got some errors during ffmpeg compilation, on last steps
Do you remember what the errors were? Is there a ffmpeg
binary in ~/bin
?
1) Is there any sense compiling when we have binaries in the repo?
Yes:
- Ubuntu (at least until 14.04 I believe) offered a fake "
ffmpeg
" from a fork. It's not from FFmpeg! This makes some users unhappy and some users feel misled.
- The fake version (and also
avconv
) is buggy and lacks many features.
- FFmpeg development is very active.
- Compiling gives you the choice to customize the build the way you want it and to suit your needs. For example you can encode with libfdk_aac which is a great AAC encoder.
- All of the guides, articles, and tutorials in the FFmpeg Wiki are for
ffmpeg
from FFmpeg and not guaranteed to work with any third-party counterfeits.
If you want some benefits of using a recent, real ffmpeg
without needing to compile then you can download a static build from the FFmpeg Download page. No installation necessary: you just download, exract, and run. It has most of the useful features, but lacks x11grab support (for screen grabbing) and also lacks a few useful encoders.
2) Have I spoiled everything with my unsuccessful compilation?
No. The guide is meant to be non-intrusive and non-interfering. See Reverting Changes Made by This Guide if you wanted to undo everything.
I've removed source and build directories, but now I'm not sure if my ffmpeg works correctly. How can I check?? :(
Enter ffmpeg
in your console. If the first line contains:
FFmpeg developers
then you're using your compiled version.
Libav developers
then you're using the imitation from the repository.