pretty responsive to requests.
- JoshTriplett 12y ago
  Debian unstable has official ffmpeg packages, and as soon as the next release completes, those packages will migrate to testing and future stable.
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
  - xai3luGi 12y ago
    Seems unlikely that the security team would be happy having both ffmpeg and libav in Debian, so a GR would be needed to override them.
  - kevin_thibedeau 12y ago
    There are a number of useful codecs and filters that have non-free licenses. Debian packages will never have them enabled. Self compiles are the only way to get the ffmpeg kitchen sink.
    - JoshTriplett 12y ago
amelius 12y ago
> ffmpeg is downright magical Actually, in my experience, ffmpeg is the linux-program that by far outshines any other program in... failing or crashing :/ I'm sorry to say this. And, unfortunately, there isn't any other open source program doing a better job in terms of file format support.
- dangerlibrary 12y ago
  I would agree that ffmpeg has warts. It is pretty poorly documented. Also, filter pipelines are finicky and not commutative, which can be super confusing, but most of the time you don't need them. Aspect ratio syntax is a disaster, but aspect ratio specifications are a little bit of a disaster, so I don't know how much to blame ffmpeg. But simply failing or crashing? I can't say I've ever had a crash that wasn't the result of a misconfiguration on my part. What's nice is that on linux VLC is basically a QT4 GUI wrapper around ffmpeg, so you can do pretty much whatever you need to do from within VLC.
  - chanux 12y ago
    I think ffmpeg deserves my support on this as well. I maintain a video system at work and using ffmpeg for conversions. ffmpeg has never given me troubles (we compile our own ffmpeg).
  - gbog 12y ago
    The video play "mpv" is also almost a wrapper around ffmpeg, it seems.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- babuskov 12y ago
  Let me guess: you are using Ubuntu?

MarcScott 12y ago

I think that ffmpeg is returning in Ubuntu 15 http://www.webupd8.org/2014/11/ffmpeg-returns-to-official-ubuntu.html http://www.webupd8.org/2014/11/ffmpeg-returns-to-official-ub...

shmerl 12y ago
Actually in Debian as well.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]

Thaxll 12y ago

Don't compile it just use the official binaries!

dangerlibrary 12y ago
That's a good option if the official binaries support all the codecs you need and have all the correct hardware acceleration flags set for your particular CPU/GPU. That's ... theoretically possible, I suppose.
- astrange 12y ago
  ffmpeg binaries come with all possible codecs and all possible CPU features. The first is actually bad, because it will do far more things than you've actually tested and can secure. (In fact, nobody on earth has tested most possible ffmpeg command lines.) The second is the way almost all sensible x86 software should behave.
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
- keeperofdakeys 12y ago
  Programs like ffmpeg compile in code paths for all hardware acceleration flags (mmx, sse, avx), then use runtime detection to use the right code for your cpu.

undersuit 12y ago

I used the http://www.deb-multimedia.org/ http://www.deb-multimedia.org/ repository in a pinch for ffmpeg recently. Third party repo aside, what criticisms are there for this ffmpeg compared to a compiled copy?

jamiesonbecker 12y ago

Use the version at http://deb-multimedia.org http://deb-multimedia.org echo "deb http://www.deb-multimedia.org stable main non-free" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/deb-multimedia.org.list apt-get -q update; apt-get -qy dist-upgrade apt-get -qqy install ffmpeg

lozf 12y ago
I always build my own as, afaik, it's the only way to get full support for the more interesting codecs e.g. fdkaac & h265.
- ars 12y ago
  You can ask him to add them, he's pretty responsive to requests.
JoshTriplett 12y ago
Debian unstable has official ffmpeg packages, and as soon as the next release completes, those packages will migrate to testing and future stable.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- xai3luGi 12y ago
  Seems unlikely that the security team would be happy having both ffmpeg and libav in Debian, so a GR would be needed to override them.
- kevin_thibedeau 12y ago
  There are a number of useful codecs and filters that have non-free licenses. Debian packages will never have them enabled. Self compiles are the only way to get the ffmpeg kitchen sink.
  - JoshTriplett 12y ago

amelius 12y ago

> ffmpeg is downright magical Actually, in my experience, ffmpeg is the linux-program that by far outshines any other program in... failing or crashing :/ I'm sorry to say this. And, unfortunately, there isn't any other open source program doing a better job in terms of file format support.

dangerlibrary 12y ago
I would agree that ffmpeg has warts. It is pretty poorly documented. Also, filter pipelines are finicky and not commutative, which can be super confusing, but most of the time you don't need them. Aspect ratio syntax is a disaster, but aspect ratio specifications are a little bit of a disaster, so I don't know how much to blame ffmpeg. But simply failing or crashing? I can't say I've ever had a crash that wasn't the result of a misconfiguration on my part. What's nice is that on linux VLC is basically a QT4 GUI wrapper around ffmpeg, so you can do pretty much whatever you need to do from within VLC.
- chanux 12y ago
  I think ffmpeg deserves my support on this as well. I maintain a video system at work and using ffmpeg for conversions. ffmpeg has never given me troubles (we compile our own ffmpeg).
- gbog 12y ago
  The video play "mpv" is also almost a wrapper around ffmpeg, it seems.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
babuskov 12y ago
Let me guess: you are using Ubuntu?