[arch-general] [arch-dev-public] Mplayer in two separate packages

[Pierre Chapuis]

(from arc-dev-public)

On Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:42:17 -0300,
Hugo Doria <hugodoria at gmail.com> wrote :

> There is an old feature request for mplayer [1]: create it using two
> separate packages, one with only the CLI version and one for the GUI.
> 
> There are some reasons for this:
> 
> 1) By default the GUI is not enabled on mplayer
> 2) The package will not depend on gtk2
> 3) The user will be able to choose which GUI he wants to use. Now
> gmplayer is installed, even when the user wants to use another GUI, or
> do not use a GUI at all.
> 
> Obviously there are some points that need to be discussed:
> 
> 1) We do not usually split packages. Maybe this case is not a real
> division of packages because, by default, the GUI is not compiled.
> Don't know.
> 2) What do we do with the GUI version? Keep it on [extra] or move to
> community/AUR?
> 
> I would like to hear your opinions.
> 
> [1] http://bugs.archlinux.org/task/10220
> [2] http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=18516

I am the current maintainer of the package you linked. That package can't be used as is to build a repository package, because I have tried to rely as much as possible on its autodetection features for everything so that the resulting build fits to the machine it's built on. Slumslayer's packages (http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?K=Slumslayer&SeB=m) would probably be a better base.

To me, compiling from source is the best way to install mplayer since not everybody wants it to depend on the same things. It is also one of the rare programs for which I find optimization useful: I want my video player to be as fast as possible when playing HD video on my low-power laptop ;). These are the reasons why I will always install mplayer from the AUR (or ABS).

Yet, a no-gui mplayer package in community would be good for those who don't want to bother with the AUR. I think you should also think about making a separate package for mencoder like Slumslayer did , because most people don't need it and it ads useless dependencies to the mplayer package (for example x264). I hope the new split packages can help with that.

-- 
catwell