How to use static ffmpeg builds?

[mikeslr]

From time to time there have been posts on the Forum about using statically built versions of ffmpeg. John Van Sickle (perhaps others) publishes* them and includes on his Site this explanation, https://www.johnvansickle.com/ffmpeg/faq/: "A static build is basically a binary with all the libs included inside the binary itself. There's no installation necessary in order to use a static binary, but you may want to place it in your shell's PATH to easily call it from the command line. Otherwise you can use the binary's absolute path."

Seems easy enough except how do you get your applications to use the newly available build rather than whatever version of ffmpeg may already have been part of your system with those applications configured/set to use the 'old' version? How can you tell if the 'upgrade' has been successful? Or is it necessary to 'remove builtins' --and later remaster-- incurring the risk that if there a problem with the new version you won't be able to revert and are screwed?

-=-=-=-
John Van Sickles publications can be found here, https://johnvansickle.com/ffmpeg/

[Grey]

By the way, static versions compile well in Fossapup. You can choose which features are needed specifically. And it's easy to use them just by making a symbolic link to the binary. And the link must be in the PATH.

[williams2]

how do you get your applications to use the newly available build

Copy the new ffmpeg static executable over writing the old ffmpeg executable. For example:

Code: Select all

# which ffmpeg
/usr/bin/ffmpeg
#
# cp ffmpegNEW /usr/bin/ffmpeg

If you want to keep the old executable, you could rename it first, like this:

Code: Select all

# which ffmpeg
/usr/bin/ffmpeg
mv /usr/bin/ffmpeg /usr/bin/ffmpegOLD
#
# cp ffmpegNEW /usr/bin/ffmpeg

How can you tell if the 'upgrade' has been successful?

ffmpeg -version

is it necessary to 'remove builtins'

Most binary applications, for example, internet browsers, do not use the ffmpeg executable, they use the ffmpeg .so shared object library files directly (that is, they link to the library files, ldd.) If you uninstall the ffmpeg library files, most applications will behave as if ffmpeg is not installed. Binary applications, for example, written in C, can execute ffmpeg directly, but they usually don't. Applications written in a scripting language, like python, can execute the ffmpeg executable directly, or they can use the library files directly. If the library files are not installed, applications that use those library files directly will not work. Applications that are shell scripts probably would run the ffmpeg executable directly and would not need the library files. Applications that use the library files directly can not use the library files that are built into a static executable.

[April]

Don't use these atm folks.

Going there to get a copy and try .
None of the md5 sums match??
Even using wget no joy.

Now the md5 sum files which check the accuracy of the downloaded file don't even come up .

This is a con folks!