How to Install OBS Studio on Linux Mint 21/20

OBS Studio provides users with intuitive free, open-source software for broadcasting and recording high-quality display and audio performances on any Linux Mint system. With this tutorial, you will discover how to import the official LaunchPAD PPA to install OBS Studio on Linux Mint, providing you with the newest version of the software. Even better, this guide also covers OBS Studio updates and removal if you no longer require it.

Update Linux Mint – Upgrade System Packages

The first step is ensuring your system is up-to-date to avoid issues during the installation and for good practice. This is done by opening your terminal and using the following command.

sudo apt update

Optionally, you can list the updates for users who require review or are curious.

apt list --upgradable

Proceed to upgrade any outdated packages using the following command.

sudo apt upgrade

Install OBS Studio

Install Dependencies

Before continuing, ensure that the following packages are installed with either required or beneficial dependencies. These may already be present, but if unsure, run the command.

sudo apt install dirmngr ca-certificates software-properties-common apt-transport-https -y

Import OBS Studio LaunchPAD PPA

Launchpad PPA packages usually do not contain any dependencies. Still, some users run into issues while installing those packages when importing the GPG key securely instead of the old, outdated method. To resolve this issue, manually create the necessary directory structure, and the following commands will ensure that this happens automatically.

sudo gpg --list-keys

Example output:

gpg: directory '/root/.gnupg' created
gpg: keybox '/root/.gnupg/pubring.kbx' created
gpg: /root/.gnupg/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created

Import the GPG keys required by each OBS Studio repository.

sudo gpg --no-default-keyring --keyring /usr/share/keyrings/obs-studio.gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys BC7345F522079769F5BBE987EFC71127F425E228 >> /dev/null

Example output:

gpg: keybox '/usr/share/keyrings/obs-studio.gpg' created
gpg: key EFC71127F425E228: public key "Launchpad PPA for obsproject" imported
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg:               imported: 1

Import the PPA containing the latest stable OBS Studio version maintained by the OBS Project team, ensuring the command matches your installation of Linux Mint.

Import OBS Studio PPA for Linux Mint 21 release.

echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/obs-studio.gpg] https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/obsproject/obs-studio/ubuntu jammy main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/obs-studio.list

Import OBS Studio PPA for Linux Mint 20 release.

echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/obs-studio.gpg] https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/obsproject/obs-studio/ubuntu focal main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/obs-studio.list

Alternatively, you can install the unstable master build version if you desire. If you import the unstable, please grab the stable version as well; if any builds miss unstable, you will still get the latest version.

Import OBS Studio Unstable (Dev) PPA for Linux Mint 21 release.

echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/obs-studio.gpg] https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/obsproject/obs-studio-unstable/ubuntu jammy main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/obs-studio.list

Import OBS Studio Unstable (Dev) PPA for Linux Mint 20 release.

echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/obs-studio.gpg] https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/obsproject/obs-studio-unstable/ubuntu focal main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/obs-studio.list

Run OBS Studio installation commands

Now run an APT update command to update and rebuild your APT cache.

sudo apt update

Finally, install OBS Studio using the following command.

sudo apt install obs-studio -y

How to Launch OBS Studio

Launch can be done in two ways now that you’ve installed OBS Studio. You can do this via the terminal since you have it currently open.

obs

For Linux Minx desktop users, constantly opening a terminal isn’t practical, so you can use this path to open the OBS Studio application GUI.

Taskbar > Sound & Audio > OBS Studio.

Example:

Once opened, you will arrive at the main screen, most likely prompted by the initial configuration screen. Each user will configure this differently to their needs.

Example:

For users installing from the PPA, you may notice the color scheme is slightly out. I had to change the theme in OBS-Studio to the system as some of the fonts with text colors were way off and hard to read.

This can be found by following the path: File > Settings > General > Theme (at the top)

Example:

Once done, you can use OBS-Studio; for new users, I recommend reading the quick-start guide.

Additional Commands & Tips

How to Update OBS Studio

Updates should be handled with your standard system updates when prompted. For those users that would like to check more regularly, use the following command in your terminal.

sudo apt upgrade && sudo apt upgrade

How to Remove (Uninstall) OBS Studio

Use one of the following commands to suit the original installation method for users who no longer require the application.

sudo apt autoremove obs-studio --purge -y

For users who will not want to use OBS Studio again, removing the PPA for good maintenance and security purposes is highly advised by using the following command.

sudo rm /usr/share/keyrings/obs-studio.gpg /etc/apt/sources.list.d/obs-studio.list

Conclusion

OBS Studio is an excellent software for those looking to start live streaming or recording their screens. The guide has shown you how to install the latest version of OBS Studio using a LaunchPAD PPA so you will always have the newest version. You should now be able to use all the features that OBS Studio offers and enjoy its full potential!