mplayer+ffmpeg, and some progress, Re: Bug#395252: ignore bug 395252 'mplayer embeds ffmpeg' for lenny

[A Mennucc]

On Wed, Jun 18, 2008 at 04:24:18PM +0200, Reinhard Tartler wrote:
> Since mplayer includes an exact copy of ffmpeg by using an 'svn:external'
> on the ffmpeg svn, it makes sense to build shared library packages out
> of that source. 

hi  Reinhard,

I did build such a package ~1 month ago; the package source name is 
mplayer+ffmpeg , and it is a combination of
   mplayer.orig.tar.gz  + ffmpeg-free.orig.tar.gz 
   + all mplayer  debian/ + all ffmpeg debian/ + extra quilt
(it uses the latest features of dpkg-source (3.0 quilt) , it is quite neat).

So this mplayer+ffmpeg package is a merge , containing both packages,
in two separate subtrees. Since the subtrees are separate, this means
that it is reasonably easy to transition for we mplayer&ffmpeg
developers: to start with, each one of us can just work in the subtree
where we know how stuff work; then we refine and polish to taste.

Pros: the  package mplayer+ffmpeg package compiles and builds all expected 
binaries. What it does:
 copy fffmpeg code into mplayer
 cd into ffmpeg subtree, apply ffmpeg quilt debian patches, compile ffmpeg-free binaries
 cd into mplayer subtree, apply mplayer debian patches, compile mplayer binary 

Cons: at that time,  I did not find out a way to link mplayer to ffmpeg 
(but see next section).

The reason why I was despairing, is that the following sequence failed to link.
 apply ffmpeg quilt debian patches into ffmpeg subtree
 copy fffmpeg code into mplayer
 cd into ffmpeg subtree, compile ffmpeg-free binaries
 cd into mplayer subtree, apply mplayer debian patches, compile mplayer binary 
So my best understanding was that, somehow, one of the ffmpeg quilt debian
patches was changing some important code , and that rendered it
incompatible with mplayer. But really I could not understand what was
wrong.

----------------

But I did a great progress. After I received the bad news, I went to
the drawing table once again, started everything from scratch once
again, and step by step I created a new set of patches, and this time
I could link a version of mplayer to the ffmpeg libraries. This is
very preliminary, I dont understand why it works now and it did not
work before, I did not even have time to test if this mplayer can play
most video and audio OK. If it works, I will also need to post some patches
for ffmpeg-free : indeed , the ffmpeg *-dev files do not contain
currently some .h and .c files that mplayer needs.

I will post more info as I find some time to test the compiled binary
and the resulting package.

(sorry I have to be brief, I am busy with Real Life & Work
& Moving to a New House (tm) in these days)

--------------

My package mplayer+ffmpeg remains though an interesting object, that
we may explore for lenny+1 ; now that I have also some new possibly
working  better patches, I will improve it, and I will upload it to
experimental.

a.


-- 
Andrea Mennucc

"The EULA sounds like it was written by a team of lawyers who want to tell 
me what I can't do, and the GPL sounds like it was written by a human 
being who wants me to know what I can do."
Anonymous,    http://www.securityfocus.com/columnists/420
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