diff --git a/markdown/frequently-asked-questions/getting.md b/markdown/frequently-asked-questions/getting.md index 6b2fbb0cbc..1c0dee636f 100644 --- a/markdown/frequently-asked-questions/getting.md +++ b/markdown/frequently-asked-questions/getting.md @@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ Generally speaking, you have three options, ranging from easy to hard : + - [binary packages for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android](#getting-binary-sdk) + - [distribution-specific packages](#getting-gstreamer-packages) - [source tarballs](#getting-gstreamer-source) @@ -17,6 +19,9 @@ currently in use. For all practical purposes you should think of them as two completely different libraries which just happen to have a similar name. They can be installed in parallel and are completely independent. +GStreamer 1.x has been the main stable series since 2012. GStreamer 0.10 is +no longer maintained. + For the 0.10 version you will need the 0.10 plugins and bindings (gst-plugins 0.10.x, gst-ffmpeg 0.10.x, gst-python 0.10.x etc.), while for the 1.0 version you will need the 1.0 plugins and bindings (ie. @@ -29,36 +34,49 @@ is 1.0.13). GStreamer-1.0 will not see or use any of the GStreamer-0.10 plugins and vice versa. All GStreamer command line tools are suffixed with their main version, -e.g. gst-launch-0.10 and gst-launch-1.0, or gst-inspect-0.10 and -gst-inspect-1.0. +e.g. `gst-launch-1.0` and `gst-inspect-1.0`. -Applications will use either GStreamer-0.10 or GStreamer-1.0, since the -0.10 and 1.0 API/ABI are not compatible. +Applications will use either GStreamer-1.0 or GStreamer-0.10, since the +1.0 and 0.10 API/ABI are not compatible. -Odd-numbered versions such as 0.9.x, 0.11.x, etc. are unstable developer -releases that should generally not be used. +Odd-numbered versions such as 0.9.x, 0.11.x, 1.3.x, 1.5.x, 1.7.x etc. are +unstable developer releases that should generally not be used. ## So which GStreamer version should I get? -You should download GStreamer-1.0. GStreamer-0.10 is end-of-life. +You should download GStreamer 1.x. GStreamer-0.10 is no longer maintained. ## How can I install GStreamer from source ? We provide tarballs of our releases on our own site, at -When compiling from source, make sure you specify PKG\_CONFIG\_PATH -correctly when building against GStreamer. For example, if you -configured GStreamer with the default prefix (which is /usr/local), then +When compiling from source, make sure you set the `PKG_CONFIG_PATH` +environment variable correctly to the pkgconfig subdir of your install +prefix's libdir, to make sure your newly-installed GStreamer versions are +picked up when building against GStreamer. For example, if you +configured GStreamer with the default prefix (which is `/usr/local`), then you need to export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/local/lib/pkgconfig -before building gst-plugins. +before building GStreamer plugin modules. After installing GStreamer from +source on Linux, run `sudo ldconfig` to make sure your new libs will be found. + +Please note that GStreamer is not an easy thing to build from source, since it +has so many interconnected pieces from multiple modules, which must all be +installed just right and must all find each other in the right versions. + +If you have GStreamer already installed from packages, it is strongly +recommended that you find newer packages instead of installing from source, or +upgrade to a distro version that ships newer packages. Installing from source +into one prefix with distro packages in another prefix can cause problems if +it's not done right, and it is very difficult for anyone to provide help with +such a setup. ## Are there premade binaries available ? -Yes we currently provide [precompiled packages for Windows, OS/X, +Yes, we currently provide [precompiled packages for Windows, OS/X, Android and iOS](http://gstreamer.freedesktop.org/pkg/). We currently do not provide packages for Linux distributions, but rather @@ -75,7 +93,7 @@ interested in maintaining GStreamer binaries for other distributions or Unices we would be happy to hear from you. Contact us through the GStreamer-devel mailing list. -I am having trouble compiling GStreamer on my LFS installation, why ? +## I am having trouble compiling GStreamer on my LFS installation, why ? If you are running LFS our basic opinion is that you should be knowledgeable enough to solve any build issues you get on your own.