amarok missing dependency

[Annirak]

Binary package hint: amarok

After installing amarok on ubuntu 9.04, it would not play any music. Eventually identified the problem as a missing dependency on libxine1-ffmpeg.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.04
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: amarok 2:2.0.2mysql5.1.30-0ubuntu3
ProcEnviron:
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 LANG=en_CA.UTF-8
SourcePackage: amarok
Uname: Linux 2.6.28-15-generic x86_64

[Christian Mangold (neversfelde)]

Thanks for reporting this Bug and making Kubuntu better.
Unfortunately libxine1-ffmpeg cannot be in a default installation due to it's license. Amarok should offer to install this extra package and you can easily install these restricted extras with the package kubuntu-restricted-extras.

I am closing this bug as invalid.

[Terence Simpson (tsimpson)]

If libxine1-ffmpeg has a restrictve license, how come it's in main?

[Myriam Schweingruber (myriam)]

It's not about a restrictive license, it's patented software. The license is free. mp3 is a patent held by the Fraunhofer Institute.

[Christian Mangold (neversfelde)]

Well, if the patent holder does not allow to use his patent in a special way, this is a restricted license, isn't it?

[Annirak (annirak)]

I'm sorry, am I missing something? ffmpeg is licensed under the GPL. http://ffmpeg.org/legal.html

[Christian Mangold (neversfelde)]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mp3#Licensing_and_patent_issues

[Annirak (annirak)]

On Fri, Sep 18, 2009 at 1:19 PM, Christian Mangold
<email address hidden>wrote:

> Unfortunately libxine1-ffmpeg cannot be in a default installation due to
> it's license.
>

http://ffmpeg.org/legal.html

You closed the bug because of a non-existant licensing issue.
In addition, as Terence pointed out, the library is in the main repository
of Ubuntu, so Canonical does not recognize the licensing--or patent--issues.

If Canonical does not recognize the issue and provides the library under the
main--not restricted, universe, or multiverse--repository, it doesn't make
sense to not fix this dependency.

For reference, the me-tv and xine-ui packages already depend on
libxine1-ffmpeg.

On Sat, Sep 19, 2009 at 10:05 AM, Christian Mangold
<email address hidden>wrote:

> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mp3#Licensing_and_patent_issues
>
> --
> amarok missing dependency
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/432701
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in “amarok” package in Ubuntu: Invalid
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: amarok
>
> After installing amarok on ubuntu 9.04, it would not play any music.
> Eventually identified the problem as a missing dependency on
> libxine1-ffmpeg.
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> Architecture: amd64
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.04
> NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
> Package: amarok 2:2.0.2mysql5.1.30-0ubuntu3
> ProcEnviron:
> SHELL=/bin/bash
> LANG=en_CA.UTF-8
> SourcePackage: amarok
> Uname: Linux 2.6.28-15-generic x86_64
>

--
<Patrician|Away> what does your robot do, sam
<bovril> it collects data about the surrounding environment, then discards
it and drives into walls

[Christian Mangold (neversfelde)]

I am probably wrong about this. So if you think that this bug should be reopened, please do it.

[Terence Simpson (tsimpson)]

I think the point of what I was saying is this: If a package is in main, it should be "free" (in all meanings of the word). If the license is open, but there are other restrictions I believe it really should be in restricted (even though restricted is more for drivers/firmware).
Previously the mp3 decoder was in multiverse so it was obvious it was not "free", having it in main is causing confusion here.

[RobM (robert-meerman)]

Just my $0.02, but I have been unable to use Amarok since my last upgrade (months ago now) because of this. I eventually found a post somewhere suggesting I install libxine1-ffmpeg, and was about to file a (duplicate) bug to inform the community of this.

For what it's worth, I concur with Terence - if the package is in 'main', then its generally considered by the distro to be fit for general consumption. The strictest enforcers of the mantra "main == free as in liberty and beer" to my knowledge is Debian as documented at [1]_ (c.f. their section on copyright and how it affects eligibility for inclusion in main). In Debian libxine1-ffmpeg is in main [2]; when you view the package details on their site a link at the top-left shows it is built from the source package "xine-lib", if you follow this through and attempt to download you can see that the source if kept under a folder called "main" on the repo server. (If there's a clearer way to show it's in main, I'd be interested to hear it!).

Failing that, is there a way to make this more discoverable? Perhaps a dpkg-configure wizard when you install? Even just having the amarok package "Suggest" or "Recommend" libxine1-ffmpeg would have helped me discover the cause of this apparent bug (speaking purely as an ignorant user for a moment: when I install a music player I expect it to be able to play MP3!).

.. [1] http://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-archive.html
.. [2] http://packages.debian.org/lenny/libxine1-ffmpeg

[Nick Andrik (andrikos)]

I think that the dependency chain should be like this amarok <<| phonon-backend-xine << libxine1 << libxine1-ffmpeg
where << is real dependency and <<| "or-dependency".

The only missing part is the libxine1 << libxine1-ffmpeg, which would need the "upgrade" of the suggestion to strong dependency.
I see no issue since the package is in main.

I also "cc" libxine1 in this bug, since this is the appropriate package to handle it.

[Jonathan Thomas (echidnaman)]

It's in main because technically the license is free software. It still, however, cannot be shipped by default since there are legal issues that prevent it from being shipped in some countries.

[Nick Andrik (andrikos)]

From here http://www.ubuntu.com/community/ubuntustory/components:
The main distribution component contains applications that are free software, can freely be redistributed and are fully supported by the Ubuntu team. This includes the most popular and most reliable open source applications available, much of which is installed by default when you install Ubuntu.

The package libxine1-ffmpeg is in main, so it can become a strong dependency of libxine1 which will resolve this usability bug.

If you think libxine1-ffmpeg should not be in the main component (which could be true) then you need to file a new bug in order to have it moved to restricted, but we need an official/"legal" answer to this.

Until then the bug is valid and with known solution.

[Reinhard Tartler (siretart)]

libxine1-ffmpeg depends on libavcodec, a binary package from the ffmpeg set of libraries. We distribute ffmpeg under the GPL, which is absolutely acceptable for main. The argument with the license is just a red herring.

However canonical has choosen to not ship libavcodec on the live cd. Libavcodec is known to include various patented algorithms. While they have not been enforced so far, there is a considerable risk with distributing them on the live cd.

I don't think the proposed dependency change is negotiatible. If you disagree, feel free to escalate this to the technical board.

[Nick Andrik (andrikos)]

I am aware of the whole problem with the patents and it is a known issue for years that has included also mplayer etc etc.

But, as I see it, the question is this:
if these libraries cannot be freely distributed they should not be in main.
If they can be there is no problem to include them as dependencies and ship them in the live cd.

I insist that either way, we have a bug here and IMHO if the first is the case is much more serious than if it the second one.

It is a matter of what gets defined as "freely distributed" for ubuntu and main should reflect this.

[damien_d (d-dusha)]

I disagree that this bug is resolved.

There should at least be a message to the user as to WHY it simply rushes through the playlist without actually playing anything, notwithstanding any licensing issues of not including xine as a dependency.

Perhaps use totem as an example where you can "search for plugins" and go though the "yes, I have rights to use this codecs" dialog.