| Developer(s) | VideoLAN |
|---|---|
| Stable release | |
| Repository | |
| Written in | C |
| Operating system | Linux,BSD,BeOS Windows 95 and later Mac OS X,Solaris,HP-UX |
| Platform | Portable |
| Type | Library |
| License | GNU GPL v2[3] |
| Website | www |
libdvdcss (orlibdvdcss2 in some repositories) is afree andopen-sourcesoftware library for accessing and unscramblingDVDs encrypted with theContent Scramble System (CSS). libdvdcss is part of theVideoLAN project and is used byVLC media player and otherDVD player software packages, such asOgle,xine-based players, andMPlayer.[citation needed]
libdvdcss is not to be confused withDeCSS. Whereas DeCSS uses a cracked DVD player key to perform authentication, libdvdcss uses a generated list of possible player keys. If none of them work (for instance, when the DVD drive enforcesregion coding), libdvdcssbrute-forces the key, ignoring the DVD's region code (if any). The legal status of libdvdcss is controversial[4] but there has been—unlikeDeCSS—no known legal challenge to it as of June 2022.[citation needed]
ManyLinux distributions do not contain libdvdcss (for example,Debian,Ubuntu,Fedora andopenSUSE) due to fears of running afoul ofDMCA-style laws, but they often provide the tools to let the user install it themselves. For example, it used to be available in Ubuntu throughMedibuntu, which is no longer available.[5]
Distributions which come pre-installed with libdvdcss includeBackTrack,CrunchBang Linux,LinuxMCE,Linux Mint,PCLinuxOS,Puppy Linux 4.2.1,Slax, Super OS,Pardus, andXBMC Live.[citation needed]It is also inArch Linux official package repositories.[6]
Libdvdcss alone is only alibrary and cannot play DVDs. DVD player applications, such asVLC media player, use this library to decode DVDs. Libdvdcss is optional in many open-source DVD players, but without it, only non-encrypted discs will play.[citation needed]
UsingHandBrake or VidCoder for DVD ripping requires that one install libdvdcss (with compilation[7] orHomebrew onmacOS).
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