[Webkit-unassigned] [Bug 135973] New: [GStreamer] Do not show PackageKit codec installation dialog

[bugzilla-daemon at webkit.org]

https://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=135973

           Summary: [GStreamer] Do not show PackageKit codec installation
                    dialog
           Product: WebKit
           Version: 528+ (Nightly build)
          Platform: PC
        OS/Version: Linux
            Status: NEW
          Severity: Normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: Media Elements
        AssignedTo: webkit-unassigned at lists.webkit.org
        ReportedBy: mcatanzaro at gnome.org
                CC: pnormand at igalia.com


I don't see the point of using PackageKit codec installation dialogs:

* Distros that include patent-encumbered codecs in their repos, like Debian and Ubuntu, typically install them all by default, so the dialogs do not appear and are not needed.
* Distros that do not install patent-encumbered codecs by default, like Red Hat and SUSE distros, do not include them in their repos, so the dialogs always fail to find the needed codec.

I'm not sure there's any situation where this dialog is actually helpful, unless used in combination with an alternate package source (rpmfusion for Fedora, Packman for openSUSE), but instructions on how to install the alternate package source typically also include instructions on how to install all the codecs you want.

These dialogs are a bad user experience for several reasons outlined at [1]. Please either do not show these dialogs ever, or only show the dialog if you can predict that codec installation will succeed, or make it possible to disable at compile time.

[1] https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=726326

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