OpenCut-app / OpenCut-app/OpenCut

[FEATURE] Remove Unnecessary @ffmpeg/* Dependencies from package.json

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bug
Dominant language
TypeScript
Stars
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Forks
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PR merge metrics
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Description

Platform

Windows 11

Browser

Chrome 137

Current Behavior

The project currently lists the following dependencies in package.json:
https://github.com/OpenCut-app/OpenCut/blob/main/apps/web/package.json#L17-L19

These appear to be unnecessary for the current codebase and introduce extra bundle size, install time, and (potentially) licensing / security surface. We already have (or can adopt) a better alternative that does not require shipping the full WebAssembly-based FFmpeg packages.

Why This Is a Bug

  • Adds large transitive downloads (WASM binaries) that are never invoked in the code paths I inspected.
  • Increases cold start / build time.
  • Potentially bloats client bundle (if any part is bundled) or node_modules size.
  • Creates confusion for contributors who may assume FFmpeg-based media processing is required.
Expected Behavior

The project should not include heavyweight media-processing dependencies if they are not required. Media functionality (if any) should rely on the chosen alternative approach.

Recurrence Probability

Always

Steps To Reproduce
  • Clone the repo and install dependencies (pnpm install / npm install / yarn install).
  • Observe that @ffmpeg/core, @ffmpeg/ffmpeg, and @ffmpeg/util are installed.
  • Search the codebase for imports:
  • grep -R "@ffmpeg/ffmpeg" src/ (or equivalent) returns no meaningful usage (only maybe leftover comments or none at all).
  • Run the application / build; functionality works without actually invoking these packages.
Anything else?
Image

@mazeincoding should be able to provide a better alternative.

Contributor guide

No contributing guide indexed for this repository

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start with apps/web/package.json at the referenced dependency entries, then search the codebase for imports of @ffmpeg/ffmpeg, @ffmpeg/core, and @ffmpeg/util. Run the documented install and build or application checks after removing them; done means the packages are no longer installed and the media functionality still works.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
typescript
Domain
build-system, frontend
Issue type
Refactor
Difficulty
2/5
Estimated time
1-3 hours
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
45/100

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