[Ffmpeg-cvslog] r8039 - in trunk: Changelog MAINTAINERS libavcodec/allcodecs.c libavcodec/avcodec.h libavcodec/libgsm.c libavformat/riff.c

[Michel Bardiaux]

Alex Beregszaszi wrote:
> Hi,
> 
>>>> Add support for MS-GSM codec
>>> Any volunteers for from scratch implementation?
>> What would be the point? The license on the Berlin code is basically 
>> "any use is permitted".
> 
> Whats the point of FFmpeg then if every codec is available in one or the
> other form? FFmpeg is strong because it implements everything from
> scratch.
> 
To me, the strong points of ffmpeg are:

(1) Common API to the various codecs and containers

(2) LGPL implementations where only GPL or closed source exist

(3) Re-implementation of codecs that are either suboptimal or coded in 
very bad style (e.g. code relying on global variables, or C++...)

Reimplementing from scratch *just* because NIH, seems a total waste of time.

The worst that could happen would be that libgsm be removed from one or 
more major distributions *and* the mother site. If you want to protect 
against that, then take a local copy, as was considered perfectly 
acceptable for liba52 for years.

-- 
Michel Bardiaux
R&D Director
T +32 [0] 2 790 29 41
F +32 [0] 2 790 29 02
E mailto:mbardiaux at mediaxim.be

Mediaxim NV/SA
Vorstlaan 191 Boulevard du Souverain
Brussel 1160 Bruxelles
http://www.mediaxim.com/