Bug 535 – Mac: Native Audacity formats won't import via FFmpeg/QuickTime (Mac) filter ignored until click OK on Preferences

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Audacity 3.0.3 development began 19th April 2021

Audacity Bugzilla

Bug 535 - Mac: Native Audacity formats won't import via FFmpeg/QuickTime (Mac) filter ignored until click OK on Preferences


Summary:	Mac: Native Audacity formats won't import via FFmpeg/QuickTime (Mac) filter i...

Status:	CLOSED WORKSFORME

Product:	Audacity
Classification:	Unclassified
Component:	Formats
Version:	2.1.3
Hardware:	Per OS macOS

Importance:	P3 Repeatable
Assigned To:	Default Assignee for New Bugs

URL:
Keywords:

Depends on:
Blocks:
	Show dependency tree / graph

Reported:	2012-06-28 01:20 UTC by Gale Andrews
Modified:	2019-05-23 09:45 UTC (History)
CC List:	5 users (show)

See Also:
Steps To Reproduce:	1 Install FFmpeg using the Windows or Mac installers as per http://manual.audacityteam.org/help/manual/man/faq_installation_and_plug_ins.html#ffdown so that Audacity detects FFmpeg automatically on launch without a .cfg path to it. 2 Quit Audacity and delete audacity.cfg. 3 Launch Audacity 4 File > Import > Audio... . Choose "FFmpeg-compatible files" then choose a WAV or AIFF file. The file imports with libsndfile. 5 Quit Audacity, don't save changes. This populates the .cfg file. 6 Launch Audacity and repeat step 4, libsndfile still imports the file. 7 Open Preferences and click OK (doesn't matter which Prefs pane it is). 8 Repeat step 4. The file imports with FFmpeg. 9 On Mac, repeat Step 1 (optional) then repeat steps 2 amd 3. 10 File > Import > Audio... . Choose "QuickTime files" then choose a MOV, AAC or M4A file. If you installed FFmpeg, you will see FFmpeg importing the file. If FFmpeg is missing, you will see an un-needed error that FFmpeg is missing, then after you OK the error, QuickTime imports the file. These behaviours occur because FFmpeg is above QuickTime in the importer order.
Release Note:	GROUP:Imports and Exports * '''On a fresh installation of Audacity or [https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/preferences.html#stored initialized Preferences], the "FFmpeg-compatible files" filter cannot be used to make FFmpeg import native Audacity formats such as WAV, AIFF or MP3.''' Similarly on macOS, the "QuickTime files" filter cannot be used to make QuickTime import MPEG-4 files instead of installed FFmpeg.'''Workaround:''' Open Preferences and click "OK" then the FFmpeg and QuickTime filters will work as expected.
First Git SHA:
Group:	FFmpeg
Workaround:
Closed:

Flags:	petersampsonaudacity: Test‑OK‑Win+ petersampsonaudacity: Test‑OK‑Mac+

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Description Gale Andrews 2012-06-28 01:20:04 UTC

This behaviour also affects MP3 and probably all native Audacity formats. 

FFmpeg is nonetheless detected from launch of Audacity and does import (and export) native FFmpeg formats without OK'ing Prefs.  
  
Bill comments: 
> It seems that, on quit, Audacity should check that the equivalent of OK'ing 
> prefs has been done. For example it could check for "[Prefs] PrefsCategory=0", 
> which does not exist until prefs have been OK'd.

Comment 1 Gale Andrews 2016-10-16 14:43:11 UTC

Also affects the QuickTime importer (on Mac only) in the same way. Bug title, Steps and Release Note updated.

Comment 2 Peter Sampson 2019-05-15 12:22:05 UTC

testing on W10 with 2.3.3

Steps 1-8 work just fine - but steps onwards appear to be Mac only.  
Certainly on Windows under "FFmpeg-compatible files" Qicktime is not an available option so there is no way to tesyt 9 onwards on Windows.

I'm changing this to be a Mac only bug.

Comment 3 Peter Sampson 2019-05-23 09:45:22 UTC

Testing on macOS 10,15.5 Mojave with 2.3.2

Steps 1-8 work fine

Step 9 is no longer appropriate as there is no longer a Quicktime File type available in the dropdown menu in the import dialog on Mac (Apple have deprecated QuickTime).

Accordingly I shall close this bug