It's been almost 8 years since we at LXA wrote an article about how to record screen in linuxI thought about updating that post, but I've decided to publish a new one. The fact is that in 2018 X11 was used in almost every project, and by 2026 Wayland had become the standard. There are desktops that still have to make the final switch, but since it's the default session in GNOME and KDE, you could say that 60% of users are already on Wayland.
If you're on a distribution that still uses X11 as the default session, the truth is that this article An app from 8 years ago is still valid. Some apps may not be updated, but many are, and some have even added Wayland support. Despite this... there are many optionsI only recommend a few. Let's go.
Screen recording in Linux: native tools
GNOME
GNOME 42 It greatly improved its screenshot tool, and among these improvements we find video capture or screencastUsing it is very simple, like everything else in GNOME:
- We click on the system tray (1) and then on the tool icon (2).
- Something similar to the following screenshot will appear. Not exactly the same, because I have GNOME/Ubuntu running in a virtual machine and it doesn't allow me to save. The main difference will be that instead of a "photo" icon, a switch will appear, and the second option will be to save.
- Once you switch to video mode, simply choose whether you want to record a selection, the entire screen, or a window, and then click the circular button. You can stop recording using the icon in the top bar. The video will appear in the Videos folder.
KDE
KDE has allowed users to do more or less the same thing since April 2023, coinciding with the release of KDE Gear 23.04 and Spectacle with the same version. It's also very simple:
- First of all, it's important to understand how Spectacle starts and change the behavior if it's not what you want. Around 2023, they changed how it starts: before, it took a direct screenshot, and you'd see its interface there; now it starts with the rectangular selection. It's not a big deal. If you leave it on the default setting, you'll see something like this:
- As you can see, there is a "New recording" button at the bottom, and that's where we'll have to click.
- A menu will open with the options Rectangular Region, Full Screen, or Window, and a keyboard shortcut for each of them.
- Clicking on one of the options will show a cross-shaped pointer.
- If we have chosen full screen, we need to click to start recording.
- If we have chosen a rectangular region, we will first have to choose the region.
- If you have chosen a window, you must click on the app window.
- Immediately afterward, a notification will appear indicating that recording will begin. The Plasma icon is red, appears in the system tray, and has a pulse or blinking function.
- To stop recording, simply click the red icon. The video will be saved to the selected location.
Important fact about these two tools
These two tools are for simple video capture, and they'll do exactly what they promise: capture video. Depending on how they're configured, the videos look quite good, but the audio isn't captured. If audio is essential, other tools are better.
Screen recording in Linux with OBS Studio
This is my preferred option if I also want to record audio. The reason is personal: I prefer to use the same tool wherever I go, since it is multiplatformHowever, recording with OBS Studio is by no means the simplest thing. It's a more powerful tool that even allows you to stream to YouTube and other video services.
Recording the screen in Linux with OBS Studio would look like this:
- The program opens, or else we do nothing.
- Important step: you have to go to settings and configure the capture quality.
- Go to the bottom left, click on the plus sign, and give it a name. This creates a "scenario," but it won't record anything yet.
- Now we click the plus sign to the right of the first one and then choose a "source". Sources are where the program will record from. PipeWire records screen and audio in Wayland.
- After selecting the source, you'll be asked to confirm it by giving it a name. Upon accepting, you'll need to choose between a new virtual output (like a system camera), a rectangular region, or your laptop screen. Once you accept, you'll see the recording in the main window, within the black rectangle area of ​​the screenshots.
- Finally, click on "Start Recording," located on the right. You can stop recording from this same area, and the video will appear in the location configured in the settings.
And that's it. The good thing is that it works on virtually any Linux system. The bad thing is that it's not that straightforward.
OBS Studio is available as flatpak pack, Unofficial snap, in some official repositories and in its repository for Ubuntu (it's explained in its download page).
vokoscreenNG: Screen recording in Linux: Fast, simple and efficient
If you're looking for a simpler tool, I'd recommend SimpleScreenRecorder, but I don't because it hasn't been updated in four years and depends on X11. That one is really just a matter of hitting record and forgetting about it. Another more modern one that It is frequently updated It's vokoscreenNG. It's my recommendation, especially the Flatpak version, as it includes all the dependencies and also works on Wayland. It's so simple that it's almost a chore to explain how it works:
The image above illustrates how to record your screen in two clicks, three if you're narrating something that isn't visible, or just one if you don't need sound. To record without sound, click "Start." Want sound? First, check the box for "Monitor of Internal Analog Stereo Audio" and then click "Start." The same selection window you see in OBS will appear. To stop, click "Stop," and the video will appear in your Videos folder by default.
vokoscreenNG has more settings, but it's all very intuitive. For example, the radio buttons (the circular ones) let you choose between full screen/area or windowed mode. You can also increase the frame rate or change the audio codec. It's very easy to use.
vokoscreenNG is available in official distribution repositories and Flatub.
Conclusion
And that's how you can record your screen in Linux. Starting with the last option, if you're looking for something simple that's still being updated and works on X11 and Wayland, vokoscreenNG might be the answer. If you want to play it safe because it will always work, go for OBS Studio. If you only need video captures and are using GNOME or KDE, the native tools are the way to go. Screen recording in Linux has never been easier.