Ubuntu MATE 19.10 will abandon VLC to switch to GNOME MPV

It has been weeks since Eoan Ermine began its development phase and we will already begin to have news about the changes that will arrive next October. When the development phase of a new version of Ubuntu begins, the first versions are basically the same as the previous one and the changes are coming little by little. Today has been released one that probably does not like many users: Ubuntu MATE 19.10 It will no longer include VLC media player as the default player.

In 2017, the Ubuntu MATE user community elected el VLC like the one that should be the default player in a distro that has been part of the Ubuntu family since 2015. And, if it is not installed by default, there are many of us who install the famous and versatile player on our Linux distribution on our own . Taking all this into account, why are they going to back down? The answer is found in the integration with the rest of the operating system.

Ubuntu MATE 19.10 will once again use a GNOME-based player

The player that will be installed by default in the Eoan Ermine version of Ubuntu MATE will be what is currently known GNOME MPV. It is a much simpler player, but whose base is GNOME and looks much better in the MATE graphical environment. Martim Wimpress, the creator of Ubuntu MATE, says which is exactly the same move they made when swapping Thunderbird for Evolution.

GNOME MPV will soon be renamed Celluloid. The simplicity of which it boasts remains only in its interface. What is not simple is in terms of the type of formats it supports, since, like VLC, it supports many types of codecs and we will rarely be left without being able to reproduce something.

Those who don't like this move can always install the VLC from the software center or with the command sudo apt install vlc. In any case, and although I am a long-time VLC user, I would give it a vote of confidence. What do you think of this movement that will be effective with the launch of Ubuntu MATE 19.10?