How to Install QMPlay2 on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04

QMPlay2 is a free, open-source multimedia player that offers enhanced audio and visual experience. It’s equipped with the latest technology to deliver excellent playback of all formats supported by FFmpeg, libmodplug (including J2B and SFX), Audio CDs, raw files, Rayman 2 music, and chiptunes. The following tutorial will demonstrate how to install QMPlay2 on Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish or Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa using a LaunchPAD PPA dedicated to QMPlay2 or using Flatpak with Flathub repository.

Recommended Steps Before Installation

Before you begin, run an update on your system to ensure all packages are up-to-date to avoid any conflicts during the installation.

sudo apt update

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

sudo apt --list upgradable

Proceed to upgrade any outdated packages using the following command.

sudo apt upgrade

Method 1: Install QMPlay2 with LaunchPAD PPA

The first method in installing QMPlay2 is to import the QMPlay2 LaunchPAD PPA maintained by tomtomtom.

Before proceeding, run the install command below for packages. These are most likely installed but run the command to be safe.

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

For users who have not previously imported a GPG key from the Ubuntu keyserver, the command line terminal will often have issues importing GPG keys from LaunchPAD PPAs because the directories are not created. This is an easy fix. Use the following command that will, in turn, generate the directories.

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

This can be skipped, but if you encounter an issue, just run the command and re-try.

The next task is to import the GPG key needed.

sudo gpg --no-default-keyring --keyring /usr/share/keyrings/qmplay2.gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys CEC312CC5ED8215A6E0EFC49B90E9186F0E836FB > /dev/null

Example output:

gpg: keybox '/usr/share/keyrings/qmplay2.gpg' created
gpg: key B90E9186F0E836FB: public key "Launchpad PPA for tomtomtom" imported
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg:               imported: 1

With the GPG key now imported, you can import the LaunchPAD PPA.

echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/qmplay2.gpg] https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/tomtomtom/qmplay2/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/qmplay2.list

Before running the installation command, run an apt update to reflect the new imported PPA.

sudo apt update

With the PPA added, you can begin the installation using the following command.

sudo apt install qmplay2 -y

Method 2 – Install QMPlay 2 with Flatpak and Flathub Repository

The second option is to install the Flatpak package manager on your Ubuntu desktop. Flatpak is Snap’s main rival for new Linux users who have just installed Ubuntu. It is deployed as the default third-party backup installation manager on such distros as Fedora, CentOS, Linux Mint, etc.

First, install the Flatpak manager. If Flatpak is already installed, skip this process and move straight to the installation commands.

sudo apt install flatpak -y

For users installing Flatpak for the first time, it is often recommended to reboot your system. Failure to do this can occur with odd issues, such as wrong icon paths.

sudo reboot

Next, you need to enable Flatpack using the following command in your terminal.

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Now install QMPlay2 using the following flatpak command.

flatpak install flathub io.github.zaps166.QMPlay2 -y

Troubleshoot Flatpak QMPlay2 Installation

First, the most common error when installing a Flatpak from Flathub is the following error output.

"error: Unable to load summary from remote flathub: Can't fetch summary from disabled remote 'flathub,"

The fix is simple, run the following command to enable Flathub.

flatpak remote-modify --enable flathub

This will fix the issue the above issue. The next issue can be access to system files. I would only recommend using the following command if you have access permission with your installation accessing files; use the override command below.

sudo flatpak override io.github.zaps166.QMPlay2 --filesystem=host

Please do not use this command by default unless it is needed.

How to Launch QMPlay2

Launching can be done in a few ways now that you have the software installed.

In your terminal, use the following command.

qmplay2

Flatpak installations can use the alternative command instead.

flatpak run io.github.zaps166.QMPlay2

However, not all people have a terminal open on their desktops. Use the following path to locate the application icon and launch the media player directly.

Activities > Show Applications > QMPlay2

Example:

Once open, it is pretty much a straightforward media player. Users from VLC or similar will feel quite at ease using QMPlay2.

Example:

And that is it, and you have successfully installed the latest version of QMPlay2 using the LaunchPAD PPA or Flatpak with Flathub.

Additional Commands & Tips

How to Update QMPlay2

The software should update itself with your system packages for desktop users using the APT package manager. For users who want to check manually, use the following command in your terminal.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Lastly, use the following command for any user that installed QMPlay2 using the Flatpak method.

flatpak update

How to Remove QMPlay2

Use the following command entirely for users who no longer wish to have QMPlay2 on their system and want to remove the software.

sudo apt autoremove qmplay2 --purge

The above command is a blanket command that will remove all associated unused dependencies along with QMPlay2 and any saved data created by the software for complete removal.

Lastly, remove the repository but be mindful that if you have installed other applications, do not remove it. If you did it accidentally, re-import it at the tutorial’s start.

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/qmplay2.list

For Flatpak installations, use the following command to remove the application.

flatpak uninstall --delete-data io.github.zaps166.QMPlay2

Next, run the following command for any leftover clean-up.

flatpak remove --unused

Conclusion

The tutorial taught you how to install QMPlay2 on Ubuntu using different methods for an alternative media player that is lightweight and actively developed. After you have installed the player, you can customize the interface quite a bit, so do not think that is the default look after you install it.

I think VLC Media Player users may not find this enough to switch, but it is a fantastic option for those wanting to try different multimedia players.