F8(1) vs multimedia production(0)

[Antonio Olivares]

> > A lot of applications sit on top of ffmpeg and ffmpeg
> is structured that you
> > have to make compile time choices as to what sort of
> functionality it
> > exposes. 
> 
> Why is it problematic for an end user to make a compile
> time choice in 
> an open source system that includes a compiler?  
> Philosophically, I 
> mean - I know RPM packaging is not conducive to using the
> source.
> 
> > Sucks.. but the ffmpeg developers made a framework
> chose that is incredibly
> > inflexible.
> 
> Isn't this really as much a fedora packaging choice
> that makes working 
> with source inflexible?  But realistically, if you have to
> get the 
> codecs from a third party you might as well get the whole
> thing there. 
> There really isn't a lot of point in having a crippled
> version pre-built 
> at all so omitting it from the distro is best for everyone.
> 
> -- 
>    Les Mikesell
>     lesmikesell at gmail.com
> 
> 
> -- 

+1)

It is very difficult for end users to get all the ***BAD STUFF***, dvd playback, editing, mp3 playback and all other patent encumbered stuff, ..., etc.  working through compiling from source.  Default Fedora applications like Totem, which is good for the things that it can play, and *it wants to play a DVD when you put it in there*, its intentions are good, but it can't play because of all the reasons we know.  Why doesn't Fedora say OK, We will make it easier by removing all of the **good stuff** we give you(the ones that are truly free and not patent encumbered)_ and we will let you the user(s) do what you want.  We will give you the base(core), gcc development tools, and libraries and you can build your system from the ground up with all the DVD stuff that you want to put into it, with mp3 playback and all of the ***BAD STUFF** that is patent encumbered.  This way the user is solely responsible for fighting with the laws of their own country.  

Yes, I know that other distros already do this, but why not offer users a Fedora system which does not get in the way with their free/non-free/ugly/not ugly codecs and stuff.  

Yes, I know that livna and freshrpms build the ***BAD STUFF*** and we can install it, but how about those of us that want to build from source and we are confident in what we can do. 

For multimedia purposes, the only player that I can get working from source is mplayer.  If I try xine, there will be conflicts with the fedora version.  Vlc fails to build becuase of ffmpeg/ffmpeg-devel stuff.  If one tries to build dvdauthor, k9copy, vamps, ..., others are a pain in the a** to build because several things get in the way.  

Telling us to move to another distro is not the correct answer.  Also to get it from livna or freshrpms might be an option, but is it the best alternative?

Thanks jeff for trying to help us out, but it does not do much good despite all the hard efforts that are put forth.  

Regards,

Antonio