ffmpeg minimal requirements configuration for encoding and decoding h264 files

Question

I'm trying to compile ffmpeg with minimal requirements in order to encode/decode with h264.

So far my command line configuration is :

./configure --disable-yasm --disable-everything --enable-encoder=libx264 --enable-encoder=libfaac --enable-decoder=h264 --enable-muxer=h264 --enable-demuxer=h264 --enable-parser=h264 --enable-protocol=file

once compiled, I try this :

./ffmpeg -i ~/Dropbox/TestFile.mov -vcodec libx264 test.mp4

but I get an error :

ffmpeg version N-58081-g2925571 Copyright (c) 2000-2013 the FFmpeg developers
  built on Nov 14 2013 15:49:58 with Apple LLVM version 5.0 (clang-500.2.76) (based on LLVM 3.3svn)
  configuration: --disable-yasm --disable-everything --enable-encoder=libx264 --enable-encoder=libfaac --enable-decoder=h264 --enable-muxer=h264 --enable-demuxer=h264 --enable-parser=h264 --enable-protocol=file
  libavutil      52. 52.100 / 52. 52.100
  libavcodec     55. 43.100 / 55. 43.100
  libavformat    55. 21.100 / 55. 21.100
  libavdevice    55.  5.100 / 55.  5.100
  libavfilter     3. 91.100 /  3. 91.100
  libswscale      2.  5.101 /  2.  5.101
  libswresample   0. 17.104 /  0. 17.104
Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from '/Users/mGs/Dropbox/TestFile.mov':
  Metadata:
    major_brand     : qt  
    minor_version   : 0
    compatible_brands: qt  
    creation_time   : 2013-06-23 14:33:09
    model           : iPhone 4S
    model-fra       : iPhone 4S
    encoder         : 6.0
    encoder-fra     : 6.0
    date            : 2013-06-23T16:33:09+0200
    date-fra        : 2013-06-23T16:33:09+0200
    make            : Apple
    make-fra        : Apple
  Duration: 00:00:42.09, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 20960 kb/s
    Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (Baseline) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p(tv, bt709), 1920x1080, 20880 kb/s, 29.97 fps, 29.97 tbr, 600 tbn, 1200 tbc (default)
    Metadata:
      rotate          : 180
      creation_time   : 2013-06-23 14:33:09
      handler_name    : Core Media Data Handler
    Stream #0:1(und): Audio: aac (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 44100 Hz, mono, 63 kb/s (default)
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2013-06-23 14:33:09
      handler_name    : Core Media Data Handler
[NULL @ 0x7fd999802e00] Unable to find a suitable output format for 'test.mp4'
test.mp4: Invalid argument

This is probably coming from the fact that I have forgot something to enable on the ffmpeg configuration... But I can't found out what.

The test file is a video got from iPhone 4S Camera.

EDIT :

Enabled decoders:
h264

Enabled encoders:

Enabled hwaccels:

Enabled parsers:
h264

Enabled demuxers:
asf         mov         rm
h264            mpegts          rtsp

Enabled muxers:
ffm         h264

Enabled protocols:
file            rtp         udp
http            tcp

Enabled filters:
aformat         format          trim
anull           null
atrim           setpts

Apparently it does not activate the encoder libx264 although I have specified it in my command line...

Solution

You're trying to create a .mp4 file but you don't have the mp4 muxer enabled. Change --enable-muxer=h264 to --enable-muxer=mp4 in your config line and it should work.

Comments

[slhck]

--disable-everything? If you choose that, everything you enable will be disabled, notably the --enable-encoder= parts. I think you need --enable-libx264 at the very least.

[TheSquad]

doesn't --disable-everything will let me enable things one by one ?

[slhck]

Not sure – I haven't tried recompiling. I was just looking at the configure script. It basically unsets all the components.

[TheSquad]

@slhck : I have checked on the configuration, it enables correctly the codec I want one by one, see the post EDITED :-)

[slhck]

No, it does not. Your list shows Enabled encoders: as empty. You should have at least libx264 there.

[TheSquad]

@slhck Yes I have noted it on the EDIT, but even if I only configure with ./configure --disable-yasm it doesn't show on the list...

[TheSquad]

I will try to install yasm to see if libx264 is disabled because of that

[TheSquad]

nope, even with yasm, libx264 does not appear on the list...

[slhck]

Again, that's because --disable-everything disables everything. You can't selectively re-enable components after that. ./configure --enable-libx264 --enable-gpl is the minimum you need. From there you could start disabling things manually that you don't need, of course.

[Rajib]

@slhck If he just installed yasm, then how was h264 compiled? One needs yasm to compile x264.

[slhck]

@Rajib h264 is ffmpeg-internal. Not an external library.

[Rajib]

@slhck Sorry I meant libx264- because the config you suggest is --enable-libx264.

[Sir Codelot]

Did root ever resolve this?

[rogerdpack]

I wouldn't recommend --disable-yasm that sounds pretty scary :)

[Elliott B]

Why do you want to disable everything?