HOWTO: Install and use the latest FFmpeg and x264

[mullens101]

I'm trying my best to have custom built ffmpeg play nice with Synaptic and it's driving me crazy. In their infinite wisdom, the Ubuntu folks split ffmpeg into several packages including libavcodec, libavutil and all. If I build ffmpeg and install it through checkinstall so that synaptic sees it, a ton of other crap in synaptic breaks and is removed (vlc, mplayer, a bunch of others).

I've figured out that I can install most of the libraries individually by cd'ing into, for example, the libavcodec folder and running checkinstall for just libavcodec. The problem then arises when I back out to the root of the build tree to install ffmpeg itself. Here, checkinstall fails because it tries to include all of the sub packages again. Oh, and the checkinstall in libavfilter fails with an error about no rule to make some package config file)

Why the hell did they decide to make this such a PITA by breaking out the subpackages and is there an easy way to properly install a SVN version of ffmpeg and all associated libraries that will make synaptic happy?

I've tried using the 'provides' argument to checkinstall and the items "provided" show up in the ffmpeg package description but the provided packages are not marked as installed. (Ex: run checkinstall on ffmeg with a provides argument of "libavcodec52". Synaptic shows ffmpeg as installed, the description of ffmpeg shows that it provides libavcodec52 but libavcodec is not marked as installed.

Overall, the overwhelming pain in the *** I'm having with building very common packages and installing them PROPERLY is causing me to seriously question Ubuntu as a whole. I have been using it for years but am getting frustrated beyond belief. Something as simple as being able to manually mark a package as installed in synaptic would fix it (or stopping the process of breaking packages apart ... or reducing the number of required dependencies assigned to every package ...)

Am I the only one feeling this way? (BTW, this all started because I need to have javascript support in mediatomb and the packagers for mediatomb in lofty disabled javascript support)

Sorry for the rant.

[Bachstelze]

All I have to say is: if you're unhappy with Ubuntu, there"s a lot of other distros out there. Ubuntu (and Debian, from which it originates) is not intended to be "user-compilation"-friendly. There are other distros in which to do that (Slackware comes to mind).

[prupert]

Sorry for the rant.

Personally, I think rants are good for the soul, so long as they are informative and interesting, like yours was. Just saying f$$$$ you Ubuntu, is not welcome, your rant, however, I think is

I am guessing you might be using checkinstall in the wrong way maybe. I have used the How To here (and the script I made to automate the whole shebang) and it hasn't messed with VLC or anything else as far as I am aware...are you sure you are giving the correct parameters to checkinstall?

[FakeOutdoorsman]

I'm trying my best to have custom built ffmpeg play nice with Synaptic...

Other users have asked how to do this before, but I will admit that I never figured out how to compile FFmpeg and all of the associated libav* packages while still making Ubuntu's package management system happy. I don't see why it couldn't be done, but I'm not too excited to spend time figuring out the intricacies of package wrangling. Of course other users are welcome to contribute if they do figure this out or see a better method than what I use in this guide.

Bachstelze does raise a good point. One reason I use Arch Linux most of the time is because I find it easier to compile packages, and I know a few forumites that prefer Slackware for probably the same reasons. Fire up a virtual machine and try these distros if they sound more like your thing.

[Bachstelze]

Other users have asked how to do this before, but I will admit that I never figured out how to compile FFmpeg and all of the associated libav* packages while still making Ubuntu's package management system happy. I don't see why it couldn't be done, but I'm not too excited to spend time figuring out the intricacies of package wrangling. Of course other users are welcome to contribute if they do figure this out or see a better method than what I use in this guide.

That's something I'll probably look into sometime across the summer. I would like to at least add FFMS2 support to my x264 packages, but that will require also making packages of newer ffmpeg revisions. It's probably nothing too complicated, the ffmpeg build process hasn't changed much since the version UBuntu packages were built against, so it would really just be copying over the debian/ folder and editing a few files, just like for x264.

[mullens101]

Thanks for the replies ...
Bachstelze, while I understand where you're coming from, but it's a bit of a cop out I think. It's linux - built to be free and to allow users to be able to do what they want. In general I have been using and loving Ubuntu for years ... this is my only major gripe and a simple feature like allowing me to override the package dependencies system would alleviate this particular issue. (Basically, let me check a box in synaptic to say "hey, this is installed"). I see your comment about coming back to it over the summer ... that would be appreciated. meanwhile, I'm doing my best to work it out from here. I don't mean to insinuate that I'm not truly grateful for all the work others have done ... just trying to get an annoying point across to see if anyone else has figured it out. I've been googling for this answer for weeks and have not found a solution yet.

prupert - followed the directions exactly for the configure and install, ffmpeg goes in fine and the libraries all install too. ffmpeg is marked as installed in synaptic but none of the libav* libraries are. I then go to install vlc. it says it needs libavcodes52 and tries to install it ... that bombs when libavcodec tries to overwrite files from ffmpeg and vlc is not installed.

Fakeoutdoorsman - So I'm not nuts, thanks for verifying that and I appreciate the recommendations ... I probably will try a couple of different VM installs of arch, Slackware, Fedora ... just takes so much damned time to learn a new system when I'm used to this one

[FakeOutdoorsman]

That's something I'll probably look into sometime across the summer. I would like to at least add FFMS2 support to my x264 packages, but that will require also making packages of newer ffmpeg revisions. It's probably nothing too complicated, the ffmpeg build process hasn't changed much since the version UBuntu packages were built against, so it would really just be copying over the debian/ folder and editing a few files, just like for x264.

Excellent. Let us know what you find out.

I have yet to even try FFMS2, although I now often use the LAVF support in x264 and it certainly has been useful.

...I then go to install vlc. it says it needs libavcodes52 and tries to install it ... that bombs when libavcodec tries to overwrite files from ffmpeg and vlc is not installed.

You might be interested in andrew.46's throughly well-written guide:

Howto: Build the development version of vlc under Ubuntu.

... just takes so much damned time to learn a new system when I'm used to this one

You'll get a good start with the Arch Linux Beginners' Guide and the Official Arch Linux Install Guide.

[Bachstelze]

this is my only major gripe and a simple feature like allowing me to override the package dependencies system would alleviate this particular issue. (Basically, let me check a box in synaptic to say "hey, this is installed").

The problem is that such a feature would have a lot of implications at numerous levels. The package manager's job is not merely to keep track of installed packages, but also keep track of installed files, know which files belong to which packages, and make sure (using the dependency system) that all packages are compatible with each other. I don't know if the version of VLC from the repos works with the current ffmpeg, but even if it does, nothing guarantees that tomorrow, there wil not be a ffmpeg update that will make it ABI-incompatible and will break VLC. And what if you want to install a package that normally conflicts with ffmpeg because they want to install the same file? Since the package manage won't know exactly which files belong to your "dummy" ffmpeg packages, it will happily install the new one, thus overwriting the file you installed manually when you installed ffmpeg, and possibly breaking the whole thing.

I'm not saying such a feature would be impossible to implement, but it would 1) be much less trivial than you seem to think, and 2) not reallly conform to the Debian/Ubuntu philosophy.

[mc4man]

I don't see any great mystery here or big issue with building a more current ffmpeg as shared.

Though for the most part there is very little to be gained by doing so - I do it once per release (ubuntu), then ffmpeg is built as static from then on.

If you wish a shared build that integrates and doesn't break most ubuntu repo apps (or most ppa apps), then simply build as a debian package set.

(the only app I've seen semi break is audacity and it's ffmpeg import/export function, the cause being it's coded to only look for a specific major/minor version - easily resolved

Most sources that build depend of ffmpeg can be statically linked and become self contained so to speak. And there are advantages to doing a specific ffmpeg build for a particular source

For instance the ffmpeg I built and statically linked for xinelibs 1.8 was different than the one for vlc 1.0.6 which is different than the current installed ffmpeg.

As far as the shared build I only install the shared lib packages - the -devs can be temporally installed if need be, then removed, though myself usually don't use

If you use a simple .diff as a starting point to a package set build then with a few changes is quite simple - the .diff from debian-multimedia can be easily adapted for good ubuntu builds (the ubuntu .diff(s) are overly complicated

Combine that with a local repo and it becomes easy to maintain, install and redo on fresh install - checkinstalls don't go in a local repo, i.e. here mplayer, ffmpeg, x264, totem-xine

current repo on lucid - the ffmpeg -r probably won't be redone unless there is some advantage from a shared lib perspective - which is doubtful

doug@doug-laptop:~/repo$ ls *.deb
abcde_2.4.1-1ubuntu1_all.deb
faac_1.28-0.3_i386.deb
libavcodec52_0.5.1+svn22615_i386.deb
libavcodec-dev_0.5.1+svn22615_i386.deb
libavdevice52_0.5.1+svn22615_i386.deb
libavdevice-dev_0.5.1+svn22615_i386.deb
libavfilter1_0.5.1+svn22615_i386.deb
libavfilter-dev_0.5.1+svn22615_i386.deb
libavformat52_0.5.1+svn22615_i386.deb
libavformat-dev_0.5.1+svn22615_i386.deb
libavutil50_0.5.1+svn22615_i386.deb
libavutil-dev_0.5.1+svn22615_i386.deb
libdvdcss2_1.2.10-0.2_i386.deb
libfaac0_1.28-0.3_i386.deb
libfaac-dev_1.28-0.3_i386.deb
libmediainfo0_0.7.30-1~ppa1~lucid1_i386.deb
libmp4v2-1_1.9.1-0.1_i386.deb
libmp4v2-dev_1.9.1-0.1_i386.deb
libpostproc51_0.5.1+svn22615_i386.deb
libpostproc-dev_0.5.1+svn22615_i386.deb
libswscale0_0.5.1+svn22615_i386.deb
libswscale-dev_0.5.1+svn22615_i386.deb
libtotem-plparser12_2.28.1-1_i386.deb
libva1_0.31.0-1+sds12_i386.deb
libva1-dbg_0.31.0-1+sds12_i386.deb
libva-dev_0.31.0-1+sds12_i386.deb
libvlc2_1.0.6-2ubuntu2_i386.deb
libvlccore2_1.0.6-2ubuntu2_i386.deb
libxine1_1.1.18-1ubuntu2_i386.deb
libxine1-all-plugins_1.1.18-1ubuntu2_all.deb
libxine1-bin_1.1.18-1ubuntu2_i386.deb
libxine1-console_1.1.18-1ubuntu2_i386.deb
libxine1-dbg_1.1.18-1ubuntu2_i386.deb
libxine1-doc_1.1.18-1ubuntu2_all.deb
libxine1-ffmpeg_1.1.18-1ubuntu2_i386.deb
libxine1-gnome_1.1.18-1ubuntu2_i386.deb
libxine1-misc-plugins_1.1.18-1ubuntu2_i386.deb
libxine1-plugins_1.1.18-1ubuntu2_all.deb
libxine1-x_1.1.18-1ubuntu2_i386.deb
libxine-dev_1.1.18-1ubuntu2_i386.deb
libzen0_0.4.12-1~ppa1~lucid1_i386.deb
mediainfo_0.7.30-1~ppa1~lucid1_i386.deb
mediainfo-gui_0.7.30-1~ppa1~lucid1_i386.deb
pana_1.4.15-1ubuntu2_i386.deb
pana-common_1.4.15-1ubuntu2_all.deb
pana-dbg_1.4.15-1ubuntu2_i386.deb
pana-engines_1.4.15-1ubuntu2_all.deb
pana-engine-xine_1.4.15-1ubuntu2_i386.deb
pana-engine-yauap_1.4.15-1ubuntu2_i386.deb
rubyripper_0.6b.2_all.deb
vdpau-video_0.6.7-1_i386.deb
vdpau-video-dbg_0.6.7-1_i386.deb
vlc_1.0.6-2ubuntu2_i386.deb
vlc-data_1.0.6-2ubuntu2_all.deb
vlc-nox_1.0.6-2ubuntu2_i386.deb
vlc-plugin-pulse_1.0.6-2ubuntu2_i386.deb
vlc-plugin-sdl_1.0.6-2ubuntu2_i386.deb
w32codecs_20071007-0medibuntu5_i386.deb

[andrew.46]

Hi mullens101,

... I probably will try a couple of different VM installs of arch, Slackware, Fedora ... just takes so much damned time to learn a new system when I'm used to this one

I can only speak for Slackware which is my primary distro (Ubuntu in VM) but you will find that the absence of dependency checking and the policy of installing source package in their complete form makes life so much easier.

Andrew