Handbrake 0.9.9 on Toutatis

12 replies [Last post]
mYself
Offline
Joined: 01/18/2012

For those missing Handbrake (a free software video transcoding tool) from repo, I am now providing stable builds for both 32, and 64-bit edition of Trisquel. I thought I would rather share this here, since the bug tracker does not bring up closed issues by default.

https://trisquel.info/issues/4237

To download it, follow the link in the last comment.

mbear
Offline
Joined: 01/01/2014

This is wonderful! Many thanks indeed :)

jxself
Offline
Joined: 09/13/2010

It's probably not a good idea to provide builds of non-free software, let alone advertising it here. (HandBrake uses the faac encoder, which is not free.)

lembas
Offline
Joined: 05/13/2010

This was my initial concern as well but if I'm reading the trisquel bug and this changelog right, the upstream removed faac.

http://changelogs.ubuntu.com/changelogs/pool/universe/h/handbrake/handbrake_0.9.9+dfsg-2~2.gbpa4c3e9/changelog

mYself
Offline
Joined: 01/18/2012

Calling a GPLv2 licensed software non-free means, that you does not know how to differentiate free software from non-free. You can read the full GPLv2 license to better understand, how it protects the software/user. Also, take a look at the list of FSF approved free software licenses. If you have some questions regarding the license, feel free to ask here.

The problem with FAAC is, that it is based on the original ISO MPEG reference code which is non-free. Enhancements to this reference code is licensed under the LGPL license, but FAAC cannot be used without the reference code, therefore the whole package is non-free. The licensing terms of FAAC can be obtained at AudioCoding.com.

jxself
Offline
Joined: 09/13/2010

"Calling a GPLv2 licensed software non-free means, that you does not know how to differentiate free software from non-free. You can read the full GPLv2 license to better understand, how it protects the software/user. Also, take a look at the list of FSF approved free software licenses. If you have some questions regarding the license, feel free to ask here."

Oh, come on mYself - I know all of this already. I am the GNU Chief Webmaster after all: http://www.gnu.org/people/webmeisters.html

My objection to HandBrake was the use of faac which, as you point out, is non-free. An otherwise freedom-respecting program with non-free stuff can't be used in freedom but if it's modified to no longer use that non-free stuff (which lembas seems to have indicated has happened) then it can be. I wasn't aware that faac had been removed. The package should probably be called HandBrake-libre or something though so that people don't think HandBrake itself is free of problems.

mYself
Offline
Joined: 01/18/2012

Frankly, I wasn't aware about any of your work outside Linux-libre, which is licensed under GPLv2 too, therefore calling such software non-free was quite unexpected from you. I thought that the reason to rebuild HandBrake from source, while there is an official Launchpad PPA for it that does support Ubuntu LTS, and releasing it on the issue tracker that specifically mentions the problem of including a non-free third-party library, will be enough for people here to understand, that the software was liberated.

I thought exactly about calling the application HandBrake-libre, but since the upstream calls it simply HandBrake, I think that changing its name is not a good idea. Furthermore, only minor changes are applied, so again, renaming the program is really not something necessary, but should be easily done if required.

jxself
Offline
Joined: 09/13/2010

"Frankly, I wasn't aware about any of your work outside Linux-libre, which is licensed under GPLv2 too, therefore calling such software non-free was quite unexpected from you."

I never said that the GPL was non-free. Please don't put words in my mouth. In the case of Linux-libre there are no non-free components being used, while HandBrake does (at least the one that comes from handbrake.fr.). Hopefully you can appreciate that those are not exactly the same situation. It's not enough to just be able to point to a license and say "Ta Da - Issue solved." If the license is the only thing to evaluate, then those GPL-licensed blobs in the kernel could be left in, because they're under the GPL. So, it is more nuanced that simply looking at a license - and those nuances and subtleties alsoo need to be taken into consideration when making a determination about freedom with a particular program for a particular person at particular point in time. Hopefully you can appreciate that.

mYself
Offline
Joined: 01/18/2012

> I never said that the GPL was non-free. Please don't put words in my mouth.

I compared HandBrake with Linux-Libre, which are both licensed under the GPLv2. Therefore calling HandBrake non-free can be applied to Linux-Libre too. The main problem with HandBrake is in providing a static executable, rather than just linking to the non-free library externally (e.g. like Zandronum does). Therefore, the application should be adapted to use this library optionally, when available, thus satisfying both parties.

> (the rest)

I already know about this (look at the top of this page), and althrough you're technically right, in other words, every free software project, that contains a part, which does not meet the DFSG requirements, even when it's just a small part, that can be easily removed (even without modifying the source code), is considered non-free.

The problem is with calling a software project, producing nothing but free code, non-free (FAAC is not a part of the project, not even the source code), which is simply inadeqate, and the possible users/customers may get a false belief, that the whole program is non-free. Therefore, using terms like "not completely freedom respecting", or "partially free software" is more appropriate here.

jxself
Offline
Joined: 09/13/2010

Therefore, using terms like "not completely freedom respecting", or "partially free software" is more appropriate here.

Yep, and I no longer use terms like calling a program "semifree":
https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/categories.html#ProprietarySoftware

mYself
Offline
Joined: 01/18/2012

One important thing I forgot to add is that, from my experience, there are two main categories of partially free software:

  • one that uses non-free software, and
  • one that is built around a non-free software

The first category can be further divided into the following subcategories:

  • one that can be liberated, and
  • one that cannot be

The first subcategory make use of parts, that can be cut out, or disabled by a workaround, without seriously affecting the program functionality, and therefore can be liberated (e.g. HandBrake, PlayOnLinux). These are the main reasons why calling this category simply "non-free software" is not a good idea.

In the second subcategory, the used parts are critically important, and cannot be easily removed without making major changes into the source code. The most prominent example are programs, that relies on the proprietary NVidia Cg Toolkit (e.g. Penumbra: Overture, Dolphin).

The second category cannot be liberated, because the non-free part is essential for operation (e.g. FAAC, XaraLX). Calling this category "non-free software" is ok, but it's better to call the problematic part alone non-free in order to avoid confusion.

MagicFab
Offline
Joined: 12/13/2010

Le 2014-01-02 23:05, name at domain a écrit :
> It's probably not a good idea to provide builds of non-free software,
> let alone advertising it here. (HandBrake uses the faac encoder, which
> is not free.)

It would be good to determine and clarify if the Ubuntu and Debian
builds being re-introduced / packaged are, in fact, 100% free software:

http://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywords=handbrake&searchon=names&suite=all&section=all
http://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=handbrake&searchon=names&suite=all&section=all

Because it's in "main" in Debian, it would look like requirements to
meet DFSG have been met, so apparently upstream's version should be
completely free in fact.

F.

--
Fabián Rodríguez - XMPP/Jabber+OTR: name at domain
http://debian.magicfab.ca

ZykoticK9
Offline
Joined: 04/07/2011

The key factor here is the dfsg in the package name. That represents changes being made, by the debian packager to remove the non-free elements, to make it Debian Free Software Guidlines acceptable. Reading the changelog we can see the non-free stuff is being removed.

NO comment on the ubuntu package(s).

So, I'd say that debian's handbrake-dfsg package IS free, but I also agree with jxself's argument that this boarders on suggesting non-free software...