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Install GStreamer on Ubuntu with apt, then add only the plugin packages and tools your task needs. For command-line pipelines and element inspection, install gstreamer1.0-tools. If you are compiling an application, install the matching development packages too.
Install GStreamer for runtime use
Open a terminal and refresh Ubuntu’s package index before installing packages:
sudo apt updateGStreamer is modular. Install the runtime packages for the elements and media integrations you need; you do not need development headers just to run GStreamer. The GStreamer Project’s Linux installation instructions provide this broad Ubuntu/Debian package example:
sudo apt-get install gstreamer1.0-plugins-base gstreamer1.0-plugins-good gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly gstreamer1.0-libav gstreamer1.0-tools gstreamer1.0-x gstreamer1.0-alsa gstreamer1.0-gl gstreamer1.0-gtk3 gstreamer1.0-qt5 gstreamer1.0-pulseaudioThis is a broad example, not a minimum installation. The X, ALSA, GL, GTK, Qt, and PulseAudio packages provide integrations that matter only when your system or application uses them. Plugin packages also differ in the elements and codecs they provide; installing the whole set does not guarantee that every possible codec or element is present.
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Choose the plugin packages your task needs
Start with the element or codec your application reports as missing, then identify which package supplies it. The package names commonly group plugins into base, good, bad, and ugly sets, with additional packages such as gstreamer1.0-libav. Ubuntu’s Jammy package listing for good plugins shows the package’s dependencies and availability; its listed base dependency is separate from the good package itself.
Package availability can vary by Ubuntu release and enabled repositories. For Ubuntu 22.04, the Ubuntu package listing identifies the suite as Jammy and lists gstreamer1.0-plugins-good as version 1.20.3-0ubuntu1.9 in the accessed listing. Treat that as a package-page example, not a guarantee of the version currently installed: Ubuntu can publish package updates. The listed bad and ugly plugin packages are in the Universe component. For Ubuntu 20.04, do not assume the Jammy version applies; check the packages available from your own enabled repositories.
Install the command-line tools and verify the setup
The command-line programs are provided by gstreamer1.0-tools. Install it if you want to inspect elements, discover media, or run a pipeline from a terminal. The GStreamer Project documents gst-inspect-1.0, gst-discoverer-1.0, and gst-launch-1.0 as tools for these tasks.
sudo apt install gstreamer1.0-tools
gst-inspect-1.0To inspect a particular element, pass its name:
gst-inspect-1.0 element-nameReplace element-name with the element you need. If the tool reports that it cannot find the element, check which installed package provides it and whether that package is available in your release’s enabled repositories.
You can use gst-launch-1.0 to try a textual pipeline or diagnose whether a pipeline can be constructed. The project describes it primarily as a debugging tool; it is not an application runtime to build your product around. Applications should use GStreamer APIs, such as gst_parse_launch(), to create pipelines. The project’s GStreamer tools tutorial explains the command-line utilities.
Install development files to compile an application
For development, install the core and base-plugin development packages along with the development package for any additional API you use. The upstream broad example includes these core packages and the bad-plugin development package:
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sudo apt install libgstreamer1.0-dev libgstreamer-plugins-base1.0-dev libgstreamer-plugins-bad1.0-devThese are development packages, not a requirement for ordinary runtime use. Upstream’s package list is a broad starting point; select relevant development libraries for your application rather than assuming every listed package is necessary.
Use pkg-config to obtain the compiler and linker flags for the core library:
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pkg-config --cflags --libs gstreamer-1.0If your code uses another GStreamer API, add the corresponding library name to the pkg-config query. For example, an application using GStreamer Video also needs the relevant video library flags. See the GStreamer Project’s Linux installation instructions for its development-package and compiler-flag examples.
Check package availability on Ubuntu 20.04 or 22.04
Ubuntu 22.04 and 20.04 may expose different package builds through their repositories. Query your own configured sources instead of copying a version number from another release:
apt policy gstreamer1.0-tools gstreamer1.0-plugins-goodThe output shows the installed version, if present, and candidate versions visible to apt. If a package has no candidate, check that the relevant repository component is enabled and that the package name is correct for your release. Ubuntu’s package-search pages can confirm release-specific listings, but the listing for Jammy does not establish the current version for Focal.
Use GStreamer 1.x, not legacy 0.10
Install the 1.x packages supplied for your Ubuntu release. The GStreamer Project’s FAQ says that GStreamer 0.10 is no longer maintained and that 0.10 plugins and bindings are not interchangeable with 1.0. Older 0.10 instructions or plugin names therefore may not work with an Ubuntu 1.x installation.
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