Linux Multimedia - ryzendew/Linux-Tips-and-Tricks GitHub Wiki

Linux Multimedia Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to multimedia on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including codecs, video/audio players, media editing, media servers, and streaming.

Table of Contents

  1. Understanding Codecs
  2. Installing Codecs
  3. Video Players
  4. Audio Players
  5. Media Editing
  6. Media Servers
  7. Streaming
  8. Troubleshooting

Understanding Codecs

What are Codecs?

Codec (coder-decoder) encodes and decodes media files.

What they do:

  • Encode: Compress media for storage
  • Decode: Decompress media for playback
  • Video: Handle video formats (MP4, AVI, etc.)
  • Audio: Handle audio formats (MP3, AAC, etc.)

Why needed:

  • Playback: Required to play media files
  • Formats: Different formats need different codecs
  • Compatibility: Ensures media compatibility

Installing Codecs

GStreamer Codecs

Install codecs:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S gst-plugins-base gst-plugins-good gst-plugins-bad gst-plugins-ugly gst-libav

# For 32-bit support
sudo pacman -S lib32-gst-plugins-base lib32-gst-plugins-good lib32-gst-plugins-bad lib32-gst-plugins-ugly

What these packages do:

  • gst-plugins-base: Basic GStreamer plugins
  • gst-plugins-good: Good quality plugins
  • gst-plugins-bad: Additional plugins
  • gst-plugins-ugly: Patented codecs
  • gst-libav: FFmpeg-based plugins

Additional Codecs

Install more codecs:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S a52dec faac faad2 flac jasper lame libdca libdv libmad libmpeg2 libtheora libvorbis libxv wavpack x264 x265 xvidcore

FFmpeg

Install FFmpeg:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S ffmpeg

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install ffmpeg

# Fedora
sudo dnf install ffmpeg

Check codecs:

# List codecs
ffmpeg -codecs

Video Players

VLC

Install VLC:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S vlc

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install vlc

# Fedora
sudo dnf install vlc

Launch:

vlc

MPV

Install MPV:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S mpv

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install mpv

# Fedora
sudo dnf install mpv

Launch:

# Command line
mpv video.mp4

# With GUI
mpv --player-operation-mode=pseudo-gui video.mp4

MPlayer

Install MPlayer:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S mplayer

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install mplayer

# Fedora
sudo dnf install mplayer

Audio Players

VLC

VLC plays audio too:

vlc audio.mp3

Audacious

Install Audacious:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S audacious

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install audacious

# Fedora
sudo dnf install audacious

Rhythmbox

Install Rhythmbox:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S rhythmbox

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install rhythmbox

# Fedora
sudo dnf install rhythmbox

Media Editing

Audacity

Install Audacity:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S audacity

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install audacity

# Fedora
sudo dnf install audacity

OBS Studio

Install OBS:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S obs-studio

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install obs-studio

# Fedora
sudo dnf install obs-studio

Kdenlive

Install Kdenlive:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S kdenlive

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install kdenlive

# Fedora
sudo dnf install kdenlive

Media Servers

Jellyfin

Install Jellyfin:

# Arch/CachyOS
yay -S jellyfin

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install jellyfin

# Fedora
sudo dnf install jellyfin

Plex

Install Plex:

# Download from plex.tv
# Or use AUR
yay -S plex-media-server

Kodi

Install Kodi:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S kodi

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install kodi

# Fedora
sudo dnf install kodi

Streaming

OBS Studio

For streaming:

# Install OBS
sudo pacman -S obs-studio

# Configure streaming
# Settings > Stream
# Enter stream key

FFmpeg Streaming

Stream with FFmpeg:

# Stream to RTMP
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -f flv rtmp://server/live/stream

Troubleshooting

Codec Not Working

Check codecs:

# Check GStreamer
gst-inspect-1.0 | grep codec

# Check FFmpeg
ffmpeg -codecs | grep codec-name

Video Not Playing

Check hardware acceleration:

# Check VAAPI
vainfo

# Check VDPAU
vdpauinfo

See Hardware Acceleration for detailed guide.

Summary

This guide covered multimedia for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions, including codecs, video/audio players, media editing, and media servers.

Next Steps

This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.