Proprietary Codecs?

[arodlinux]

I did install Debian Jessie only with the default repositories. However, I was able to play mp3 files and watch flash videos using firefox. Why is that? Do Debian default installation install proprietary (non-free) codecs by default?

If I do a opensuse default installation with non-free codecs I'm not able to play mp3 and any flash videos. How do debian get around this?

[HuangLao]

not sure but perhaps its because the mp3 patent expired and its "free" now.

re: https://blogs.gnome.org/uraeus/2016/11/ ... tation-25/
https://www.tunequest.org/a-big-list-of ... /20070226/

[stevepusser]

Firefox is probably using either html5 or gnash for Youtube. Debian's legal counsel also decided that mp3 playback and encoding with libmp3lame is not encumbered by patents--since SUSE Linux is a for-profit concern, they may have decided to err on the side of safety.

[None1975]

I did install Debian Jessie only with the default repositories. However, I was able to play mp3 files and watch flash videos using firefox. Why is that? Do Debian default installation install proprietary (non-free) codecs by default?

If I do a opensuse default installation with non-free codecs I'm not able to play mp3 and any flash videos. How do debian get around this?

Hello. From Debian wiki

As long time users of Debian may know, there has been a long history of legal concerns when it comes to using various multimedia related software due to software patents. Because of this, various multimedia codecs could not be made available within Debian. However, Debian's position on software patents has changed, resulting in the inclusion of these various multimedia codecs within Debian.

For information on Debian's position with regards to software patents, see the following:
https://www.debian.org/legal/patent
https://www.debian.org/reports/patent-faq

[arodlinux]

Thanks to all! Indeed mp3 codecs are installed by default. Watching online videos are possible because Html5, jessie doesn't install flash player by default because is non-free.

Regarding gnash since v10 is not supported by GNU Gnash is only available using backport. However, there is an experimental flash player called Lightspark that is available in jessie main. I used it and I did found that work on some sites, but is promising.