Compiling VLC 2.0.1 for PeppermintOS 2

[BkS]

I'm trying to compile VLC 2.0.1 for PeppermintOS 2 which is based on Ubuntu Natty Narwhal (11.04).

This is my first time ever compiling anything, so I'm finding it rather difficult. I understand the concept of compiling, and how to compile, I'm just having trouble sourcing all the packages needed.

What packages are specifically needed in order for the ./configure file to generate a "make" file? I've read the README and the INSTALL documents, and I just can't seem to find what packages are needed. The only way I've been able to source which packages are needed is by continuously running ./configure to see which packages need install. Long way for a short-cut I think, I know there is a shorter way, I just don't know what it is.

I'm not sure if you guys need logs or anything, so please do mention it, if they are needed.

Help from anyone is greatly appreciated.

-BkS.

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

It depends.Please refer to the wiki documentation.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

apt-get build-dep vlc helps a lot.

[BkS]

It depends.Please refer to the wiki documentation.

I have been, but again it doesn't list packages VLC depends on.

apt-get build-dep vlc helps a lot.

Thanks Jean!

[BkS]

I've managed to get past the checking with ./configure and I am able to run "make", however I've ran into an error:

Code: Select all

/usr/include/libavcodec/avcodec.h:404:0: note: this is the location of the previous definition CC libavcodec_plugin_la-audio.lo audio.c:44:36: fatal error: libavutil/audioconvert.h: No such file or directory compilation terminated.

I understand that the audioconvert.h file isn't present so it can't proceed, but shouldn't this file have been installed when libavutil was? I have the development files for that library installed, so I'm kind of lost here.

[kmf31]

When you install with your distribution (for example with rpm ou deb) libraries with the aim to compile against this library you need also to install the developpement versions (for example: libffmpeg-devel and not only libffmpeg) since the header .h files are only present in the developpement version.

However, missing header files should already stop the procedure with ./configure and not later with "make".

Other possible reasons for this error:
1) The libffmeg version you installed is too old (or too recent if you try to compile an older version of vlc).
2) You have somehow installed two versions of libffmpeg, maybe one in the /usr tree by your distribution (an "older" version) and another one in the /usr/local tree by compiling ffmpeg from the sources (with "./configure", "make", "make install" for ffmpeg) and some conflict between the two versions confuse the vlc-configure script. Normally in such cases the version in /usr/local tree should have the priority and it should work never the less but who knows ...


In case you already tried a lot of times to compile vlc without success (before you succeeded with configure by installing the libraries) it is also better reinstall the vlc-sources from scratch before compiling.

[BkS]

Like I've said before I'm new to the whole compiling thing, and indeed I have failed many times. I think this is like the 10th try. I wish someone could just make a .deb for older versions of Ubuntu.

I keep getting the error:

make[6]: *** [libavcodec_plugin_la-audio.lo] Error 1

and I don't understand it, because I'm not a developer. I've installed all the development files, followed the wiki, I just don't seem to be getting anywhere. I always seem to run into another error after I've fixed another. :/

[kmf31]

For Ubuntu Natty Narwhal (11.04) you should be able to install vlc directly according to the instructions here:

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-ubuntu.html

VLC compilation is indeed tricky, i.e. not the compilation itself but the installation of all necessary libraries (once this works it is "quite easy" to recompile vlc for a new version).
However, for Ubuntu a 11.04 you should still be able to install it directly with apt-get (and without compiling it yourself) but this will be VLC version 1.1.9 and not 2.0.1.

If you insist on vlc 2.0.1 I believe you need a newer version of ffpmeg. You may get from it from here:
http://ffmpeg.mplayerhq.hu/download.html
but I recommand not to take a "git" or "devoppement" version but the lastest stable release which is:
http://ffmpeg.mplayerhq.hu/releases/ffm ... 0.2.tar.gz

You install this in the "standard" way, i.e. unpack the tar.gz and then ./configure, make and make install. This will install a copy in the /usr/local tree. After this you retry ./configure and make for vlc-2.0.1 and I suppose it should work.

ffmpeg is the most important library for vlc (it takes care of mpeg4-h264 and actually also mpeg2 decoding and many other codecs) and when compiling vlc you need a ffmpeg version which is close in time to the vlc version (not too old neither too recent). It seems that ubuntu 11.04 is already "quite" old with "older" versions of ffmpeg and vlc (if installed with deb-packages).

[BkS]

Thank you for the indepth reply kmf31. That has really helped me a lot, and helped me understand the concept a lot more clearly. I really wish that was in the WIki.

I found a daily PPA which has 2.1.0 for Natty, so in the mean time I'll use the PPA, however I am going to try to compile VLC again, but it will be in a VM so that it doesn't effect my main system. Again, thank you very much!

Indeed 11.04 seems to be "old", which makes 10.04 >= "ancient". Haha.

[SugarShark]

Hi BkS..

Could you provide more info on which PPA you are using?

i'm also trying to get 2.0.1 working on ubuntu 11.04 and having a lot of problems

edit:

ok i finally got it to work. kmf31 thank you for your post.. the trick for me was compiling ffmpeg with "./configure --enable-shared", or else it would fail with an "fPIC" error (I'm on a 64 bit OS)

[bzbit]

(Response to BKS) I got this exact error when compiling on 11.04 as well.

Oh, and you say that you've had no experience compiling...to get just this far you've done extremely well.... I make living programming both for Windows and Linux and ran into the same problem you had so don't feel bad.

I noticed that there were a lot of other people around the web with the same problem so here's how I fixed it (hope it works for you too!)

(1) Update Ubuntu 11.04 to 11.10
(2) remove vlc-2.0.1 folder and all subfolders
(3) Follow the download and compile directions step by step again (Directions here: http://wiki.videolan.org/UnixCompile) . many of the packages are already installed but still do it anyway.
(4) When you get to the part where it says 'get Third Party Libraries' click the link (http://wiki.videolan.org/Contrib_Status) and use the install line specifically for Ubuntu 11.10 -- Not the others (IMPORTANT!)
(5) when you run that command it will tell you that two packages are no longer needed. Use the command it tells you to use to remove them.
(6) After that if you continue to follow the directions everything will compile fine!

If you don't want to upgrade your 11.04 to 11.10 you can get Virtual machine Software and run a virtual machine and update that instead.

I hope this helps. VLC is awesome software and we all need to support it.