Dapper installation notes/Stuff that needs fixing

[Santiago Roza]

On 2/15/06, crimsun at fungus.sh.nu <crimsun at fungus.sh.nu> wrote:

> I'd love to have assistance whipping vlc into shape for Dapper+1.


it's not a matter of frontends, it's a matter of backends... and both
totem and vlc are just frontends.

vlc uses libavcodec (from ffmpeg) plus libdvdcss for encrypted dvds. 
that way it'll play pretty much everything... but it's illegal in the
usa and japan, because it uses patented tecnology (mp3, mpeg2/dvd,
mpeg4/divx), not to mention the dmca-forbidden reverse engineering on
the dvd encryption.

totem uses gstreamer *by default*, and since gstreamer was designed to
be 100% legal and safe in every country, it does not play patented
formats *by default*.  but that doesn't mean you can't add
gstreamer-mad for mp3, gstreamer-mpeg2dec (plus libdvdcss) for dvd,
and so on...

heck you could even add gstreamer-ffmpeg and play the same formats as
vlc!  or you could install totem-xine to make totem use a completely
different (and more compatible) backend: xine, which not surprisingly
uses ffmpeg too.


but no matter what you do, you'll always have the same problem: if
you're compatible you're illegal (in the us), if you're legal you're
incompatible.

it doesn't have anything to do with totem or vlc or gstreamer or
ffmpeg: it has to do with software patents, and software patents only
(well maybe the dmca too).

that's why in my previous post i suggested three ways of going around
this problem (a problem that unluckily can't be just "solved").


--
Santiago Roza
Departamento I+D - Thymbra
santiago.roza at thymbra.com