# Can we have audio/lame back?



## RAMChYLD (Feb 10, 2019)

This is in reference to the post https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/what-happened-to-lame.32124/. I know it is several years old hence I'm not necroing.

The MP3 patents expired in April 2017, and Fraunhoffer IIS had chosen to not renew (https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/05/16/mp3_dies_nobody_noticed/). I believe this means that the format is now public domain and we should be able to include lame in binary form again.

The main reason I'm asking is because I was installing xfce4 on my freebsd server, and among the things it installed was a gstreamer lame plugin. Now pkg keeps warning about missing lame package.


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## forquare (Feb 10, 2019)

You'll probably want to either raise a Bug on it to catch any discussion, or contact the maintainer directly (details can be found on the Freshports page)


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## Sevendogsbsd (Feb 10, 2019)

You can use the port to build a package and install it via `pkg`. Problem with that is you have to update manually using the same process. I haven't had any issues doing this, but can't remember if `pkg autoremove` pulled it since I haven't done this in a while.

I know this is mixing ports and packages but if I remember, nothing other than audio/lame gets built.


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## NapoleonWils0n (Feb 10, 2019)

You could set up poudriere to build the lame package
Digital ocean have a good guide on setting up poudriere as well


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## GGVL (Feb 10, 2019)

MP3...  Flac and DSD


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## Phishfry (Feb 10, 2019)

Other patents are involved apparently.
https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=223974


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## RAMChYLD (Feb 20, 2019)

Noted. It figures. Thanks for the reply. I don't really want to use ports, but I guess I need to.


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