Missing documentation on Automatic video conversion

koenvi - February 11, 2007 - 20:13
Project:Video
Version:HEAD
Component:Miscellaneous
Category:feature request
Priority:normal
Assigned:Unassigned
Status:closed
Description

I've tried to use this module for a new website, but I can't seem to get the automatic video conversion to work. I believe FFMPEG is correctly installed on my server, because the thumbnail creation works perfectly.
In the Note of the Auto Conversion it says: "IMPORTANT: you will need the video_render.php correctly configured and run by cron. See README.txt for more informations". The README.txt file is empty, so I don't know how to configure the video_render and have it run by cron.

Could someone help me to get this working?

Thanks!

#1

fax8 - February 11, 2007 - 23:16
Title:Automatic video conversion» Missing documentation on Automatic video conversion

I will provide documentation to those new features as soon as possible.

Meanwhile follow this brief instructions:
1 - Activate the video_ffmpeg_helper module
2 - Setup it's advanced options to meet your needs
3 - Move video_render.php and video_scheduler.php into your Drupal root
4 - Edit the first line of those files to meet your needs
5 - Check permissions of the files and folders
6 - Schedule the execution of video_scheduler.php using unix cron

Your videos should now be converted by the system.

If you have success in the process it would be really useful if you could contribute
some more detailed documentation.

Thanks,

Fabio

#2

koenvi - February 13, 2007 - 14:55

Thanks a lot for the quick reaction.

I have tried doing what you said and have some further questions/remarks.

  1. I copied the video_scheduler.php and video_render.php to the drupal root and scheduled the execution of video_scheduler.php. Since I am working on a Windows machine I did this via the Scheduled tasks.
    When the page is executed (by the scheduled task) I get the message from the PHP page: "This script is only executable from the command line."
  2. To work around this problem I (temporarily) took out this condition from the php code and then the page executes correctly, except that I have the impression that the execution of video_render.php doesn't work: exec("php video_render.php $job->nid $job->vid > /dev/null &");".
  3. With some adaptations to the video_render page (took out the condition which blocks execution in browser and allow the parameters vid and pid to be passed via URL) I got the system to work and convert my videofile successfully.
  4. I know now that there is nothing wrong with my installation or ffmpeg, but I'm looking forward to a clear manual to fully automate this procedure.

    Maybe a small hint: why not use a similar way of auto-converting as the FlashVideo module? This way you can manually execute the cron page to have your videos converted, or you can wait the default Drupal cron-task.

    Thanks!!!

#3

fusion94 - February 13, 2007 - 21:32

I'm also having issues with this as well.

My crontab looks like this:

*/5 * * * * /usr/bin/php -q /var/www/html/video_scheduler.php

And I get the following error when cron tries to execute.

PHP Warning:  include_once(./includes/bootstrap.inc): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/html/video_scheduler.php on line 39 
PHP Warning:  include_once(): Failed opening './includes/bootstrap.inc' for inclusion                                                                  
+(include_path='.:/php/includes:/var/www/html:/var/www/html/includes') in /var/www/html/video_scheduler.php on line 39                                 
PHP Fatal error:  Call to undefined function drupal_bootstrap() in /var/www/html/video_scheduler.php on line 43     

Oddly enough I don't get any error when it's run from the command line. It executes perfectly.

Anyone have any ideas?

#4

spooky69 - February 15, 2007 - 22:12

I get this error:

/home/domain/public_html/video_scheduler.php: line 1: ?php: No such file or directory
/home/domain/public_html/video_scheduler.php: line 2: //: is a directory
/home/domain/public_html/video_scheduler.php: line 4: /bin: is a directory
/home/domain/public_html/video_scheduler.php: line 5: etc: command not found
/home/domain/public_html/video_scheduler.php: line 6: etc: command not found
/home/domain/public_html/video_scheduler.php: line 7: etc: command not found
/home/domain/public_html/video_scheduler.php: line 8: syntax error near unexpected token `newline'
/home/domain/public_html/video_scheduler.php: line 8: ` * @author Fabio Varesano '

#5

fax8 - February 16, 2007 - 18:19

@spooky69
Looks like you are executing the php file directly instead of passing it to php

@fusion94
Check permissions and ownership on files and folders. Some times cron jobs are executed by user different than the one who own the files

#6

spooky69 - February 17, 2007 - 17:51

Oops... thanks fax8.

So, now I have sorted that out it seems that it is still not quite there... it gives errors in the log file saying that /home/accountName is not writeable and also that /home/accountName/public_html is not writeable. I would have thought that it should be ok as long as the image / video related folders are writeable. Any ideas?

#7

spooky69 - February 17, 2007 - 18:01

Further to the above, the log says no video conversion jobs scheduled but shows the following location:

http:///?/home/accountName/public_html/video_scheduler.php

That isn't quite right, is it....

#8

fax8 - February 18, 2007 - 01:33

adjust the values contained in the first lines of the video_render and video_scheduler scripts.

#9

spooky69 - February 18, 2007 - 12:46

Is there a newer version I should be using? The first line of scheduler.php that I have is

// $Id: video_scheduler.php,v 1.3 2007/01/14 14:59:06 fax8 Exp $

nothing below this relates to paths and I have obviously not adjusted anything below where it states not to change anything. Either I need to be using a newer release from somewhere or...?? Nothing in the code comments indicates anything that should be changed for paths as far as I can see...

Nervous about installing what may or may not be a newer cvs version as the one I have works for uploading and playing of videos, along with thumbnailing - don't want to try and fix something that isn't broken but would like the conversion facility to be working. Using 5.1 by the way.

Any specific advice would be appreciated.

#10

fax8 - February 18, 2007 - 14:37

There is still nothing new on video_scheduler.php .
Sorry for my incorrect hint above.

You should check that the user who execute the video_scheduler.php actually have permissions
to write were your system store videos. Also check traversing permissions in the traversed folders.

Hope this helps,

Fabio

#11

spooky69 - February 18, 2007 - 15:12

Hi fax8 - I am pretty sure that is all ok. I don't quite get the log showing that http:///?/home/accountName/public_html/video_scheduler.php bit - it is showing the local file path as is given in the cron job with the addition of that question mark, instead of the web path that I would have expected to see. Something very odd going on and I would appreciate any pointers you can give.

The cron job is current set up as

/usr/bin/php /home/accountName/public_html/video_scheduler.php

#12

spooky69 - February 18, 2007 - 15:48

Further to the above, should the video_render database table automatically have an entry when a new video is uploaded or does this get created by video_scheduler.php, as nothing is created in video_render when a new video is uploaded.

#13

spooky69 - February 18, 2007 - 19:27

Ok, re-installed, checked permissions. This seems to have corrected itself... however, zero file size flv created... will open another issue for this. Cheers for the assistance above.

#14

fax8 - February 19, 2007 - 00:25

video_render is filled by video_scheduler.php and video_render.php

so.. your problem were permissions?

#15

spooky69 - February 19, 2007 - 00:39

Not entirely sure what the problem was. Deleted the test video, re-installed same module files, then it worked... except for the other issue I posted where the flv of zero size was created. File permissions looked fine to me - had it all chmod 777.

#16

anarcat - June 27, 2007 - 16:09
Category:support request» feature request
Status:active» needs review

Here is something that could become the next README.txt.

AttachmentSize
README_16.txt 1.03 KB

#17

anarcat - June 27, 2007 - 18:55

Under Debian, I had to install proprietary codecs in order to decode properly some alien videos. The main symptom was soundless videos. I fixed this by adding:

... and running:

aptitude update
aptitude install w32codecs  ffmpeg sox toolame vorbis-tools lame lame-extras faad

Maybe this could also be added to the README.txt.

#18

fax8 - August 7, 2007 - 14:47
Status:needs review» fixed

Included the README.txt info in my rewrite. Going to publish it soon.
I would like to provide an handbook page for ffmpeg installation guide.

That could help adding users comments etc.. then more helpful.

Fabio

#19

Anonymous - August 21, 2007 - 14:50
Status:fixed» closed

#20

Num85@drupal.org - September 15, 2007 - 14:51

Hi,
I am also having a problem with this, Im not too sure if the cron is even working as the videos do not appear when uploaded.
My cron looks like this:
15 * * * * /usr/bin/php -O - -q http://www.mysite.com/video_scheduler.php

not too sure what the problem could be, my host tells me that I need to run it every 15 minutes as I'm on shared and every minute is not allowed.

 
 

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