[Fedora-packaging] Inaccurate information about LiVES package

[salsaman]

Hi all,
I am the main developer/maintainer of LiVES (http://lives.sourceforge.net).

I recently noticed the information about LiVES on this page:
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/PackageMaintainers/WishList#L-M

The information give about LiVES is inaccurate/incorrect. First of all,
LiVES is not dependant on ffmpeg. As in, you can perfectly well build and
run the application without ffmpeg being present on either the build system
or the end user system.

However, the ffmpeg libraries are recommended for end users, since LiVES
will make indirect use of them (via mplayer) for decoding some video
formats, and via mencoder for encoding some video formats.

I fail to see the reason for this to be sufficient cause for crossing out
LiVES. A long time ago, ffmpeg contained some allegedly patented code (AAC
audio IIRC), however this code was removed from the core of ffmpeg at least
5 years ago. However it seems that the FUD (and that is indeed what it is)
persists. Microsoft must be laughing hard at this one.

If you don't believe me, then how is it that both ffmpeg and LiVES are in
debian testing and unstable ? Please check for yourselves, and contact the
debian legal team if you are still in doubt.


It is particularly timely that I noticed this, as I would like to introduce
the new packager for LiVES in Fedora, Harry Rickards (harry at linux.com).
Harry is also the point of contact between LiVES and the debian multimedia
team who are responsible for packaging LiVES for debian.

I hope that you will correct the information on the wishlist page, stop
spreading (unintentional ?) FUD about ffmpeg, and most importantly give
Harry every assistance with the Fedora LiVES packages.

Regards,
Salsaman,
main developer, LiVES.


http://lives.sourceforge.net
https://www.ohloh.net/accounts/salsaman
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