SOLVED: Reaper cannot find ffmpeg on a clean Ubuntu 22.10 install.

[mcoyle]

On a fresh install of Ubuntu 22.10, Reaper 6.71 cannot find ffmpeg.

It doesn't matter if you install debs via apt (ffmpeg v 5.1.1) or via the Snap Store (ffmpeg v 4.3.1).

Reaper is limited to vlc for video decoding and there is no way to encode video. (VLC provides two encoding options, but neither is a professional format.)

This is a critical problem for anyone doing audio post to picture where we routinely render videos for client approval of mixes.

If you upgraded to 22.10 from 22.04, you're ok because Reaper will find the older ffmpeg libraries which are not removed by default.

Under Preferences > Media > Video "Show decoder info", it's pretty clear Reaper is not seeing ffmpeg.

I'm lucky because I have an older partition with 22.04 and a working version of Reaper/ffmpeg which I can boot to render videos, but for others not so lucky, this is really a big problem. Like... make me boot Pro Tools in Windows level of problem. You just can't do post work without rendering videos. I implore you to address this ASAP.

Available decoder information:

========== VLC ==========
VLC v3.0.x
Loaded from: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/vlc/plugins

========== ffmpeg/libav ==========
ffmpeg/libav not found

ffmpeg/libav search path:
  $PATH

System Info:

OS: Ubuntu 22.10 x86_64
Reaper: tested on versions 6.66 to 6.71
ffmpeg: Apt: 5.1.1 or Snap 4.3.1

[axel_ef]

What's the output of

which ffmpeg

[mcoyle]

Originally Posted by axel_ef

What's the output of

which ffmpeg

/usr/bin/ffmpeg

[axel_ef]

So it can be found in $PATH and should be found by Reaper.

Maybe you need libavcodec

This is what Reaper shows for me

This version of REAPER supports video decoding/playback via:

• ffmpeg: FFmpeg/libav: minimal build included with REAPER, v2.8-v4.2 can be downloaded separately for more functionality
• vlc: VLC media player: v2.x-v3.x for correct architecture must be downloaded separately

For each imported media file, REAPER will try the available decoders in the priority order listed in Preferences. Append :ext or :ext1,ext2 or :!ext to limit decoders to a specific media file extensions. For example, vlc:mov will try the VLC decoder only for .mov files; ffmpeg:!wmv will try the FFmpeg decoder for files other than .wmv.

Available decoder information:

========== VLC ==========
VLC install path not found, install VLC 2.1.x-3.0.x

========== ffmpeg/libav ==========
ffmpeg/libav DLL decoder v58.91.100

Loaded from: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libavcodec.so.58
ffmpeg/libav configuration:
  --prefix=/usr
  --extra-version=0+deb11u1
  --toolchain=hardened
  --libdir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu
  --incdir=/usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu
  --arch=amd64
  --enable-gpl
  --disable-stripping
  --enable-avresample
  --disable-filter=resample
  --enable-gnutls
  --enable-ladspa
  --enable-libaom
  --enable-libass
  --enable-libbluray
  --enable-libbs2b
  --enable-libcaca
  --enable-libcdio
  --enable-libcodec2
  --enable-libdav1d
  --enable-libflite
  --enable-libfontconfig
  --enable-libfreetype
  --enable-libfribidi
  --enable-libgme
  --enable-libgsm
  --enable-libjack
  --enable-libmp3lame
  --enable-libmysofa
  --enable-libopenjpeg
  --enable-libopenmpt
  --enable-libopus
  --enable-libpulse
  --enable-librabbitmq
  --enable-librsvg
  --enable-librubberband
  --enable-libshine
  --enable-libsnappy
  --enable-libsoxr
  --enable-libspeex
  --enable-libsrt
  --enable-libssh
  --enable-libtheora
  --enable-libtwolame
  --enable-libvidstab
  --enable-libvorbis
  --enable-libvpx
  --enable-libwavpack
  --enable-libwebp
  --enable-libx265
  --enable-libxml2
  --enable-libxvid
  --enable-libzmq
  --enable-libzvbi
  --enable-lv2
  --enable-omx
  --enable-openal
  --enable-opencl
  --enable-opengl
  --enable-sdl2
  --enable-pocketsphinx
  --enable-libmfx
  --enable-libdc1394
  --enable-libdrm
  --enable-libiec61883
  --enable-chromaprint
  --enable-frei0r
  --enable-libx264
  --enable-shared
  --enable-version3
  --disable-doc
  --disable-programs
  --enable-libaribb24
  --enable-liblensfun
  --enable-libopencore_amrnb
  --enable-libopencore_amrwb
  --enable-libtesseract
  --enable-libvo_amrwbenc

ffmpeg/libav search path:
  $PATH

[Justin]

afaict we need to add support for the newer ffmpeg versions (v5.x) that come with 22.10. I will look into this soon.

In the interim, users can install ffmpeg 4.x (like you effectively did)...

here's a resource for those builds (you'll want the -shared build for the right architecture):

https://github.com/BtbN/FFmpeg-Builds/releases

[mcoyle]

Originally Posted by Justin

...here's a resource for those builds (you'll want the -shared build for the right architecture):

https://github.com/BtbN/FFmpeg-Builds/releases

Thanks for the link which I've downloaded and extracted, but there are no instructions on how to install them. I hesitate to start dragging them around and replacing system files. Thoughts?

---- Edit -----

I downloaded and built version 4.4.1 from the Ubuntu Jammy source I downloaded here:

https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ffmpeg

It built and installed without errors, but Reaper still can't find it. Do I need to go back to an even earlier version number?

[Justin]

On my ubuntu 22.04 install, I tried downloading this:

https://github.com/BtbN/FFmpeg-Build...red-4.4.tar.xz

If you remove the stock ffmpeg packages, you can put the files from the lib/ directory in that tarball in /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ (but I understand your hesitancy to do that).

Or you can put those shared libraries in ~/lib and run REAPER with:

LD_LIBRARY_PATH=~/lib reaper

[mcoyle]

Originally Posted by Justin

On my ubuntu 22.04 install, I tried downloading this:

https://github.com/BtbN/FFmpeg-Build...red-4.4.tar.xz

If you remove the stock ffmpeg packages, you can put the files from the lib/ directory in that tarball in /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ (but I understand your hesitancy to do that).

Or you can put those shared libraries in ~/lib and run REAPER with:

LD_LIBRARY_PATH=~/lib reaper

Thank you. This solution will work until the issue is addressed in a future update.

To summarize:

1. Download older ffmpeg from:

https://github.com/BtbN/FFmpeg-Build...red-4.4.tar.xz

2. Extract and rename the folder to ffmpeg and move it out of Downloads up a level to your home directory.

3. Open a terminal and launch Reaper with the following command:

LD_LIBRARY_PATH=~/ffmpeg/lib reaper

You can now render movies!

[Justin]

You can also do (if you don't want to have to run using a special command):

sudo cp ffmpeg-version-path-downloaded/lib/lib*.so* /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/

and that should do the trick (both ffmpeg versions can coexist peacefully on your system)

[uniomni]

Thank you so much for the work around. It worked for me.
Just suggesting the following revised version of the steps:

1. Download older ffmpeg from: https://github.com/BtbN/FFmpeg-Build...red-4.4.tar.xz and extract it.

2. Create a directory in your home directory call ffmpeg

3. Move the folder lib from your to extracted directory (from step 1) and move it to the newly created ffmpeg directory.

4. Open a terminal and launch Reaper with the following command: LD_LIBRARY_PATH=~/ffmpeg/lib reaper

[Steven Jay Cohen]

Originally Posted by Justin

You can also do (if you don't want to have to run using a special command):

sudo cp ffmpeg-version-path-downloaded/lib/lib*.so* /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/

and that should do the trick (both ffmpeg versions can coexist peacefully on your system)

I really wish I could just copy them to ~/.config/REAPER/UserPlugins like I can on windows. Wouldn't that be a cleaner solution?

[ReaNico]

Hi
I did all the steps but when I put in the terminal:

LD_LIBRARY_PATH=~/ffmpeg/lib reaper

But it tells me "command not found".

I am using Debian 12.

Thanks!