Stories with Tag deprecation

• Material Theme has been pulled from VS Code's marketplace

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  Posted: 2025-02-25 23:24:40

  Verbose tl;dr

  The popular Material Theme extension for Visual Studio Code has been removed from the marketplace due to unresolved trademark issues with Google concerning the "Material Design" name. The developers were requested by Google to rename the theme and all related assets, but after attempting to comply, they encountered further complications. Unable to reach a satisfactory agreement, they've decided to unpublish the extension for the time being. Existing users with the theme already installed will retain it, but it will no longer receive updates or be available for new installs through the marketplace. The developers are still exploring options for the theme's future, including potentially republishing under a different name.

  The Material Theme extension for Visual Studio Code, a popular theme providing a Material Design-inspired visual overhaul for the code editor, has been unexpectedly removed from the Visual Studio Code Marketplace. This removal appears to stem from a rejection by the Marketplace review team due to alleged trademark violations related to the use of the "Material Theme" name and associated iconography. The extension's developers, seemingly surprised by this action, are actively investigating the specific reasons for the rejection and working to resolve the issue with Microsoft. While the precise details of the trademark infringement claims remain unclear, the developers suspect it revolves around the usage of the term "Material" and a diamond-shaped icon, both potentially infringing upon Google's Material Design trademarks. Consequently, the Material Theme extension is currently unavailable for installation directly through the VS Code Marketplace, disrupting the workflow for numerous users who rely on the theme. The developers are exploring alternative solutions, including renaming the extension and altering its iconography to comply with marketplace guidelines, aiming to restore availability as quickly as possible. In the interim, users who already have the theme installed will retain its functionality, and the developers are providing instructions for manual installation from the project's GitHub repository for those who wish to install it on new VS Code instances or update to newer versions. The situation remains fluid, and the developers are committed to communicating updates regarding their progress in resolving the issue and returning the Material Theme extension to the VS Code Marketplace.

  • visual studio code
  • VS Code
  • Material Theme
  • Themes
  • Extensions
  • Marketplace
  • deprecation
  • Software Development
  • IDE
  • Integrated Development Environment
  • Editor

  Summary of Comments ( 224 )
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43178831

  Verbose tl;dr

  Hacker News users discuss the removal of the popular Material Theme extension from the VS Code marketplace, speculating on the reasons. Several suspect the developer's frustration with Microsoft's handling of extension updates and their increasingly strict review process. Some suggest the theme's complexity and reliance on numerous dependencies might have contributed to difficulties adhering to new guidelines. Others express disappointment at the removal, praising the theme's aesthetics and customizability, while a few propose alternative themes. The lack of official communication from the developer leaves much of the situation unclear, but the consensus seems to be that the increasingly stringent marketplace rules likely played a role. A few comments also mention potential copyright issues related to bundled icon fonts.

  The Hacker News post titled "Material Theme has been pulled from VS Code's marketplace" sparked a discussion with several comments expressing concern and speculation about the removal of the popular theme.

  Many commenters lamented the theme's disappearance, highlighting its popularity and expressing disappointment with its sudden removal. Some users voiced frustration with the lack of clear communication about the reason for the removal, leading to speculation about potential causes. Several users questioned whether the removal was due to licensing issues, potential malware, or a dispute with the theme's developer. The lack of official information fuelled the uncertainty and frustration.

  Several commenters recommended alternative themes, with Night Owl, One Dark Pro, and Dracula mentioned as popular choices. This suggested that users were actively seeking replacements for Material Theme and the discussion became a platform for sharing alternative options.

  A significant part of the discussion revolved around the importance of open-sourcing themes. Commenters advocated for forking the Material Theme and hosting it on open platforms to prevent similar situations in the future. This highlighted the community's desire for greater control and access to popular tools and resources. The incident seemed to have spurred a renewed interest in open-source alternatives and community-driven development.

  Some commenters delved into the technical aspects of theme development, discussing the relative simplicity of creating and maintaining VS Code themes. This suggests that the community perceived the removal of Material Theme as a preventable issue, potentially caused by negligence or miscommunication rather than insurmountable technical challenges.

  While the exact reason for Material Theme's removal remained unclear within the comments, the discussion revealed the theme's significant user base and sparked a broader conversation about the importance of open-sourcing, community involvement, and clear communication regarding the availability and maintenance of popular development tools. The frustration voiced by many commenters underscored the impact of such removals on developer workflows and the community's desire for more transparency and control over their tools.

• Saying Goodbye to FFmpegKit

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  Posted: 2025-02-14 21:53:40

  Verbose tl;dr

  Taner Şener, the creator of FFmpegKit, a commercial wrapper around FFmpeg for mobile development, announced that he's ceasing development and support. Due to complexities in maintaining FFmpeg across various architectures and operating systems, increasing maintenance burden, and inadequate revenue to justify continued development, he's chosen to shut down. Existing clients can continue using their purchased licenses, but future updates and support are discontinued. The core issue is the difficulty of sustainably supporting a complex project like FFmpegKit, even as a paid product, given the rapid pace of mobile development and the substantial engineering effort required for compatibility. While acknowledging the disappointment this will cause some users, Şener emphasizes the unsustainable nature of the project's current trajectory and thanks users for their support over the years.

  Taner Şener, the creator of MobileFFmpeg and FFmpegKit, a widely used FFmpeg library for mobile development (Android and iOS), has announced the discontinuation of active development and support for FFmpegKit. This decision, explained in a Medium post titled "Saying Goodbye to FFmpegKit," stems from several key factors, primarily the unsustainable workload and financial strain of maintaining the project.

  Şener details the extensive effort required to keep FFmpegKit up-to-date and functional. This includes regularly rebuilding FFmpeg for different architectures (armv7, arm64, x86, x86_64) across both Android and iOS platforms, dealing with the complexities of differing build systems (CMake, Xcode, NDK), and addressing the constant influx of issues and user requests. This maintenance burden, coupled with the continuous evolution of Apple's ecosystem, requiring adaptations to new devices, operating system versions, and silicon architectures, proved to be an overwhelming demand on Şener's time and resources.

  The financial aspect also played a significant role. While MobileFFmpeg, a commercial offering with more advanced features, generated some revenue, it was insufficient to cover the costs associated with FFmpegKit's upkeep. The free and open-source nature of FFmpegKit meant that the majority of users did not contribute financially, leading to a situation where Şener was effectively subsidizing the project. The time commitment to FFmpegKit also hindered Şener's ability to dedicate time to MobileFFmpeg's advancement and explore other potentially more profitable ventures.

  Despite the discontinuation of active development, Şener assures users that FFmpegKit will remain available for download and use. The existing documentation and resources will remain accessible. However, future updates, bug fixes, and support will not be provided. Şener expresses gratitude to the community for their support and contributions over the years and encourages users to consider transitioning to MobileFFmpeg if they require ongoing support and advanced features. The post ends with a reflective note on the challenges of maintaining open-source projects and the importance of sustainable models for long-term viability.

  • FFmpeg
  • ffmpegkit
  • mobile development
  • iOS
  • Android
  • video processing
  • Cross-Platform
  • Libraries
  • Software Development
  • maintenance
  • deprecation
  • Alternatives
  • Open Source

  Summary of Comments ( 90 )
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43053499

  Verbose tl;dr

  Hacker News users discuss the author's decision to discontinue FFmpegKit, an iOS/Android FFmpeg library. Several commenters express disappointment, highlighting FFmpegKit's ease of use compared to alternatives like MobileFFmpeg. Some suggest the decision stems from the difficulty of maintaining cross-platform compatibility and the complex build process involved with FFmpeg. Others speculate about the author's motivation, including burnout or lack of financial viability. A few offer alternative solutions or express hope for a successor project. The lack of clear documentation for building FFmpeg directly is also a recurring concern, reinforcing the value of projects like FFmpegKit.

  The Hacker News post titled "Saying Goodbye to FFmpegKit" has a moderate number of comments discussing the author's decision to discontinue the project and the broader implications for mobile FFmpeg integration.

  Several commenters expressed appreciation for the author's work on FFmpegKit, acknowledging the difficulty of maintaining such a project and thanking him for his contributions to the community. One commenter specifically mentioned gratitude for the clear explanation provided by the author regarding the challenges faced.

  A key theme in the discussion revolves around the complexities and frustrations of cross-compiling FFmpeg, particularly for mobile platforms. Commenters echoed the author's sentiments about the time-consuming nature of this process and the constant struggle to keep up with updates and changes. One commenter highlighted the constant need to chase new NDK versions and the resulting instability as a major pain point.

  The licensing issues surrounding FFmpeg and its dependencies were also brought up. One commenter pointed out the potential legal risks involved in using FFmpeg in commercial projects due to the GPL license and the complexities of ensuring compliance.

  Some commenters discussed alternative approaches to using FFmpeg on mobile, including MobileFFmpeg, which was mentioned as a potential option, although some skepticism was expressed regarding its long-term viability. The challenges of maintaining such projects, especially given the dynamic nature of FFmpeg and mobile platforms, were a recurring theme.

  A few commenters also touched upon the broader challenges of native development on mobile and the increasing appeal of cross-platform frameworks like Flutter. While not directly related to FFmpegKit, this reflects the evolving landscape of mobile development and the factors that might influence the adoption of tools and libraries like FFmpegKit.

  Finally, there's a brief discussion on the reasons behind the increasing complexity of cross-compilation. One commenter speculated that the increasing modularization of projects and the deprecation of older APIs contribute to this growing difficulty.

  Overall, the comments paint a picture of a dedicated developer grappling with the inherent complexities of maintaining a crucial but complex tool for mobile development, and a community grappling with the implications of its discontinuation.