Install ffmpeg from source on Ubuntu

This tutorial is designed for a headless server, and does not install anything related to `X11`. These instructions assume that you have escalated to root (`sudo su`), and have been tested with Ubuntu 12.04, 12.10, & 13.04.
=Initial Installation=
# Remove old `ffmpeg`, `x264`, and `avconv`
{{{
apt-get remove -y ffmpeg x264 libav-tools yasm &&
apt-get autoremove -y
}}}
# Install dependencies. I added `python-dev` & `cython` because I use the `yasm` Python bindings; remove if you do not need them.
{{{
apt-get update && apt-get upgrade -y &&
apt-get install -y autoconf automake build-essential git libass-dev libfaac-dev libgpac-dev \
libmp3lame-dev libopus-dev libtheora-dev libtool libvorbis-dev libvpx-dev pkg-config texi2html \
zlib1g-dev python-dev cython
}}}
# Set up the sources directory
{{{
cd /usr/local/src/ &&
mkdir ffmpeg_sources &&
cd ffmpeg_sources/
}}}
# Install [[http://yasm.tortall.net/|yasm]]. The current version is 1.3.0 (as of 02/28/2015); check [[http://yasm.tortall.net/Download.html]] for new versions. Remove `–enable-python-bindings` if you do not need the `yasm` Python bindings.
{{{
wget http://www.tortall.net/projects/yasm/releases/yasm-1.3.0.tar.gz &&
tar -xvf yasm-1.3.0.tar.gz &&
cd yasm-1.3.0 &&
./configure –prefix=”/usr/local/src/ffmpeg_build” –bindir=”/usr/local/bin” –enable-python-bindings &&
make && make install && make distclean &&
cd .. &&
rm -Rf yasm-1.3.0.tar.gz
}}}
# Install [[http://www.videolan.org/developers/x264.html|x264]]
{{{
git clone –depth 1 git://git.videolan.org/x264.git &&
cd x264 &&
./configure –prefix=”/usr/local/src/ffmpeg_build” –bindir=”/usr/local/bin” –enable-static &&
make && make install && make distclean &&
cd ..
}}}
# Install [[https://github.com/mstorsjo/fdk-aac|fdk-aac]]
{{{
git clone –depth 1 git://github.com/mstorsjo/fdk-aac.git &&
cd fdk-aac &&
autoreconf -fiv &&
./configure –prefix=”/usr/local/src/ffmpeg_build” –bindir=”/usr/local/bin” –disable-shared &&
make && make install && make distclean &&
cd ..
}}}
# Install [[http://www.ffmpeg.org/|ffmpeg]]
{{{
git clone –depth 1 git://source.ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg &&
cd ffmpeg &&
./configure –prefix=”/usr/local/src/ffmpeg_build” –extra-cflags=”-I/usr/local/src/ffmpeg_build/include” \
–extra-ldflags=”-L/usr/local/src/ffmpeg_build/lib” –bindir=”/usr/local/bin” –extra-libs=”-ldl” –enable-gpl \
–enable-libass –enable-libfaac –enable-libfdk-aac –enable-libmp3lame –enable-libopus –enable-postproc \
–enable-libtheora –enable-libvorbis –enable-libvpx –enable-libx264 –enable-nonfree &&
make && make install && make distclean &&
hash -r &&
cd ..
}}}
=Updating=
# Remove old build files & binaries
{{{
rm -Rf /usr/local/src/ffmpeg_build /usr/local/bin/{ffmpeg,ffplay,ffprobe,ffserver,yasm,vsyasm,ytasm,x264}
}}}
# Update packages through package manager
{{{
apt-get update && apt-get upgrade -y
}}}
# Install `yasm`. The current version is 1.3.0 (as of 02/28/2015); check [[http://yasm.tortall.net/Download.html]] for new versions. Remove `–enable-python-bindings` if you do not need the `yasm` Python bindings.
{{{
cd /usr/local/src/ffmpeg_sources &&
wget http://www.tortall.net/projects/yasm/releases/yasm-1.3.0.tar.gz &&
tar -xvf yasm-1.3.0.tar.gz &&
cd yasm-1.3.0 &&
./configure –prefix=”/usr/local/src/ffmpeg_build” –bindir=”/usr/local/bin” –enable-python-bindings &&
make && make install && make distclean &&
cd .. &&
rm -Rf yasm-1.3.0.tar.gz
}}}
# Update source binaries
{{{
cd /usr/local/src/ffmpeg_sources/x264 &&
git pull &&
./configure –prefix=”/usr/local/src/ffmpeg_build” –bindir=”/usr/local/bin” –enable-static &&
make && make install && make distclean &&
cd ../fdk-aac &&
git pull &&
./configure –prefix=”/usr/local/src/ffmpeg_build” –disable-shared &&
make && make install && make distclean &&
cd ../ffmpeg &&
./configure –prefix=”/usr/local/src/ffmpeg_build” –extra-cflags=”-I/usr/local/src/ffmpeg_build/include” \
–extra-ldflags=”-L/usr/local/src/ffmpeg_build/lib” –bindir=”/usr/local/bin” –extra-libs=”-ldl” –enable-gpl \
–enable-libass –enable-libfaac –enable-libfdk-aac –enable-libmp3lame –enable-libopus –enable-postproc \
–enable-libtheora –enable-libvorbis –enable-libvpx –enable-libx264 –enable-nonfree &&
make && make install && make distclean &&
cd ..
}}}