To stream your MP4 video file to Owncast using FFmpeg, follow these steps:

1. Locate Your Owncast RTMP Credentials

• In your Owncast admin dashboard (http://your-server:8080/admin), go to Configuration → Stream Keys.
• Copy the Stream URL (e.g., rtmp://your-server/live) and Stream Key (e.g., abc123-secret-key).

2. Basic FFmpeg Command

fffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i video.mp4 \
       -map 0:v -map 0:a \
       -c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -b:v 2500k -maxrate 2500k -bufsize 5000k -g 60 -pix_fmt yuv420p \
       -c:a aac -b:a 128k -ar 44100 \
       -f flv 'rtmp://localhost:1935/live/key'

Explanation of Flags:

• -re: Read input at native frame rate (avoids streaming too fast).
• -stream_loop -1: Loop the video infinitely (remove this to stream once).
• -c:v libx264: Use H.264 video codec.
• -preset veryfast: Balances speed and compression efficiency.
• -b:v 2500k: Video bitrate (adjust based on …

Below is a step‐by‐step guide to install Owncast on Ubuntu 24.04. You can choose either the manual installation method (using the official installer script) or the Snap package method. Both methods are effective; pick the one that best suits your needs.

Prerequisites

1. Update Your System:
   Open a terminal and run:

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
   

2. Install Required Tools:
   Ensure you have curl installed:

   sudo apt install curl -y
   

3. Optional – Firewall Setup:
   If you use UFW, you’ll need to allow ports:

   sudo ufw allow 8080/tcp   # For the web interface
   sudo ufw allow 1935/tcp   # For RTMP streaming
   

Method 1: Manual Installation Using the Official Installer

1. Download and Run the Installer Script:
   This script downloads the latest Owncast release (including FFmpeg if needed) and sets up a new owncast directory.

   curl -s https://owncast.online/install.sh | bash
   

   This command will:

   • Create an owncast folder.
   • Download the …

Manipulating images is a crucial skill, especially for those who work extensively with graphics, web design, or digital art. While there are numerous tools and software available for image manipulation, Linux users often find the command line to be a powerful and efficient way to handle these tasks. Let's dive into some essential image manipulation commands in Linux.

1. ImageMagick

ImageMagick is one of the most popular and versatile command-line tools for image manipulation. It supports a wide range of image formats and offers various commands for different tasks.

Installation

sudo apt-get install imagemagick

Basic Commands

• Convert: Convert images between different formats.

convert input.jpg output.png

• Resize: Resize an image.

convert input.jpg -resize 800x600 output.jpg

• Crop: Crop an image to specified dimensions.

convert input.jpg -crop 800x600+0+0 output.jpg

• Rotate: Rotate an image by a specified angle.

convert input …