How to Install MakeMKV on Linux Mint 21 or 20

MakeMKV is a free, open-source tool that can convert video clips from DVDs and Blu-rays, usually encrypted. In the following tutorial, you will learn how to install MakeMKV on Linux Mint 21 or Linux Mint 20 utilizing the command line terminal using the recommended Launchpad PPA repository MakeMKV team to provide the most up-to-date version.

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Proceed to upgrade any outdated packages using the following command.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

Import MakeMKV PPA

The best installation method is to import the HJMooses’s PPA that contains the latest up-to-date version of MakeMKV. But before you can do this, a few steps are required.

Install Dependencies

Use the following command to install or check if the packages are installed.

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.

Now import the GPG key needed for all the repositories.

sudo gpg --no-default-keyring --keyring /usr/share/keyrings/heyarje.gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 94B56C64CA7278ECFC34E8808540356019F7E55B

Example output:

josh@linux-mint:~$ sudo gpg --no-default-keyring --keyring /usr/share/keyrings/heyarje.gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 94B56C64CA7278ECFC34E8808540356019F7E55B
gpg: key 8540356019F7E55B: public key "Launchpad PPA for hjmooses" imported
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg:               imported: 1

With the PPA GPG key sorted, use the following command to import the PPA. Remember, you must match the command to your Linux Mint distribution version release series.

Import PPA for Linux Mint 21 release.

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

Import PPA for Linux Mint 20 release.

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

Install MakeMKV

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

sudo apt-get update

Install the software using the following command.

sudo apt install makemkv-oss makemkv-bin -y

Launch MakeMKV

To open MakeMKV, you need to follow the path on your desktop.

Taskbar > Sound & Video > MakeMKV.

Example:

Once the application has launched, you will arrive at your default landing screen.

Additional Commands & Tips

How to Update MakeMKV

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

How to Remove (Uninstall) MakeMKV

MakeMKV, when installed, adds quite a few dependencies, so ideally, using the autoremove command is best to keep your system clean and not bloated.

sudo apt autoremove makemkv-oss makemkv-bin -y

Next, remove the imported PPA if you have no desire to re-install the software.

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

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a hassle-free way to convert your DVDs and Blu-rays into files that can be played on any device, then MakeMKV is the perfect tool. For more information, visit the official MakeMKV forums, which have an excellent community.