MX Linux Forum

Flowblade 2.0 installed via MXPI perfectly, but 2.6 is not listed. I went to github, https://github.com/jliljebl/flowblade, and downloaded the .deb file, but it doesn't install due to dependency problems. Would it be possible to update FB in the repository?

Thanks very much,
Paul

MXPI Flatpaks: Flowblade 2.6

Instead of github, the first place I look to get the sources to backport is in upstream Debian:
https://packages.debian.org/testing/source/flowblade

Flatpaks are OK when we can't build a native version, but they should be called bulging-at-the-seams-paks because of their ginormous size in comparison.

As long as there are no current native builds for MX, I find the reference to existing flatpaks legitimate.
Personally, I don't care if it's Appimage, Flatpak or Native, since it only affects a few programs anyway.
As an end user I am primarily interested in the usable, working program and Flatpaks/Appimages have the invaluable advantage that you don't create a Frankendebian with them.
There are often calls where something was installed from external Debian sources or from the manufacturer and didn't work properly, but there was an appimage or a flatpak for it.
Unfortunately, very few people read the MX documentation.

If there is a native version, you can delete the flatpak again.
I find it a bit unfavorable that I have to use 3 different Gnome runtime environments with 1gb each with 3 Gnome programs.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Thanks wdscharff. I installed what I thought would be a tiny color picker a couple of months ago via flatpack, and ended up adding several hundred MBs to my system. I will only use FP if absolutely necessary.

Thanks Stevo. I checked out that page and downloaded flowblade 2.6. From the documentation and apt I found I am missing python-fi-cairo and four girl.2* packages. I don't know where to go from there.

Stevo was just saying that it is “also” good to provide the upstream Debian link if possible. The reason is that the GitHub link may not provide everything needed to build it, but if a version is already in upstream Debian it is easier and that is where we start.

I don’t believe that he wanted you to install it from there and I also believe that he has added it to his list of packages to work on.

When we build packages for the repo we also build any dependencies for it, which will fix the issues you are having now once it’s all ready.

SwampRabbit wrote: Thu Jul 23, 2020 10:41 am Stevo was just saying that it is “also” good to provide the upstream Debian link if possible. The reason is that the GitHub link may not provide everything needed to build it, but if a version is already in upstream Debian it is easier and that is where we start.

Ok, thanks. I will keep that in mind going forward!

Note that should you choose to use the Flatpak, some features are missing, so you would need to check to see if that was important to you.

FWIW, I've used Flowblade, Openshot, and Kdenlive. They all have strengths and weaknesses, but for me only Kdenlive is stable. The other two have crashed when rendering more than once.

Chris

I won't be using the flatpak, and if it is missing some functionality, that really seals the deal. So that is good information.

Stability is an issue with all these progs, apparently due to the MLT base they all share. Which one is more stable seems to be a matter of opinion, probably based on hardware differences. I did try Shotcut last night and didn't like the logic of the interface. Kdenlive is the most feature-rich, but I find it daunting. OpenShot is good. Flowblade seems quite promising, which is why I wanted to try the latest edition, a pretty big jump from 2.0. There's another offering, Olive, which I haven't tried.

paul1149 wrote: Thu Jul 23, 2020 10:59 am Ok, thanks. I will keep that in mind going forward!

No worries, you provided something, which is more than some do.

Sometimes application developers have a "debian" folder in their GitHub, sometimes they don't.

Maybe they only have what is needed for Arch, Fedora, or openSUSE... which we can use to start with.

Anything to save us a bit of time from hunting around is welcome, even if its a few clicks and few seconds.

Note: I took a look at our package tracking thread, I don't see Stevo saying he will do it, so I'll download the source files and see how quickly it can be done.
If he already did it but didn't post it... then oh well.

paul1149 wrote: Thu Jul 23, 2020 11:30 am There's another offering, Olive, which I haven't tried.

This from the Olive website put me off:

currently in alpha meaning it is incomplete and not fully stable

Chris

flowblade 2.6 is packaged now, tested install and opening only. It will need to go into the Test Repo for now because there is a dependency it needs in there and I haven't checked if we can move it yet.
This should stay in the Test Repo anyway until we get a few folks saying it doesn't have issues.

If you want to test it before it shows up in the repo you can get it here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sJIGxY ... sp=sharing

You need to first install python3-mlt from the Test Repo tab in MX Package Installer before trying to install the above .deb file

Thanks SwampRabbit. I'm still getting "Dependency resolution failed" in Discover. QApt-deb-installer says similar. I'm on MX19 with a KDE front end (not the beta).

When you say “still” means you did install python3-mlt per my post just now?

I found I don’t like QApt-deb-installer because it doesn’t tell me what depends I need! Lol

You can try to install from terminal. You could be missing something. I installed and opened it in my test VMs stock snapshot.

SR: A funny thing happened after I did what you said to do - flowblade installed! Sorry about that.

I used QApt again, and its Detail button said two dependencies were still missing: python3-numpy, python3-opencv. Why it could install those but not python3-mlt I don't know, but that's how it was.

So I've got FB 2.6 up and running, and now will give it some tests.

I also gave Olive a try. Impressive prog, aiming at Kdenlive levels I think. But it's alpha and I couldn't get many basic things to work right or at all. Will leave it for now.

Thanks again. I appreciate having the latest edition of FB to try out!

Another option to consider:

https://www.shotcut.org/download/

I use the AppImage version (a single file) and run it from an external drive.

paul1149 wrote: Thu Jul 23, 2020 3:07 pm I used QApt again, and its Detail button said two dependencies were still missing: python3-numpy, python3-opencv. Why it could install those but not python3-mlt I don't know, but that's how it was.

for some reason, at least on our KDE Betas, the Detail button hasn't shown missing dependencies in general.... at least I thought it wasn't because that is the first thing I checked.

I'll double check if it does soon, but I might also have to update my KDE Beta2 VM... I don't know its getting harder to test all these packages now lol.

@paul1149 I've just packaged flowblade 2.6.3 with git commits up to 20210208.
I tested it in a VM and it at least opens.

I'll be sending it and the updated depends up for inclusion in the MX Test Repo in the next day.

Thanks #swamprabbit. I did settle on kdenlive after surveying the field back then, but I'll look into this.

Be well.

BTW, Flowblade 2.8 is out now....https://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/20 ... middlebar/