"unpaper" won't run without ffmpeg 5.x about homebrew-ffmpeg

I finally found a solution! Unfortunately, it is moving to an alternative formula to yours. It is called:

https://github.com/skyzyx/homebrew-ffmpeg

For visitors facing the same problem, here are the exact steps I followed. I uninstalled the current formula:

% brew uninstall --ignore-dependencies ffmpeg
Uninstalling /usr/local/Cellar/ffmpeg/6.0-with-options... (284 files, 52.7MB)
...
% brew untap homebrew-ffmpeg/ffmpeg
Untapping homebrew-ffmpeg/ffmpeg...

Then, I installed skyzyx/homebrew-ffmpeg:

% brew tap skyzyx/ffmpeg
==> Tapping skyzyx/ffmpeg
...
% brew install ffmpeg-skyzyx

If, later on, I encounter difficulties with ffmpeg-skyzyx, I will come back to your formula. But for now, both "unpaper" and the full "ffmpeg" work, I'm relieved to say.

Thank you @slhck for keeping trying to help me!

[slhck]

Can you try reinstalling unpaper? It could just be that it can no longer find the libraries it linked against initially.

An alternative might be installing ffmpeg@5 from official Homebrew.

Or you can try to get unpaper authors to make it work with the existing installation. I have not looked at how unpaper does this though.

@slhck

Thank you for your reply! I should start by stressing out that the latest version of the official "ffmpeg" is still 5.1.2_5, while the unofficial "ffmpeg" here has moved to version 6.0, without waiting for the other "ffmpeg" to make the move. My understanding is that the installation trick described at:

https://github.com/homebrew-ffmpeg/homebrew-ffmpeg#troubleshooting

worked until now because one "ffmpeg" was shadowing the other. But now that the shadow isn't mimicking the subject, but is doing things of its own, the issue I described has appeared (and I wouldn't be surprised if it's not limited to "unpaper", but concerns other utilities as well dependant on "ffmpeg").

Can you try reinstalling unpaper?

OK, I tried:

% brew uninstall --ignore-dependencies ffmpeg
% brew uninstall --ignore-dependencies unpaper
% brew install unpaper
==> Fetching dependencies for unpaper: sdl2 and ffmpeg
==> Installing unpaper dependency: sdl2
==> Pouring sdl2--2.26.4.ventura.bottle.tar.gz
🍺  /usr/local/Cellar/sdl2/2.26.4: 93 files, 6.4MB
==> Installing unpaper dependency: ffmpeg
==> Pouring ffmpeg--5.1.2_5.ventura.bottle.tar.gz
🍺  /usr/local/Cellar/ffmpeg/5.1.2_5: 282 files, 52.0MB
...

At this point, "unpaper" is using the official "ffmpeg" 5.1.2_5 and is working correctly. But then, I have to shadow the unofficial "ffmpeg" by typing:

% brew uninstall --ignore-dependencies ffmpeg
% brew install homebrew-ffmpeg/ffmpeg/ffmpeg --with-...
==> Fetching homebrew-ffmpeg/ffmpeg/ffmpeg
==> Downloading https://ffmpeg.org/releases/ffmpeg-6.0.tar.xz
...

At this point, "unpaper" is using the unofficial "ffmpeg" 6.0 and stops working.

An alternative might be installing ffmpeg@5 from official Homebrew.

OK. I tried installing the official "ffmpeg@5" and then the unofficial "ffmpeg" 6.0:

% brew uninstall --ignore-dependencies ffmpeg
% brew install ffmpeg@5
==> Fetching ffmpeg
==> Downloading https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core/ffmpeg/manifests/5.1.2_5
...
% brew install homebrew-ffmpeg/ffmpeg/ffmpeg --with-...
ffmpeg 5.1.2_5 is already installed but outdated (so it will be upgraded).
==> Fetching homebrew-ffmpeg/ffmpeg/ffmpeg
==> Downloading https://ffmpeg.org/releases/ffmpeg-6.0.tar.xz
...

As you can see, installing the unofficial "ffmpeg" 6.0 upgrades automatically the official "ffmpeg@5". I even tried unlinking "ffmpeg@5" first, and then installing the unofficial "ffmpeg" 6.0, but the problem persists.

Or you can try to get unpaper authors to make it work with the existing installation.

"unpaper" does work with the existing official "ffmpeg". Also, I firmly believe it's the unofficial "ffmpeg"'s choices that are at the source of the problem.

[slhck]

I see now. We're not doing anything unconventional here. I believe the problem is a simply a library mismatch between the official unpaper formula (which assumes ffmpeg 5) and the manual build from this repo. Two solutions I think: Either wait for Homebrew to release ffmpeg 6 and its dependent formulae to be bumped, or use the official ffmpeg formula for the time being.

@slhck

Thank you for your reply! So, the answer to my original question:

how can I make coexist "unpaper" and your unofficial "ffmpeg"?

is "You can't, for the time being". I'm somewhat disappointed, but an answer is an answer. I'm closing this issue.

[slhck]

Please feel free to leave it open to track it.

I personally am at least not aware of a direct solution. I don't think it should take long for Homebrew to upgrade the ffmpeg formula.

Another alternative might be installing a previous commit of this alternative formula. I'm not sure if Homebrew supports that, but the formula is just a file on the system and it's a git repository, so it could be possible to just downgrade it on your machine for the time being.

I'm just not on a computer so I can't help immediately.

@slhck

I hadn't thought about installing from a previous commit. After some digging, I found the URL of the commit from Dec 29, 2022, which is the last to use 5.x:

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/homebrew-ffmpeg/homebrew-ffmpeg/45ceea9b00f6d469efb532c885c4ce49580caf6f/Formula/ffmpeg.rb

And then, I tried installing it:

% brew install https://raw.githubusercontent.com/homebrew-ffmpeg/homebrew-ffmpeg/45ceea9b00f6d469efb532c885c4ce49580caf6f/Formula/ffmpeg.rb
Error: Installation of ffmpeg from a GitHub commit URL is unsupported! `brew extract ffmpeg` to a stable tap on GitHub instead.

So, Homebrew no longer supports this type of installation! Quite unfortunate. It was a smart idea.

[slhck]

Sure! I hope it will resolve itself once Homebrew bumps the version. (And in fact I can think of the opposite problem if the other tap does not bump to 6.0 simultaneously...)

[retokromer]

The Homebrew own FFmpeg formula does often need longer, because of all the related formulae which need to be bumped. We prefer to make available the new versions as they are released. This is why.