Open CV Installation in Linux with ffmpeg Function Enabled

Open CV (Open Source Computer Vision) is a open source computer vision library developed by Intel. Many people have encountered problems installing Open CV in a way that it works properly with videos. The primary reason for it is missing header files. Generally, people install ffmpeg but do not have header files in their system. There can be various issues for problems of Open CV with videos.

This article tells every step from start to install Open CV so that it works with ffmpeg.

NOTE : It has been assumed that, none ffmpeg, nor open CV is installed in Linux

STEPS :

To install open CV with ffmpeg in linux, follow these steps

1. Install ffmpeg.

Go to Synaptic package manager and search for ffmpeg. Mark it for installation and apply. On many different sites, I have found them telling about the way to install ffmpeg from terminal, which is tedious. However, the configuration of ffmpeg when you install it from synaptic package manager is :

--enable-gpl --enable-postproc --enable-swscale --enable-x11grab --extra-version=svn17737+3:0.svn20090303-1ubuntu6 --prefix=/usr --enable-avfilter --enable-avfilter-lavf --enable-libgsm --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-libvorbis --enable-pthreads --disable-stripping --disable-vhook --enable-libdc1394 --disable-armv5te --disable-armv6 --disable-armv6t2 --disable-armvfp --disable-neon --disable-altivec --disable-vis --enable-shared --disable-static

This configuration is required, so that ffmpeg can be used with open cv.

2. Download Header Files

In the Synaptic package manager, search for the following packages and install all of them

libswscale-dev
libavcodec-dev
libavformat-dev
libavutil-dev

After doing so, go to /usr/include and check for separate directory for each of the libs and all the directories contain some header files.

3. Install gtk+2.0

From the Synaptic Package Manager, search for gtk+2.0 or gtk2.0 . Install it.

Till now, all the pre-requisites to install open cv has been met.

4. Run OpenCV
After navigating to OpenCV folder, in terminal write :

./configure

During the configure process, it checks the presence of several header files. After it has completed configuration, check that use ffmpeg is marked as yes (see figure below). It will be visible in the terminal itself. In case it is marked no, scroll up and check if the presence of above directories are found or not.

In case the use ffmpeg is yes, everything is fine. Now write the following commands on terminal. Once they are done, openCV is successfully installed and can be used with videos.

make
sudo make install

In case use ffmpeg is no, there is some problem with ffmpeg. Check for the directories as previously told. Also look out if gtk+2.0 is installed.

YOU ARE DONE, IF YOU ARE READING THIS STATEMENT.

To run a program from terminal the command is :

g++ -I/usr/local/include/opencv -lcxcore -lhighgui -lm fileName.cpp

However you can also use

alias gcv="g++ -I/usr/local/include/opencv -lcxcore -lhighgui -lm"

and then compile file as

gcv fileName.cpp

Hope this helps, if you face any problem, drop in as a comment.