Yet another blog for JBKempf - VideoLAN

CoverFlow and VLC in a webpage

JBK — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 08:02:00 +0200

This is just a very short post about a cool hack made by someone on the VideoLAN forum: VLC&Coverflow.

This webpage uses Flash technology to let you choose the movie you want, in a CoverFlow-Like mode.

When selected, you can get the VLC to play it without the disadvantages of Flash Video format (slow, low quality, CPU hungry...)

VideoLAN Webbys 5s in London.

JBK — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:43:00 +0200

Webbys 5s .org

This blog was calm last week, since I was invited to a Webbys Award event in London.

This event was focused on the .org community and the importance of having a .org for some non-profit association.

I made a small talk (5 slides, 5 minutes, 5 sentence by slides).

The other .org were: Greenpeace, Alternet, Wikipedia and IdeaList.

This was very funny and I met a lot of nice people.

Photos

Presentation

Coming soon!

Vidéo

Coming soon!

Reflexions about the first part of this SoC

JBK — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:16:00 +0200

Maybe no one cares, but still here are some random thoughts about what happened so far for us. I write them now, because I might forget those when all will be over.

Introduction

This is the second year for VideoLAN as a mentoring organisation for the GSoC.

In our first year we didn't outperform for many reasons (see here for details

VideoLAN is not a very stuctured organisation.

Candidacies

But this year, we received 85 candidacies (+8 ineligible) against something between 40 and 50 last year... (I fear that I don't have the exact number )

I know the GSoC is getting bigger every year, but still this is a big increase for us. Moreover, some of the students did some really good patches (one almost solved the main subject of one of our idea ) and the application level is better...

Why ?

So I don't really know exactly why, but here are a few guesses:

Last year, GSoC was a bit of a surprise for us. This year, we know way better what we can expect from students/mentors.
Last year, VideoLAN was mentoring only for VLC media player, this year, we have VLC media player and x264 (we have roughly 70/15 applications for VLC/x264)
Ideas were done mostly the same way, but we put more of them on our wiki this year. Ideas are more sized for a summer (see first reason)
We added ideas cross projects (x264-VLC, VLC-other codecs libraries, VLC-FreePV)
We added qualification tasks (VLC: compile VLC, provide a patch on the trunk, x264: more complex qualification tasks). This highered the quality.
We have tried to work with other projects (some FFmpeg mentors can read our applications (and vice-versa), we accepted FFmpeg and x264 qualification tasks as an "ok" for us, ...)
We announced everything earlier and were more organised between mentors (ml, IRC, meetings...)
We have a former student who is a mentor now.
I have more time than last year during that phase... :D Must be because the sun is better in California than in France...

Many ideas were recommendations that came from the Mentor Summit, so I must say that this summit did help us a *LOT*.

Hope this can help some people...

Build VLC media player under Ubuntu Hardy (8.04)

JBK — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:49:00 +0100

I found an ubuntu hardy installation, and needed to test something on the trunk of VLC so I needed to compile a VLC for it. Here is a complete HOWTO to do the same !

This post is an update of the popular howto for Build VLC with feisty.

Introduction

So we are going to build the latest VLC possible.

Everything will be done in a console/terminal and should be straight-forward. Every question should be asked on the forum, or in the comments here.

Conventions

Every line beginning with a # should be done as root, or using the sudo command. Every line beginning witha % is a normal line.

Building VLC

Prepare your environment

We need a few package starting from a fresh hardy:

# apt-get install vlc
# apt-get build-dep vlc 
# apt-get install cvs build-essential subversion git git-core automake1.9 libtool
# apt-get install libgcrypt-dev
# apt-get install libfaad-dev libtwolame-dev libqt4-dev libjack-dev 
# apt-get install libxpm-dev libcddb2-dev liblua5.1-0-dev libzvbi-dev libshout-dev

Checkout VLC trunk and bootstrap the tree

% git clone git://git.videolan.org/vlc.git

% cd vlc
% ./bootstrap

Build x264

x264

x264 is a library to encode movies in H.264.

% cd extras/
%
% git clone git://git.videolan.org/x264.git
% cd x264
% make
% sudo make install
% cd ../..

Configure VLC

Configure

 
% mkdir build; cd build;
%../configure --prefix=/usr \
        --enable-snapshot --enable-debug \
        --enable-dbus-control --enable-musicbrainz \
        --enable-shared-libvlc --enable-mozilla \
        --enable-lirc \
        --with-ffmpeg-tree=../extras/ffmpeg \
        --enable-x264 --with-x264-tree=../extras/x264 \
        --enable-shout --enable-taglib \
        --enable-v4l  \
        --enable-dvb  \
        --enable-realrtsp --disable-xvmc \
        --enable-svg   --enable-dvdread \
        --enable-dc1394 --enable-dv \
        --enable-theora --enable-faad \
        --enable-twolame --enable-real \
        --enable-flac --enable-tremor \
        --enable-skins2 --enable-qt4 \
        --enable-ncurses \
        --enable-aa --enable-caca \
        --enable-esd --disable-portaudio \
        --enable-jack --enable-xosd \
        --enable-galaktos --enable-goom \
        --enable-ggi \
        --disable-cddax --disable-vcdx \
       --disable-quicktime --enable-lua

Finish

% make

You just have to wait a bit :D

Google Summer of Code: VideoLAN

JBK — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:10:00 +0100

GSoC

Hello to everyone,

I am glad to announce you that VideoLAN is a mentoring organisation for Google Summer of code 2008.

Students, ideas

If you are an interested student, please check the ideas for VLC and x264 on our wiki.

Original ideas are more than welcome.

Timeline

Please check the SoC timeline. http://code.google.com/opensource/gsoc/

Rules

Unfortunately, we have to unforce a few rules to avoid failures and not-serious enough students: Rules.

Those rules are flexible, especially for x264.

Contact Us

If you are interested in anything around SoC, please contact xtophe (vlc), Dark_Shikari (x264) and me (vlc and other weird requests)

Everything is quite flexible, but I would like to focus on quality more than quantity.

May the code be with you.

H264 encoding: "some boring x264 stuff that you’d better not forget.

JBK — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:29:00 +0100

Copy from IRC and thresh's blog

From Dark_Shikari.

Absolutely 100% generic commandline for maximum quality without stupidly insanely slow options:
 –bime –bframes 16 –trellis 1 –mixed-refs –8×8dct –subme 7 –b-rdo –me umh –direct auto –b-pyramid –weightb –threads auto –ref 8
For extra slow, add –no-fast-pskip, –merange 32, and –partitions all
for more slow, raise –ref to 16, and –me to esa
and also, get the latest AQ build and use my AQ at strength 0.7-1.0 or something.
if you want faster encoding
1) Lower –ref to 4
2) lower subme to 6, remove –b-rdo
3) remove me umh
if you want realtime encoding you’ll have to go lower on most machines

Howto build VLC on Windows on a fresh Windows

JBK — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:49:00 +0100

Hello to everyone!

Yet again

I already explained how to compile trunk versions of VLC on linux, ubuntu and debian.

I rewrote the howto for Windows, using CYGWIN and put it on our wiki.

Find it here.

VLC switched to Git

JBK — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 11:14:00 +0100

Everything is in $subject.

Anyway, to check out the VLC repository, now:

git clone git://git.videolan.org/vlc.git

Have fun!

VLC media player release: 0.8.6e and coverity

JBK — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:04:00 +0100

Release

We just released a new stable version.

This version is ONLY focused on security vulnerabilities and minor bugfixes.

0.9.0

0.9.0 version is in the work, and an alpha preview is due soon. :D

Coverity

I am quite unpleased with Coverity, that does a free scanning of open source projects. We applied many times for VLC, and they always replied that they would do it soon, but they actually never done it. :'(

Security

This is a bit bad, because VLC is one important Open Source project, and more used that some of the projects they already scan...

Anyway, this is a bit problematic, because we need help in finding security issues and do some auditing of the VLC media player code. And since there are web plugins on VLC, this is dangerous.

VideoLAN @ FOSDEM

JBK — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:02:00 +0100

Hello !

The VideoLAN team will be partly but greatly represented at the FOSDEM, this week-end in Bruxelles.

If you want to join and to say hello, please do so.

I will be there with my VLC t-shirt.

Video on Demand: RTSP vs HTTP

JBK — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 21:11:00 +0100

Disclaimer

Rémi still hasn't any RSS feed, so here is another article about protocol.

This article is not my production

VoD

For those who don't know him, Rémi is, between many other stuffs, the network expert in VideoLAN team.

On his personal website__

Here is a copy-paste of his introduction

As a developper of VLC media player, I often get to see people wonder ing whether they should use RTSP or HTTP to stream their audio or audio/video content. Even though I like open standards (which the IETF champions), I cannot say I am a big fan of RTSP.

Remark

N.B.: this article is concerned about video-on-demand. For live streaming, there may be more reasons to prefer RTSP over HTTP.

Rémi: "Why CMake sucks?"

JBK — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:14:00 +0100

Since the last post on CMake, here is an opinion, quite strong against CMake, from one of the VLC developer.

This is NOT my opinion, because I am not the one handling all those difficulties...

Why CMake sucks?

FOSDEM

JBK — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:04:00 +0100

A few VLC developers are going to attend FOSDEM in Bruxelles in a few weeks.

If you are around, please come and discuss with us... :D

I am trying to go too. Updates soon.

VLC: misc and builds

JBK — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:02:00 +0100

Just some miscellaneous news about VLC and build systems:

Tree Cleaning: we decided to clean the tree of all the not really necessaries folder that are around now. See the wiki.

There is some experiments to build VLC using CMake inside the main tree. Checkout the latest VLC to test it.

Windows nightly builds are back after the big changes in the building and in the config.h changes.

New contribs with updated 3rd party libraries are done for windows.

Windows CE and Symbian port are advancing... Not yet released, and ETA is really unknown.

Roadmap are changing, more about that soon.

Day of the cone

JBK — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:15:00 +0100

Not mine. Tombigel did it.

KDE4 Release Event

JBK — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:23:00 +0100

Hey, I'll be at the KDE4 release event party in Moutain View, January 17 – 19, 2008.

I know, I don't use KDE as my primary desktop, but still, I am working on VLC-qt4 interface, and am going to work on the phonon engine, so I feel kind of concerned...

And maybe, if eean, sebr, and ferai are persuasive enough, I'll quit using my Xfce...

Configure-step in VLC building.

JBK — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:09:00 +0100

Idea

VLC can be built with a classical process: ./bootstrap; ./configure --options; make

However, since VLC is very modular, not everyone wants the same modules built so the configure line can be very long.

Therefore, I'll try to explain a bit the main configure options and give a few examples.

Configure

./configure

General and Developers options

--prefix=/usr \
--host= \
--build= \

--enable-debug | --enable-release # Choose the mode you want

--enable-optimizations            # Optimisations are good idea
--enable-sse --enable-mmx         # for releases

--enable-optimize-memory          # Smaller memory for less perf

--enable-cprof --enable-gprof     # Profiling
--enable-fast-install             # Libtool

--enable-testsuite                # If you want the tests to be built

--enable-static                   # Static libraries
--enable-shared                   # Shared libraries
--with-words                      # Endianess

Main VLC options

--enable-vlm                      # VLC Manager
--enable-visual                   # Visualisations
--enable-update-check             # Check the updates?
--enable-sout                     # Streaming Server
--enable-snapshot                 # Create VIdeo Snapshots
--enable-lua                      # Script VLC

--enable-freetype --enable-fribidi # No Need to disable this
--enable-nls --enable-libxml2      # or that.

Codecs

--enable-a52 [--with-a52-fixed]   # AC-3
--enable-dirac
--enable-faad                     # MPEG-4 Audio
--enable-fluidsynth               # Midi
--enable-mpc                      # Musepack Audio
--enable-real                     # Real Audio
--enable-loader                   # DirectMediaObject support for WMV
--enable-theora
--enable-twolame                  # MPGA Encoding
--enable-tremor
--enable-x264                     # H.264 Encoding
--enable-vorbis
--enable-speex
--enable-tarkin
--enable-zvbi | --enable-telx     # Teletext support
--enable-dca                      # DTS
--enable-flac
--enable-ffmpeg                   # lots of codecs
[--with-ffmpeg-a52 --with-ffmpeg-mp3lame --with-ffmpeg-zlib --with-ffmpeg-amrnb --with-ffmpeg-amrwb --with-ffmpeg-faac --with-ffmpeg-theora --with-ffmpeg-vorbis ]
--enable-libmpeg2
--enable-mad                      # Mpga decoding

--enable-png
--enable-svg
--enable-sdl-image

Video Outputs

--enable-xvideo                     # Linux
--enable-xinerama
--enable-x11
--enable-glx
--enable-directfb

--enable-wingdi                     # Win32
--enable-directx

--enable-opengl                     # All
--enable-sdl
--enable-caca
--enable-aa

Audio outputs

--enable-alsa                       # Unix
--enable-arts
--enable-esd
--enable-jack
--enable-portaudio
--enable-hd1000a
--enable-oss

--enable-waveout                    # Windows

Access

--enable-screen                     # Desktop record

--enable-bda                        # DVB for windows
--enable-dshow                      # DirectShow device

--enable-v4l                        # video 4 linux
--enable-v4l2                       # video 4 linux 2
--enable-dvb                        # DVB for Linux
--enable-pvr                        # PVR/IVTV
--enable-dv                         # DV support

--enable-gnutls                     # Encrypted streams
--enable-gnomevfs                   # Gnome VFS-
--enable-smb                        # Samba/Windows shares
--enable-cdda | --enable-cddax      # CD Audio
--enable-dvdnav                     # DVD video
--enable-vcd | --enable-vcdx        # VCD
--enable-dc1394                     # 1394 support
--enable-hal
--enable-live555 --enable-realrtsp  # RTSP

--enable-bonjour --enable-cyberlink # Various Service discoveries
--enable-upnp                       #

demux

--enable-mkv                        # Matroska
--enable-mod                        # ModPlug (instruments)
--enable-ogg                        # Ogg
--enable-gme                        # GME videogames

interface

--enable-qnx                        # QNX platform
--enable-qt4                        # Default interface in Qt4
--enable-qte                        # QTE/Opie interface
--enable-skins2                     # skins2
--enable-wxwidgets                  # Old default interface in wxWidgets
--enable-xosd                       # OSD interface
--enable-ncurses                    # Ncurses interface
--enable-fbosd                      # FrameBuffer interface
--enable-pda                        # Small gtk interface
--enable-httpd                      # HTTP daemon and interface

--enable-mozilla                    # Mozilla integration
--enable-activex                    # IE and ActiveX integration
--enable-dbus                       # D-Bus control
--enable-dbus-control
--enable-lirc                       # InfraRed Remotes
--enable-java-bindings
--enable-python-bindings

Visualisations

--enable-galaktos --enable-goom

Metadata support

--enable-id3tag                     # metadata using id3tag
--enable-taglib                     # metadata using taglib
--enable-musicbrainz                # Musicbrainz
--enable-libcddb                    # CDDB/FreeDB integration
--enable-libcdio                    # CD-Text

Planet repaired

JBK — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:01:00 +0100

VideoLAN planet is repaired.

My dotclear rss feed was broken because of a dotclear bug with TimeZone handling.

VLC media player Lines of Code

JBK — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 22:15:00 +0100

Numbers

VLC has around 600,000 Lines of code, with:

312,000 lines of code in the modules.

VLC uses a lot of external libraries, which are over 3,020,000 lines of code....

IDE

Did you know that almost all VLC developers use VIM as a main editor? :D

Qt4 screenshots

JBK — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 00:37:00 +0100

Hello, just two small screenshot of my work:

Yet another blog for JBKempf - VideoLAN

CoverFlow and VLC in a webpage

VideoLAN Webbys 5s in London.

Webbys 5s .org

Contents

Photos

Presentation

Vidéo

Reflexions about the first part of this SoC

Introduction

Candidacies

Why ?

Build VLC media player under Ubuntu Hardy (8.04)

Introduction

Conventions

Building VLC

Prepare your environment

Checkout VLC trunk and bootstrap the tree

Build x264

x264

Configure VLC

Configure

Finish

Google Summer of Code: VideoLAN

GSoC

Students, ideas

Timeline

Rules

Contact Us

H264 encoding: "some boring x264 stuff that you’d better not forget.

Howto build VLC on Windows on a fresh Windows

Yet again

VLC switched to Git

VLC media player release: 0.8.6e and coverity

Release

0.9.0

Coverity

Security

VideoLAN @ FOSDEM

Video on Demand: RTSP vs HTTP

Disclaimer

VoD

Remark

Rémi: "Why CMake sucks?"

FOSDEM

VLC: misc and builds

Day of the cone

KDE4 Release Event

Configure-step in VLC building.

Idea

Configure

General and Developers options

Main VLC options

Codecs

Video Outputs

Audio outputs

Access

demux

interface

Visualisations

Metadata support

Planet repaired

VLC media player Lines of Code

Numbers

IDE

Qt4 screenshots