Features/GStreamer dependencies in RPM

Summary

Add bits to enable GStreamer capability Provides in building RPM packages.

Owner

Name: Panu Matalainen, Bastien Nocera, Richard Hughes

Current status

Targeted release: Fedora 10
Last updated: 2008-09-11
Percentage of completion: 85%

Detailed Description

See Bugzilla bug 438225 for complete information. This change will allow packages to provide GStreamer capabilities. Desktop technologies like Totem and PackageKit can detect the need for those capabilities, and interact with the user accordingly.

This feature is a precursor to a more thorough refactoring into a generic framework for these types of additions.

Benefit to Fedora

Improved codec support without any appearance of vendor non-neutrality, and user flexibility. The Fedora Board has previously discussed and approved this implementation.

Scope

Requires:

Patch to the rpm-build configuration.
Patch to gstreamer-devel to enable these provides when building packages.
New versions of PK, Totem, ??? to detect file requirements and communicate via D-Bus?
Rebuilding of packages using gstreamer-devel.

Test Plan

After code patching is complete:

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User Experience

For example, imagine the user opens a file that requires a specific codec with an aware media player. The user can receive a prompt from PackageKit asking whether to install the package the provides that codec. This implementation of codec support is completely vendor neutral and relies on package providers to rebuild their packages.

Dependencies

Updated gstreamer
Updated totem (?)
Updated PackageKit (?)

Contingency Plan

None required. If the last changes are not completed, users and packagers are unaffected. (?)

Documentation

Bugzilla bug 438225

Release Notes

The RPM package building system now includes the ability to provide GStreamer capabilities in codec packages. When a user opens a piece of media which is not handled by the installed codecs, a prompt appears to ask if the user wishes to search for an appropriate one. PackageKit launches, and if an appropriate codec is found in the yum repositories configured by the user, the user can install it.

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