Broken, Broken, Broken

I'm sure you know the old saying " if it ain't broke, don't fix it ! (or in my case don't update it)" and it happened again this week - I broke vlc - it used to work just fine until this last update (picture above).

Vlc to read flv, or mp4 or non free format depends on 2 libraries libavcodec and libavformat - they were working in version 0.svn20080206-15 but ... latest version is broken ... it was in fact documented on the debian-multimedia.org repository - too bad, I didn't read it ...

A fix is posted as well on the debian-multimedia.org but I can't figure this out

18/06/2008 :
Broken ffmpeg libraries :
Since Debian use the same soname packages name than my packages, official packages (vlc, totem, etc...) linked against libavc* doesn't work with my libavc* packages.
If you want to use vlc and friends you need to downgrade libavc* packages to the official packages.
Beware : downgrading to these packages will remove all debian-multimedia packages who depends on libavc*
To downgrade do the following :
dpkg -l | grep 3:2008
for each package echoed do :
apt-get install --reinstall =0.svn20080206-8
0.svn20080206-8 is the unstable version and 0.cvs20070307-6 for testing (check with apt-cache for the current version).

Mmmh, it has been broken since June 2008 ?!

sudo dpkg -l | grep 3:2008

libavcodec51 3:20080706-0.3 lib to enc/dec multimedia streams - runtime files
libavformat52 3:20080706-0.3 ffmpeg file format library
libavutil49 3:20080706-0.3 avutil shared libraries
libpostproc51 3:20080706-0.3 postproc shared libraries

Mmmh, okay ?!

in sources.list > deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org/ etch main
in synaptic > set prefer version from "oldstable"

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install --reinstall libavcodec51=0.svn20080206-8
sudo apt-get install --reinstall libavformat52=0.svn20080206-8
sudo apt-get install --reinstall libavutil49=0.svn20080206-8
sudo apt-get install --reinstall libpostproc51=0.svn20080206-8

Mmmh - should work ?!

sudo apt-get install --reinstall libavcodec51=0.svn20080206-8
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Version '0.svn20080206-8' for 'libavcodec51' was not found
[...]

Naaaaah, also tried with =0.svn20080206-15 just in case ... same

PhotoBooth effects with the Gimp

Lately I tried to recreate the "stretch" effects you can achieve with the Apple PhotoBooth application (see link below).

Using the Gimp, it's actually quite easy to mimic this feature using Filter/Distort/iWarp

Here using Grow :


Here using Shrink :


Here using Move :



see Mac OS X 10.5 Help: About Photo Booth
and some examples of photo booth pictures here

1234567890

it's a geek thing ! and it's today

Countdown (actually up) to the UNIX Epoch time being 1234567890!

Wacom : Photoshop Elements

After I gave a shot at ArtRage2 bundled with the Wacom tablet, I took the other cd that was in the box - and installed .... Photoshop Elements (PE) ...

First surprise, it wasn't a cd but actually a dvd and the installation took ages to finish (2GB ??) - so I thought that I would have something quite impressive - and in fact, (second surprise) it's just a minimalist version of Adobe Photoshop with limited features, ... there Adobe Bridge CS3(c) to browse into the pictures, and then a couple of assistant (or wizard step by step guided tutorial (sort of)).

Anyway, it's not too bad, (2GB ??) the filter gallery is impressive, but the mega killer stuff are the brushes, ... yep, I have to say ... I was quite convinced that Gimp was in some respect a fair equivalent to Photoshop, but after using those brushes, ... Well Gimp has some improvements to make.

On the left as usual a little sample done with Photoshop Elements (PE)

And below some additional resources :
Photoshop Elements resources
Photoshop Elements

Subway Series 2008 - ArtRage2

Impressive gallery Mr Ed Velandria uses the time he spends on his daily subway rides from Brooklyn to Manhattan to sketch portraits of other subway riders on his laptop computer with ArtRage and a digital drawing tablet.

Subway Series 2008 - a set on Flickr

Mark Verhaagen

Really beautiful works, very inspiring, fresh and efficient.

Mark Verhaagen | News

Viral Animation

Always nice to combine cartoons and real life, the concept isn't new - it reminds me a lot of La Linea (the Italian animated series created by Osvaldo Cavandoli in 1969)

V WATER [viral animation] on the Behance Network

Wacom : ArtRage2

Still using Gimp, Photoshop Element, and ArtRage2 and finding good things in all of these tools, and unfortunately some limits as well ...

So far m preference goes to ArtRage2, because it gives back the feeling to use a brush and can really render the illusion of painting on a canvas.

As an example here is a dog on the left, done in 3 layers one for the background filled with the large painting tool, then some crayon for the furs, and final detail on the upper layer to trace contour.