[FFmpeg-user] how to distribute ffmpeg code before the patch is approved

[Carl Eugen Hoyos]

Am Di., 18. Juni 2019 um 19:21 Uhr schrieb Mark Himsley Gmail
<mark.himsley at gmail.com>:

> On 15 May 2019 20:39:22 BST, Yufei He <yhe at matrox.com> wrote:

> >How to distribute ffmpeg + our patch  before our patch is approved ?
> >
> >Can we send our code to customer and ask them to compile themselves?

Not sure if I understand the question:
FFmpeg is open-source, you have (among other freedoms) the right to
distribute the source and to change the source code.
So, if you distribute FFmpeg source code and patches that you release
to the public (you have - imo - already done that when you sent the
patch to the development mailing list), I don't see what possible issue
you want to address (or solve)...

> I think you need to ask for the definition of 'distribute'.
>
> IANAL, but I believe you can give your customer your compiled version
> of FFmpeg so long as you make available all of the source code including
> your patches from which you compiled your version of FFmpeg.

Just to avoid any misunderstandings:
Since the Matrox driver is closed source, and FFmpeg (patched with the
Matrox patch that this thread is about) exchanges data structures with this
driver and this driver is not normally distributed with the operating system,
you are not allowed to distribute binaries based on FFmpeg and x264, no
matter if you provide the source code or not.

Carl Eugen