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FFmpeg to Google: Fund us or stop sending bugs

(thenewstack.io)
1124 points CrankyBear | 4 comments | 11 Nov 25 18:32 UTC | HN request time: 0.359s | source
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pjmlp ◴[11 Nov 25 19:43 UTC] No.45891849[source]▶
Fully on FFmpeg team side, many companies approach to FOSS is only doing so when it sounds good on their marketing karma, leech otherwise.

Most of them would just pirate in the old days, and most FOSS licences give them clear conscience to behave as always.

replies(2): >>45892276 #>>45892516 #
iscoelho ◴[11 Nov 25 20:39 UTC] No.45892516[source]▶
Google is, at no cost to FFMPEG:

1) dedicating compute resources to continuously fuzzing the entire project

2) dedicating engineering resources to validating the results and creating accurate and well-informed bug reports (in this case, a seriously underestimated security issue)

3) additionally for codecs that Google likely does not even internally use or compile, purely for the greater good of FFMPEG's user base

Needless to say, while I agree Google has a penny to spare to fund FFMPEG, and should (although they already contribute), I do not agree with funding this maintainer.

replies(3): >>45892589 #>>45892848 #>>45895277 #
1. tofuahdude ◴[12 Nov 25 01:17 UTC] No.45895277[source]▶
FFMPEG, at no cost to Google, provided a core piece of their infrastructure for multiple multi-billion dollar product lines.
replies(3): >>45895887 #>>45895952 #>>45897829 #
2. saagarjha ◴[12 Nov 25 02:50 UTC] No.45895887[source]▶
And this is why Google contributes back.
3. woodruffw ◴[12 Nov 25 03:00 UTC] No.45895952[source]▶
"At no cost to Google" seems difficult to substantiate, given that multiple sources indicate that Google is sponsoring FFmpeg both with engineering resources (for codec development) and cold hard cash (delivered to the FFmpeg core team via their consulting outfit[1]).

This is excellent, to be clear. But it's not compatible with the yarn currently being spun of a purely extractive relationship.

[1]: https://fflabs.eu

4. Ray20 ◴[12 Nov 25 08:46 UTC] No.45897829[source]▶
Yes, according to the license selected by ffmpeg. And google, according to this license selected by ffmpeg, paid them nothing. And then do some additional work, beneficial to ffmpeg.