X-Git-Url: https://pere.pagekite.me/gitweb/homepage.git/blobdiff_plain/92b9fd0b35e532ab3f9f2c52f503f3d469c3ff05..aaf3a8d6ac3f87b3060fda22f11cb474d2e37af0:/blog/archive/2018/10/10.rss diff --git a/blog/archive/2018/10/10.rss b/blog/archive/2018/10/10.rss index dbcba3ce26..7a3b9faadf 100644 --- a/blog/archive/2018/10/10.rss +++ b/blog/archive/2018/10/10.rss @@ -6,6 +6,68 @@ http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/ + + Web browser integration of VLC with Bittorrent support + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Web_browser_integration_of_VLC_with_Bittorrent_support.html + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Web_browser_integration_of_VLC_with_Bittorrent_support.html + Sun, 21 Oct 2018 09:50:00 +0200 + <p>Bittorrent is as far as I know, currently the most efficient way to +distribute content on the Internet. It is used all by all sorts of +content providers, from national TV stations like +<a href="https://www.nrk.no/">NRK</a>, Linux distributors like +<a href="https://www.debian.org/">Debian</a> and +<a href="https://www.ubuntu.com/">Ubuntu</a>, and of course the +<a href="https://archive.org/">Internet archive</A>. + +<p>Almost a month ago +<a href="https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/vlc-plugin-bittorrent">a new +package adding Bittorrent support to VLC</a> became available in +Debian testing and unstable. To test it, simply install it like +this:</p> + +<p><pre> +apt install vlc-plugin-bittorrent +</pre></p> + +<p>Since the plugin was made available for the first time in Debian, +several improvements have been made to it. In version 2.2-4, now +available in both testing and unstable, a desktop file is provided to +teach browsers to start VLC when the user click on torrent files or +magnet links. The last part is thanks to me finally understanding +what the strange x-scheme-handler style MIME types in desktop files +are used for. By adding x-scheme-handler/magnet to the MimeType entry +in the desktop file, at least the browsers Firefox and Chromium will +suggest to start VLC when selecting a magnet URI on a web page. The +end result is that now, with the plugin installed in Buster og Sid, +one can visit any +<a href="https://archive.org/details/CopyingIsNotTheft1080p">Internet +Archive page with movies</a> using a web browser and click on the +torrent link to start streaming the movie.</p> + +<p>Note, there is still some misfeatures in the plugin. One is the +fact that it will hang and +<a href="https://github.com/johang/vlc-bittorrent/issues/13">block VLC +from exiting until the torrent streaming starts</a>. Another is the +fact that it +<a href="https://github.com/johang/vlc-bittorrent/issues/9">will pick +and play a random file in a multi file torrent</a>. This is not +always the video file you want. Combined with the first it can be a +bit hard to get the video streaming going. But when it work, it seem +to do a good job.</p> + +<p>For the Debian packaging, I would love to find a good way to test +if the plugin work with VLC using autopkgtest. I tried, but do not +know enough of the inner workings of VLC to get it working. For now +the autopkgtest script is only checking if the .so file was +successfully loaded by VLC. If you have any suggestions, please +submit a patch to the Debian bug tracking system.</p> + +<p>As usual, if you use Bitcoin and want to show your support of my +activities, please send Bitcoin donations to my address +<b><a href="bitcoin:15oWEoG9dUPovwmUL9KWAnYRtNJEkP1u1b">15oWEoG9dUPovwmUL9KWAnYRtNJEkP1u1b</a></b>.</p> + + + Release 0.2 of free software archive system Nikita announced http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Release_0_2_of_free_software_archive_system_Nikita_announced.html