It's nice there's a front end for all these tools but I kinda don't get why is everything "hosted". This could have just been a desktop app. I guess it can be useful when you want to convert something on your phone but to me it just seems like unnecessary server maintenance burden.
It’s nice because I don’t have to install it. Now I can use it when I work, on my computer at home or when my dad calls me.
But there is also merit to using a desktop application.
Fair enough. I guess I imagined someone hosting all the selfhosted web apps that get posted to this forum, when most people likely just host only the few they need on the go, so it isn't really that burdensome.
Edit: Forgot to add: I always though that it could be useful to just set up Apache Guacamole, so that instead of the hosted services, my family members could just use remote desktop apps but I never got around to it.
My small repurposed NAS could not handle hosting everything posted here, but it would be really nice if I had the time to both set it up AND use them. I'm suprised it can even handle almost 10 apps (but I am the only user).
I also had a dream of setting up Guacamole and run Heroes of Might and Magic III turn based. But I never got it working (didn't use docker back then) so I gave up on it.
I think that a good chunk of the selfhosted community is "sole IT guy at a tiny company". This is great for that, since having to update desktop software in twenty places sucks.
Different use cases.
It's not like your uploading and downloading gigabytes to it to use ffmpeg. For that you use something local. This is for converting smaller files conveniently. For example from a laptop and you don't want to use a public converter that might keep the content.
If you regularly convert certain file types on a computer, dedicated programs tend to be better than these combo ones anyway.
Why would anyone setup and maintain a server to do infrequent conversions of small files?
Because otherwise you need to maintain it on everyone of your computers and phone and everytime you wipe them and in every virtual machine you make and the developpers would need to maintain a version for every operating system that exists and they always forget to make a version for BeOS so that sucks
I'm genuinely confused about the use cases you all seem to have. When are you sitting in a field on your phone trying desperately to convert a .avi to a .mkv?
For desktops you just need to have ffmpeg or handbrake or ImageMagick installed - there's nothing to "maintain". Image conversion is as simple as convert test.jpg test.png.
I’m genuinely confused about the use cases you all seem to have. When are you sitting in a field on your phone trying desperately to convert a .avi to a .mkv?
I worked IT for a newspaper back when they were more relevant. The satelite offices and in-field work had a surprising amount of problems like that.
Yeah, I could see that.
Just try to explain how to install ffmpeg to grandma
Installation is easy. But the moment you have to explain the chain of action of ffmpeg's syntax... Grandma goes back to flappybird !
First - I'd like you to reconsider you use of "grandma" as a stand-in for "somebody who is technically illiterate". Maybe ask yourself why "grandpa" is not the go-to here and whether you may be perpetuating an ugly stereotype.
Second - I actually included handbrake in my list as an easier alternative to use.
The ugly stereotype will end when my grandma installs linux on my pc.
I understand you make a point about gender but people from the 50s didn't let women install linux or drive. That's not to say they can't or shouldn't just that they largely don't to the point they convey the image to immediately give the tech bros an imagine of a user which they cannot fault or shame for not following their excessively convoluted processes which importune everyone. And handbrake isn't much better, for instance tgeir recent refusal to add actually useful presets that user need instead saying "users can just make their own profile if they really want to"
I understand you make a point about gender
No, you don't.
Install it once, use it on any of your devices. Run it once on a capable server so even potatoes get the advantage of it. Run it once so it only needs to support one OS and hardware architecture.
Using an app of some description over many different device types is far more of a maintenance headache and that's before you start dealing with app stores.
Why not both?
I use this on desktop https://github.com/Tichau/FileConverter but then on mobile how you would convert files, especially niche technical ones? I used to rely on cloudconvert.com but now I can install this on my server
An app?
If I had a nickel for every time someone has whined that you need to self host this, I’d have 2 nickels. Which isn’t a lot but still noteworthy because this is literally a self-host community.
But I want to trust randos with my file conversions! 😡
I think the point is that it could be a desktop app
Then use a desktop app instead, this is absolutely useful for me to host on my homelab, I can convert from any web connected device.
Yeah I don't care, i was clarifying their point to you because it seemed like you didn't understand.
Lol it's fine, their comment can be taken many ways, I just wanted to be sarcastic :p
Agreed - tools like this are handy for standardizing media formats without the manual effort and sometimes time intensive conversions
This is a great addition to my home-lab, no more "free online convert" tools needed.
We need a running service when a simple command will do?
How big an attack surface do you need?
And your simple command that covers all the file types supported, on any platform, is... What?
If you're gonna bitch, and say your alternative is better, you had better cough up the alternative or your just full of shit...
If it's behind a VPN, there's no extra attack surface.
There is no we here. You obviously dont need it, so dont use it. Easy right?
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