pAVrecord Video/webcam recorder (mpeg4, Theora, x264)

[peebee]

I would suggest trying the screencast feature of ffconvert (if you have that in Tahrpup),
William

Hi William

Many thanks for the suggestions - I tried ffconvert and got the attached errors....this may be associated with tahrpup using avconv instead of ffmpeg....

666philb suggested to use SimpleScreenRecorder (QT4 based) which does seem to work in tahrpup.

He is also looking into using the Precise version of pavrecord-0.9.4.

Thanks
peebee

[mcewanw]

I would suggest trying the screencast feature of ffconvert (if you have that in Tahrpup),
William

Hi William

Many thanks for the suggestions - I tried ffconvert and got the attached errors....this may be associated with tahrpup using avconv instead of ffmpeg....

Ah, I know what causes that ffconvert error you are seeing. ffconvert has been designed to work with either avconv or ffmpeg BUT that MP4 MPEG4-AVC preset I suggested in ffconvert expects the codec libfaac for recording aac audio whereas Precise Puppy didn't have that but rather used libvo_aacenc. I've suggested workaround that should fix that below. By the way, it shouldn't be necessary to downgrade pAVrecord when it comes to aac codecs either since it is designed to use either libfaac or libvo_aacenc as this code extract from pAVrecord 0.9.5 shows (though perhaps there are other reasons tahrpup won't work with 0.9.5 - I don't know):

Code: Select all

if [ "$(printf '%s' $AVCODECS | grep 'libfaac')" ];then
 export AACENC="libfaac"
elif [ "$(printf '%s' $AVCODECS | grep 'libvo_aacenc')" ];then
 export AACENC="libvo_aacenc"
else
 export AACENC="aac -strict experimental"
fi

I just checked the code for ffconvert and it similarly should also work with libvo_aacenc, but you need to change the preset and save it. After that it should work for you. Following my previous link of instructions for using ffconvert, once you select preset MP4 MPEG4-AVC go to the "Details" tab and where you see codec libfaac presented look inside the drop down list and hopefully you will find libvo_aacenc in there - select that and hopefully it will then work (if not there, though not so good, you could possibly get away with using libmp3lame for the audio part rather than libfaac or libvo_aacenc). Sorry, I don't have tahrpup on here so can't double check that, but certainly the ffconvert script seems to make provision for libvo_aacenc if the version of avconv has that compiled in, which I expect it does.

ffconvert is really great for doing screencasts if you can get the codecs set up as required - saves having to use all that heavy QT4 code. If you do get ffconvert screencasting to work and you note the avconv/ffmpeg parameters it is using (from /tmp/ffconvert/) you could also use the same parameters for pAVrecord screencasting. The anconv/ffmpeg convert line, including all the codec parameters it is using is shown in a file with extension .sh in /tmp/ffconvert/, which appears whilst ffconvert is processing any conversion or screencasting, but really, if ffconvert does the job you won't need pAVrecord for that anyway.

Let me know how it goes.

William

[Pelo]

I want to inform that pAVrecord still satisfy me, that has to be known
Resume : full screen : drec (Gposil)
Moving Window : Xvidcap
Fix Window : pAVrecord
And i use them, it's not a theorical thing.
I see that the topic is going elsewhere. The three ones above are the best.

Excepted with Slacko last versions. Awful !

[Pelo]

Argolance (Puppy Linux France ToOpPy) would like the pAVrecord bar to be reduced to a red point during screencast. Not a bad idea.
what about pause and stop
Click on the red point would stop recording. Pause ? Huuummm...

[Pelo]

pAVrecord in Tahrpup (no ffmpeg available)
Download pAVrecord from PPM which will join FFMPEG too as depedancie
... if links to Ubuntu repository work
Try quickpet too... links are activated to ftp arena but pAVrecord not listed
Waiting for tahrpup repair : type
ln -s avconv ffmpeg in terminal opened in /usr/bin/

[Pelo]

zone now is delimited on the screen, bravo mcewanw !
Videos posted in You Tube are shown as HD,
i am wondering is Puppy nowadays is not only to be used by puppy builders, without any utility elsewhere. A training distro for pupils aiming to become great programmers.

[Pelo]

pAVrecord or SSR Simple Screen Recorder.
Zone to be screencasted now can be selected with mouse , it was diificult enough to use Xwininfo.

[mcewanw]

SSR is very good, if like TahrPup you don't mind having qt libs. In trying to make smaller systems more versatile, I prefer ffmpeg or libav(avconv). But pAVrecord was never designed with screencast as its focus - some simple screencast functionality was just added to it as a bonus but with lots of limitations.

In my house at least, both SSR, pAVrecord, Precord and even original scrot screenshot application, are now obsoleted, to a large extent, by ddogxcap (with scrotx, which is a fork of scrot that provided window/screen geometry info as well as all original scrot functions:

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 276#914276

However...

The most I am likely to do with pAVrecord developments now is to simply update the underlying ffmpeg commandlines to reflect some improved options available in newer ffmpeg/avconv. If a copy of my new ddogxcap never materialises for public use (I'm undecided about that), then another screencast app is in any case being developed (by step and SFR) for FatDog, which should be easily modified for Puppy use.

Once an app is given a public release there inevitably then comes the burden of maintaining it, a 'responsibility' that can go on for years! And there are plenty apps out there nowadays for those who don't mind larger programs, which may require more memory and faster machines (most machines being fast and with tons of RAM nowadays anyway).

Precord was itself first released in Dec 2009, though 'wreckedleg' was my first mp3 audio recorder (released Oct 2007). pAVrecord was created in a major quick burst of round the clock programming, out of underlying Precord code, and released in Oct 2012 - so both Precord and pAVrecord have had relatively long lives in terms of maintenance/development, but technology is an ongoing moving target so I'm moving on too.

William

Note that Precord (audio recorder/player) nevertheless still remains useful on systems which don't have ffmpeg or avconv since it can record mp3 or wav audio without ffmpeg being installed.

[Pelo]

my first tests with pAVrecord
Two years ago.
pAVrecord is the defaut screencast tool in so many Puppies.
Excepted for Puppies with QT included, there is not yet a Puppy tool to replace it (try Easycast by Argolance)

[Pelo]

audio plus video
I am remasterizing a Puppy (Slegopen) to keep only Windows themes. So i decided to record existing containts with pAVrecord. It's really hard to choose window to record
pAVrecord 0.9.6. I install a newer version. i feed back
"Once an app is given a public release there inevitably then comes the burden of maintaining it, a 'responsibility' that can go on for years!" the boomerang of success, pAVrecord is the default screencast in most Puppies.
Yes I got it. Even Professionnals have to take scene several times to get what they want !

[mcewanw]

audio plus video
I am remasterizing a Puppy (Slegopen) to keep only Windows themes. So i decided to record existing containts with pAVrecord. It's really hard to choose window to record :)
pAVrecord 0.9.6. I install a newer version. i feed back
"Once an app is given a public release there inevitably then comes the burden of maintaining it, a 'responsibility' that can go on for years!" the boomerang of success, pAVrecord is the default screencast in most Puppies.
Yes :!: I got it. Even Professionnals have to take scene several times to get what they want !

But I don't understand why you are still using pAVrecord when weX will work fine in XenialPup or XenialDog (and recent FatDog) for screencasts and with area/window selection, follow mouse capability all with SSR quality.

William

[Pelo]

I try to do with default applications included in Puppy Linux, and learn how to use them.
pAVrecord and Simple Screen Recorder are the choice of our Puppy Devs.They need some practice. When your settings are Ok, these tools are easy to use.
Testing new apps is my project, to renew the menu. I have tutorials to do, i will check yours soon, promised.
I was one who practice with video tools. I like very much DebianPUP, I shall post my feed back about weX there, in DebianPup forum.

[Robert123]

I try to do with default applications included in Puppy Linux, and learn how to use them.
pAVrecord and Simple Screen Recorder are the choice of our Puppy Devs.They need some practice. When your settings are Ok, these tools are easy to use.
Testing new apps is my project, to renew the menu. I have tutorials to do, i will check yours soon, promised.
I was one who practice with video tools. I like very much DebianPUP, I shall post my feed back about weX there, in DebianPup forum.

Why run out of old ones from Noah's Ark - filling old threads with useless rantings.

[mcewanw]

Ok, let me know should you have trouble installing the various dotpets (including scrox) and extra lib (giblib) needed for weX to work fully (also needs ffmpeg of course).

XenialDog or FatDog64-710b might be best place to test weX since I've tested it as working particularly well on both of these (though version uploaded for FatDog has only been tested very quickly).

William

[Sailor Enceladus]

But I don't understand why you are still using pAVrecord when weX will work fine in XenialPup or XenialDog (and recent FatDog) for screencasts and with area/window selection, follow mouse capability all with SSR quality.

Why run out of old ones from Noah's Ark - filling old threads with useless rantings.

Slacko comes with pavRecord, even the newest Slacko 6.9.5.

[Pelo]

We run included apps to keep speedy our puppy. Try what is offered before searching elsewhere. The only missing tool in pAVrecord was to draw the zone to screencast with your mouse, as xVidcap.
I agree that Slacko can now include SSR in its menu. SSR works perfectly

[Pelo]

But I don't understand why you are still using pAVrecord when weX will work fine in XenialPup or XenialDog (and recent FatDog) for screencasts and with area/window selection, follow mouse capability all with SSR quality.

Why run out of old ones from Noah's Ark - filling old threads with useless rantings.

Slacko comes with pavRecord, even the newest Slacko 6.9.5.

Newest versions of pAVrecord have been improved. Does this one fit your needs ?

[mcewanw]

@Pelo (or anyone really...):

If you are using a newish Puppy (which may have a newer ffmpeg installed) you could try out the following 'hijack plugin' for X11screencast. If it works for your system ffmpeg then you will get far better X11 screencast video quality. Just remove the dummy tar and put the attached file in your /root/.pavrecord folder. Then start pavrecord and try making a screencast. Let me know if it worked for you...

EDIT: If the ffmpeg on your system won't work with X11GRAB.hijack.tar, it may means it is an older ffmpeg which doesn't understand the -thread_queue_size option in there. If so, try the alternative X11GRAB.hijack.olderffmpeg.tar instead, which I have also now uploaded to this post. Note you must place this in /root/.pavrecord AND remove the dummy .olderffmpeg.tar end part of the name (the filename should always end up as X11GRAB.hijack for it to be recognised by pavrecord.

pAVrecord will then recognise the file and use the command inside it instead of that inside its own internal code for screencast encoding. If it works on your system it will give same screencast encoding quality as SSR, though you would be advised to later use the newer weX program instead since that also includes mouse selection of capture area or window, plus the option to embed webcam video in your screencast.

William

[Pelo]

Bookmarked.

Aparte :
Puprescue Puppy (Lucid) tries to repair my Pendrive, right now.
This morning my video about Ptheme was good quality (technically),

[mcewanw]

I've uploaded a second possible X11GRAB.hijack, to my post immediately above, should you find the first one doesn't work with the ffmpeg on your system.

This alternative, X11GRAB.hijack.olderffmpeg.tar, is for systems with older ffmpeg. For such older systems you again need to place this in /root/.pavrecord and remove the dummy .olderffmpeg.tar from the filename such that it is named only X11GRAB.hijack.

pAVrecord will then recognise the file and use the command inside it instead of that inside its own internal code for screencast encoding. If it works on your system it will give same screencast encoding quality as SSR, though you would be advised to later use the newer weX program instead since that also includes mouse selection of capture area or window.

William