How to record Ubuntu desktop with VLC

Have you ever wanted to record your PC screen with Ubuntu and didn't know how to do it? We may want to capture the screen of our devices, mobile and desktop, for many and varied reasons. Among them is sharing on social networks, especially captures of a single image, or making tutorials. With the amount of developers and programs available for Linux, many times we don't know where to start, but what we want is videotape the screen from our PC, we can do it with the famous player VLC Media Player.

The best thing about using VLC to record our computer screen is that we can do it both in Linux, as in OS X and in Windows. Getting it is very easy, but you have to do all the necessary steps. There are tutorials that explain how to record the computer screen with VLC that are incomplete, they lack a step that if we do not take, at least on my computer with Ubuntu 15.10, it will not record the screen. Here are the steps to follow to do it successfully.

How to record PC screen with VLC

Updated in 2019: From what it seems, in 2019 it is not possible without first installing a package. Therefore, before we start we will have to open a terminal and type this command:

sudo apt install vlc-plugin-access-extra

And an important fact: we do not have to have the VLC in full screen or it will feed back and fail.

1. Logically, the first step is to open VLC.
2. Next, we open the menu Medium / Open Capture device.

3. In the window that opens we have to make three changes:
   • We display the menu Capture Mode and we choose Desktop.
   • This is an important point: we have to modify the Frame Rate. I have tried 10f / s and it works for me. Logically, it can be increased, but the default 1f / s won't work out too well (it didn't work for me anymore).
   • At the bottom, we click on the triangle and select Convert.

4. In the window that opens we will have to give the file a name including the extension. In the case of the example, I have used the name Ubunlog.mp4.

5. In the Profile, we click on the tools icon and a window like the one below will open.

6. Here we have to enter the Video Codec tab and change the Bit rate to 2000kb / s. Logically, this value can be modified, but with 2000 we know that it works.
7. Then we click on Save. You will return to the previous tab. Steps 6 and 7 will only have to be done the first time we record the screen.
8. Now all you have to do is click Start.
9. To stop the recording, something that I do not like, we have to close VLC.

And we would already have it. The truth is that, knowing how to do it, it is simple. In addition, we will be using a program that we probably already have installed on the system. And more importantly, it's free and cross-platform. How about?