From 6fe3affa93de7cc50cc204875dd692fc129af7cf Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Thomas Vander Stichele Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2005 08:36:47 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] put the README back Original commit message from CVS: put the README back --- README | 276 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------------------- 1 file changed, 197 insertions(+), 79 deletions(-) diff --git a/README b/README index bb91406..282bec9 100644 --- a/README +++ b/README @@ -1,105 +1,223 @@ +WHAT IT IS +---------- -GStreamer: Release notes for GStreamer 0.9.3 "Unregistered" - +This is GStreamer, a framework for streaming media. -The GStreamer team is petrified to announce a new release -in the 0.9.x development series of the -core of the GStreamer streaming media framework. +This package is in the 0.9.x series. This means that this is a +development series leading up to a stable 0.10.x series. +You have been warned. +GStreamer 0.9 development series - Hung by a Thread +--------------------------------------------------- -The 0.9.x series is a development series and not recommended for end users. -It is not API or ABI compatible with the stable 0.8.x series. -It is, however, parallel installable with the 0.8.x series. +Starring + GSTREAMER -The main focus of the 0.9 series is to make GStreamer threadsafe. +The core around which all other modules revolve. Base functionality and +libraries, some essential elements, documentation, and testing. + BASE -This module, gstreamer, only contains core functionality. -For actual media playback, you will need other modules. +A well-groomed and well-maintained collection of GStreamer plug-ins and +elements, spanning the range of possible types of elements one would want +to write for GStreamer. -gst-plugins-base -contains a basic set of well-supported plug-ins -gst-plugins-good -contains a set of well-supported plug-ins under our preferred license -gst-plugins-ugly -contains a set of well-supported plug-ins, but might pose problems for - distributors -gst-plugins-bad -contains a set of less supported plug-ins that haven't passed the - rigorous quality testing we expect +And introducing, for the first time ever, on the development screen ... + THE GOOD + --- "Such ingratitude. After all the times I've saved your life." - -Features of this release - - * Parallel installability with 0.8.x series - * Threadsafe design and API - * gst-register has been removed - * Extensive documentation updates - * BaseTransform reworked - * Bus reworked; signal API added +A collection of plug-ins you'd want to have right next to you on the +battlefield. Shooting sharp and making no mistakes, these plug-ins have it +all: good looks, good code, and good licensing. Documented and dressed up +in tests. If you're looking for a role model to base your own plug-in on, +here it is. -Bugs fixed in this release - - * 102980 : support incremental gst-register/compprep updates - * 313897 : [0.9] registry rewrite - * 314710 : gst_buffer_create_sub doesn't copy the GST_BUFFER_FLAGS - * 315895 : gst_pad_query_convert src_val check - * 316155 : MinGW compilation: glib-mkenums root path subtitution pro... - * 316157 : MinGW compilation: Plugin exports +If you find a plot hole or a badly lip-synced line of code in them, +let us know - it is a matter of honour for us to ensure Blondie doesn't look +like he's been walking 100 miles through the desert without water. -Download + THE UGLY -You can find source releases of gstreamer in the download directory: -http://gstreamer.freedesktop.org/src/gstreamer/ + --- "When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk." -GStreamer Homepage +There are times when the world needs a color between black and white. +Quality code to match the good's, but two-timing, backstabbing and ready to +sell your freedom down the river. These plug-ins might have a patent noose +around their neck, or a lock-up license, or any other problem that makes you +think twice about shipping them. -More details can be found on the project's website: -http://gstreamer.freedesktop.org/ +We don't call them ugly because we like them less. Does a mother love her +son less because he's not as pretty as the other ones ? No - she commends +him on his great personality. These plug-ins are the life of the party. +And we'll still step in and set them straight if you report any unacceptable +behaviour - because there are two kinds of people in the world, my friend: +those with a rope around their neck and the people who do the cutting. -Support and Bugs + THE BAD -We use GNOME's bugzilla for bug reports and feature requests: -http://bugzilla.gnome.org/enter_bug.cgi?product=GStreamer + --- "That an accusation?" -Developers +No perfectly groomed moustache or any amount of fine clothing is going to +cover up the truth - these plug-ins are Bad with a capital B. +They look fine on the outside, and might even appear to get the job done, but +at the end of the day they're a black sheep. Without a golden-haired angel +to watch over them, they'll probably land in an unmarked grave at the final +showdown. -CVS is hosted on cvs.freedesktop.org. -All code is in CVS and can be checked out from there. -Interested developers of the core library, plug-ins, and applications should -subscribe to the gstreamer-devel list. If there is sufficient interest we -will create more lists as necessary. +Don't bug us about their quality - exercise your Free Software rights, +patch up the offender and send us the patch on the fastest steed you can +steal from the Confederates. Because you see, in this world, there's two +kinds of people, my friend: those with loaded guns and those who dig. +You dig. - -Applications +The Lowdown +----------- -At this point, ports of existing applications to 0.9 are still experimental. -A patch for Totem is maintained at + --- "I've never seen so many plug-ins wasted so badly." -http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=313086. -A patch for Rhythmbox is maintained at +GStreamer Plug-ins has grown so big that it's hard to separate the wheat from +the chaff. Also, distributors have brought up issues about the legal status +of some of the plug-ins we ship. To remedy this, we've divided the previous +set of available plug-ins into four modules: -http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=309609. -Jamboree has a branch with the tag "jamboree-gst-0.9" that works against -GStreamer 0.9. -Flumotion has been mostly ported to 0.9 as well. +- gst-plugins-base: a small and fixed set of plug-ins, covering a wide range + of possible types of elements; these are continuously kept up-to-date + with any core changes during the development series. - -Contributors to this release - - * Alessandro Decina - * Andy Wingo - * David Schleef - * Edward Hervey - * Francis Labonte - * Jan Schmidt - * Johan Dahlin - * Michael Smith - * Stefan Kost - * Thomas Vander Stichele - * Tim-Philipp Müller - * Wim Taymans -  \ No newline at end of file + - We believe distributors can safely ship these plug-ins. + - People writing elements should base their code on these elements. + - These elements come with examples, documentation, and regression tests. + +- gst-plugins-good: a set of plug-ins that we consider to have good quality + code, correct functionality, our preferred license (LGPL for the plug-in + code, LGPL or LGPL-compatible for the supporting library). + + - We believe distributors can safely ship these plug-ins. + - People writing elements should base their code on these elements. + +- gst-plugins-ugly: a set of plug-ins that have good quality and correct + functionality, but distributing them might pose problems. The license + on either the plug-ins or the supporting libraries might not be how we'd + like. The code might be widely known to present patent problems. + + - Distributors should check if they want/can ship these plug-ins. + - People writing elements should base their code on these elements. + +- gst-plugins-bad: a set of plug-ins that aren't up to par compared to the + rest. They might be close to being good quality, but they're missing + something - be it a good code review, some documentation, a set of tests, + a real live maintainer, or some actual wide use. + If the blanks are filled in they might be upgraded to become part of + either gst-plugins-good or gst-plugins-ugly, depending on the other factors. + + - If the plug-ins break, you can't complain - instead, you can fix the + problem and send us a patch, or bribe someone into fixing them for you. + - New contributors can start here for things to work on. + +INSTALLING FROM PACKAGES +------------------------ + +You should always prefer installing from packages first. GStreamer is +well-maintained for a number of distributions, including Fedora, Debian, +Ubuntu, Mandrake, Gentoo, ... + +Only in cases where you: +- want to hack on GStreamer +- want to verify that a bug has been fixed +- do not have a sane distribution +should you choose to build from source tarballs or CVS. + +Find more information about the various packages at +http://gstreamer.freedesktop.org/download/ + +COMPILING FROM SOURCE TARBALLS +------------------------------ + +- again, make sure that you really need to install from source ! + If GStreamer is one of your first projects ever that you build from source, + consider taking on an easier project. + +- check output of ./configure --help to see if any options apply to you +- run + ./configure + make + + to build GStreamer. +- if you want to install it (not required), run + make install +- You should create a registry for things to work. + If you ran make install in the previous step, run + gst-register + as root. + + If you didn't install, run + tools/gst-register + as a normal user. + +- try out a simple test: + gst-launch fakesrc num_buffers=5 ! fakesink + (If you didn't install GStreamer, again prefix gst-launch with tools/) + + If it outputs a bunch of messages from fakesrc and fakesink, everything is + ok. + +- After this, you're ready to install gst-plugins, which will provide the + functionality you're probably looking for by now, so go on and read + that README. + +COMPILING FROM CVS +------------------ + +When building from CVS sources, you will need to run autogen.sh to generate +the build system files. + +You will need a set of additional tools typical for building from CVS, +including: +- autoconf +- automake +- libtool + +autogen.sh will check for recent enough versions and complain if you don't have +them. You can also specify specific versions of automake and autoconf with +--with-automake and --with-autoconf + +Check autogen.sh options by running autogen.sh --help + +autogen.sh can pass on arguments to configure - you just need to separate them +from autogen.sh with -- between the two. +prefix has been added to autogen.sh but will be passed on to configure because +some build scripts like that. + +When you have done this once, you can use autoregen.sh to re-autogen with +the last passed options as a handy shortcut. Use it. + +After the autogen.sh stage, you can follow the directions listed in +"COMPILING FROM SOURCE" + +You can also run your whole cvs stack uninstalled. The script in +the gstreamer module /docs/faq/gst-uninstalled) is helpful in setting +up your environment for this. + +PLUG-IN DEPENDENCIES AND LICENSES +--------------------------------- + +GStreamer is developed under the terms of the LGPL (see LICENSE file for +details). Some of our plug-ins however rely on libraries which are available +under other licenses. This means that if you are using an application which +has a non-GPL compatible license (for instance a closed-source application) +with GStreamer, you have to make sure not to use GPL-linked plug-ins. +When using GPL-linked plug-ins, GStreamer is for all practical reasons +under the GPL itself. + +HISTORY +------- + +The fundamental design comes from the video pipeline at Oregon Graduate +Institute, as well as some ideas from DirectMedia. It's based on plug-ins that +will provide the various codec and other functionality. The interface +hopefully is generic enough for various companies (ahem, Apple) to release +binary codecs for Linux, until such time as they get a clue and release the +source. -- 2.7.4