Comment 41 for bug 105458

On Sun, Feb 3, 2013 at 10:15 AM, Paul Gevers <email address hidden> wrote:
> On 03-02-13 09:51, Rogério Theodoro de Brito wrote:
>> Hi, Paul.
>>
>> (I'm CC'ing pkg-multimedia-maintainers, as there are many people there
>> interested in handbrake---and they have done a lot to help me getting
>> handbrake in shape in Debian).
>
> [I think you forgot to actually add the CC, doing it now.]
>
>> On Feb 03 2013, Paul Gevers wrote:
>>> On 02-02-13 12:31, Rogério Theodoro de Brito wrote:
>>>> The only reason why it was uploaded to experimental is that we didn't want
>>>> to disrupt with Debian's freeze for the release of wheezy.
>>>
>>> Ok, understood. Does this mean that a sync request for Ubuntu is "safe".
>>
>> Yes, it is. Just be sure to make it clear to the users (perhaps updating the
>> package's long description) that the package does not have the two features
>> that I cited due to sad licensing reasons.
>
> I would just ask for a SYNC, which means that the description is taken
> over as it is now in Debian. Don't you think the Debian users would want
> this warning as well, so that it warrants an update there?

Yes, please file a bug so that we do not forget about that.

>
>> Of course, those that only use things will curse and moan, but they don't
>> know how it is to get these things straight.
>
> Fully ACK. I have been involved in those kind of discussions before.
>
>>>> Just for the record, the package is with reduced functionality, due to
>>>> license reasons:
>>>
>>> Understood, but as Ubuntu follows Debian if nobody put in the time to do
>>> something different, I think that is 100% acceptable.
>>
>> OK, great.
>>
>>>> Any kind of help is mostly appreciated, especially when talking to upstream
>>>> and:
>>>
>>>> This is not a package that is so trivial to make available on a distribution
>>>> and I have spent many weeks trying to get it to a point where it was able to
>>>> be included in Debian.
>>>
>>> I am currently working on getting an other project (openmotif) in shape
>>> for Debian. After that I might have the time to help if it is then still
>>> needed.
>>
>> Help is surely wanted. I am more or less stagnated with this, because I have
>> not been able to put the necessary time to talk with upstream.
>>
>> Convincing them to cut a new stable release would be superb, as:
>>
>> 1 - They have some important features there (e.g., bob deinterlacing, a lot
>> of work fixing subtitles etc).
>>
>> *and*
>>
>> 2 - It would make packaging significantly easier, as they are churning out
>> new patches to third-party libraries that we already have in Debian (but
>> not necessarity in patched form), and it would take coordination with
>> maintainers of other packages, so that we all have compatible stuff.
>>
>>>From handbrake's point of view, it is certainly the faster route to continue
>> the development patching the libraries that they need (and bundle such
>> libraries), but it is a major burden for distributions that want to have
>> handbrake available in their repositories.
>>
>> More frequent releases from their part would be so much appreciated.
>
> I understand. So you are basically saying that so far Handbrake upstream
> has not seen much interest in being nice to distributions? Shame on them
> then, or is it just that they don't know but are willing to learn?

My contact with upstream has been mainly with John Stebbins, who is
really a very nice guy. What is lacking is mainly manpower to solve
the last remaining issues. Unfortunately, the tasks are not exactly
easy, and upstream prefers to take the easy route (i.e., relying on
libraries with questionable licenses that are not acceptable for
Debian, and btw also not for ubuntu).

--
regards,
    Reinhard