[FFmpeg-user] Libav (Avconv) Imposition on Users who want FFmpeg

[miro.rovis at croatiafidelis.hr]

Hello FFmpeg people and users!
(and Hello Gentoo people, indirectly!)

While I heavy-heartedly, since a few hours ago, abandoned all my work 
in
progress because it was programmatically, IMO, that is via portage
arrangements, purposefully, knowingly (but indirectly, not on me 
personally, as
programs do), interrupted. Explanation follows later.

I am reinstalling Gentoo, which is explained here (currently the link 
is
perfectly extant, but that doesn't, with some mods in Gentoo (Gentoo 
people,
you are getting a copy of this email too, you too vow transparency, I 
can't be
wrong about that), [but that doesn't, with some mods in Gentoo] mean 
that it
will remain, and I can assure you that I respect what I/others write, 
as
documents, so it won't be my fault in case in the future it isn't 
there, sorry
for having to provide these caveats)...

I am reinstalling Gentoo, all (and the links pointed to) is (hopefully 
also at
later time) here:
Air-Gapped Gentoo Install, Tentative
https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-987268.html

...And in the links pointed from there, all painstakingly checked 
before
submitting them, local and external.

I am writing this to the list for reasons of being as user, victim of a 
few
cunning attempts to be almost forced into using libav instead of real 
ffmpeg.

I notice only now that FFmpeg hosts a mailing list for libav (if my
understanding is correct that that's the library containing avconv 
program, a
fork of ffmpeg), and I actually wish that the compromise worked between 
the
FFmpeg team and the Avconv team.

However, I'm not writing this to Avconv team. They're unnecessarily 
spending my
time, as they already were a year ago when I installed Debian for the 
first
time on another box, and when I found that ffmpeg was deprecated and 
that I had
to use avconv... I want to live without them, even though I wish them 
peace and
prosperity, but not in my yard, and so I don't really want to converse 
with
them. They cost me time, as generally user, who they try to impose 
their
programs on, again and again...

I believe you are familiar with these issues, such as in Debian, where 
ffmpeg
is virtually banned. Let me see if there were public discussions on the 
issue
of Debian and the ffmpeg ban from it (other than from Christan 
Marillat's
deb-multimedia.org , but he was somewhat almost sidelined, and harassed 
by
Zacchiroli the then leader in Debian -- I'm not an insieder, the 
information
was from different places on the Internet, publically accessible)...

But let me see if there were public discussions on the issue of Debian 
and the
ffmpeg ban... on...

(Just I don't want to use the Surveillance Engine itself, directly, 
thanks a lot!)

literal input into ddg,gg:
https://ffmpeg.org/pipermail/ffmpeg-user/ Debian avconv

only a few people asking questions to ffmpeg people about avconv and 
turned
away...

literal input into startpage,com:
https://ffmpeg.org/pipermail/ffmpeg-user/ Debian avconv

basically the same, worth pointing out this reply by Eugene Hoyos:

http://lists.ffmpeg.org/pipermail/ffmpeg-user/2012-December/012223.html
"> avconv version v9_beta2-501-g6d5b009

This application is known to contain several hundred bugs
not present in FFmpeg, some of them security relevant,
please understand that we therefore cannot support it."

But not anything openly telling for the public.

So I am left to conclude for myself.

I want to show my problem openly, on the Gentoo Forums, but I was 
wrongly
banned from the Forums in one occasion, and so I am not in the clear 
that what
I want to publically enquire about and suggest and plead, yes, actually 
plead
to the Gentoo Developers, yes, the top Gentoo brass actually...

...So I am not in the clear that what I want to publically enquire and 
plead
about to Gentoo people, would remain in the open, and this time I don't 
want to
lose my work, just because I may think differently, such as I think and 
express
very openly on NSA spying that is getting a strong hold in GNU/Linux 
through
SELinux, while the honest and very reliable Grsecurity/Pax are being 
sidewayed
(and even so through censorship).

So this time I don't want to write and lose my work.

So my question is, to Gentoo Admins and Moderators and Developers, can 
I openly
ask honest questions on Gentoo Forums about the issue that I broached 
here, and
do you mind about me calling for witnesses in among the FFmpeg Admins,
Moderators and Developers, as well as subscribers?

And can you, FFmpeg team, allow me to openly voice my concern that I 
touched
upon here?

I'm writing in a little hurry, I'm long overdue doing other things, 
basically
using my Gentoo, and not still building it (and pls. notice that the 
hindrance
in question has interfered even with my building that I should be 
finishing
doing), so pls.  forgive syntax and other typoes and errors.

Pls. allow this in the open, it is probably best for this message to be 
on the
FFmpeg Users Mailing list and publically in the archives as all emails 
get to
be, and after getting a reply from Gentoo Admins, hopefully positive, 
opening a
topic on Gentoo Forums and giving my entire explanation, with very 
clear
arguments.

I'm after peaceful solutions, not warrring, but absolutely against 
arrogance in
imposing programs on users,

Miroslav Rovis
Zagreb, Croatia
www.CroatiaFidelis.hr

Post Scriptum: On a final note, I am not certain who among the Gentoo 
team to
contact about this, so it has to be a public link on the 
forums.gentoo.org to
start with, as soon as my email shows in the FFmpeg archives. When I 
think
carefully, that is the sole way that I can do it, I have no time for 
asking and
waiting, and asking and waiting, as sometimes happens with some of the 
Gentoo
people. Once the link is public, there is no need repeating. Much 
easier.

I will, however, send this copy straight to the main Admin of Gentoo 
Forums, at
the same time as I will send this letter to the FFmpeg Users list, so 
that
entire text holds completely fair and true.