[gst-devel] GStreamer and libcdio?

[R. Bernstein]

Bastien Nocera reports:
 > I don't think Aldegonde is updated, 

Ah, but if it were using libcdio, it wouldn't have to be updated to
get benefits from the improvements made to libcdio and it could remain
simple, small, and compact. That's one of the cool things about using
external special-purpose libraries. ;-)

 > but the same (updated) code is in
 > Totem. You didn't want to fix libcdio (at the time) to detect DVD
 > movies, 

I'm not sure that's really a fair representation. libcdio's goal is to
handle CD's and not (yet) DVDs. For CD's, libcdio is hardly complete.
So it's not so much as wanting to "fix" libcdio but that it isn't
"broken" or the the right priority for me, given all the other
gaps. Others however are always free to contribute in whatever areas
they want.  Actually, that's the best way to see libcdio extended in a
way you want. ;-)

Furthermore, after the "bug" report, some tolerance for DVDs was
added. It doesn't do 100% of what you want. Okay, you've previously
noted that.  However I don't see why the additional DVD
sub-classification couldn't be done based on what's already
there. libcdio does distinguish CD's versus DVD's. And for CD's what
is there is probably complete.

 > that's why we came up with our own code (well, Ronald came up
 > with it).

I have a feeling this too is just a little bit glib. Is it really true
that Ronald was aware of libcdio and said, "Gee, since this libcdio
thing doesn't do what I want so I'll write my own code"?

 > 
 > See:
 > http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=131814
 > 
 > If you were to change libcdio to detect DVDs, we (or at least I) might
 > be interested. 

Let me turn it around. If you (singular or plural) were to submit a
patch to extend what's there in libcdio we (or at least I) might be
interested :-)

 > Otherwise, I don't see the point.

Ah - I've seen this attitude before. Unless package/library X handles
*y* (insert your favorite thing here, maybe it's CD support for the
Commodore 64) I don't see that it's any good. 

Taking you at your word, I'm sure you don't the point. For others, I
aluded above to the benefits of using a library rather than cutting
and pasting code; in a prior post I mentioned CD-image support. Here's
another: CD-Text.

videolan's vlc handles these things via libcdio and so does the xine's
libcdio-enabled CD-DA and VCD plugin. I'm hoping the next release will
have cd-paranoia support too so the libcdio CD-DA plugins will
probably have an easy way to tap into that too.

One last thing I find a little amusing. For totem and xine (the stated
preferred back end), as a result of the decision of *others* in the
xine project, you don't have a choice as to whether you get libcdio
and libvcdinfo - you get them. So it's not a question there of having
libcdio/libvcdinfo, just a question of whether you are going to make
use of what it has to offer. :-)

Cheers!