[FFmpeg-devel] [PATCH] Dynamic plugins loading

[Felipe Contreras]

On Sat, Nov 6, 2010 at 11:47 AM, Reimar D?ffinger
<Reimar.Doeffinger at gmx.de> wrote:
> On Sat, Nov 06, 2010 at 11:18:54AM +0200, Felipe Contreras wrote:
>> FFmpeg's lack of dynamic plugin loading prevents it from getting into
>> the Fedora distribution. Period.
>
>> So we come again to the same: you don't care about Fedora. Fedora has
>> a philosophy, and that's that.
>>
>> Basically what you are saying is that Fedora needs to change their
>> philosophy in order to conform to FFmpeg.
>
> Well, I think we are still trying to figure out the philosophy,
> sometimes it is claimed to be "no patents" then it seems to be more
> like "no patents unless those we for some reason considered safe" or
> possibly "let's better not look, we might find a patent issue" and
> now according to you it's not related to patents but it's just
> that "dynamic plugin loading" is an absolute requirement.

You are mixing everything. It's very simple; FFmpeg has code with
patents claimed by MPEG LA and other parties... that can't go into
Fedora, but people should be able to install that support from a third
party (rpmfusion.org).

The only solution provided so far that is transparent to the end-user
is dynamic plug-in loading. However, I just heard in fedora-devel that
it might be possible to use a SONAME trick which seems to be used for
nvidia-libGL.so. A hack, but there's no better option for some
libraries.

>> >> >> *If* patent encumbered codecs could be installed as plugins, then the
>> >> >> situation might change.
>> >> >
>> >> > you should talk to the people from fedora and find out what their point of
>> >> > view is on these things and not argue here that they _might_ something
>> >>
>> >> There is no other reason why a distribution would not be shipping
>> >> FFmpeg. I can tell you this is the reason in MeeGo.
>
> libvpx does not allow installing patent-encumbered codecs as plugins,
> so it will not be in MeeGo either?

libvpx contains a _single_ codec that is claimed to be public domain,
there's no need for plugins.

> Or are you so blinded by a specific solution that you can no longer
> see the actual problem?

No.

-- 
Felipe Contreras