How to easily record your screen on Linux

Feb 122015

Linux is a great operating system for a wide range of users, be it gamers or people that are passionate about listening music or creating videos for example. No matter what category you belong to, you can rest assured that recording a video with your gameplay sessions or the way you use an application is very easy, as long as you have the right tools.

SimpleScreenRecorder is a QT based app that was specifically designed to provide you with an impressive set of features that just make screen recording under Linux a piece of cake.

Install SimpleScreenRecorder

Ubuntu	Install ‘simplescreenrecorder’ and optionally ‘simplescreenrecorder-lib:i386’ (if you want to record 32-bit OpenGL applications on a 64-bit system) from the SimpleScreenRecorder PPA: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:maarten-baert/simplescreenrecorder sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install simplescreenrecorder # if you want to record 32-bit OpenGL applications on a 64-bit system: sudo apt-get install simplescreenrecorder-lib:i386 You should copy-paste these commands to a terminal line by line rather than all at once, otherwise it won’t work. Alternatively, you can install the simplescreenrecorder package from GetDeb.
Arch Linux	Install ‘simplescreenrecorder’ and optionally ‘lib32-simplescreenrecorder’ (if you want to record 32-bit OpenGL applications on a 64-bit system).
Gentoo	Anders Larsson has created a Gentoo overlay that contains SimpleScreenRecorder. You can find it here.
OpenSUSE	Install ‘simplescreenrecorder‘ from the Packman repository. If you want to record 32-bit OpenGL applications on a 64-bit system, you should also install ‘libssr-glinject-32bit’. This package was created by Dmitriy (DAP-DarkneSS).
Fedora	Nick Thom has created packages for Fedora 20, they can be found here.

For other Linux distributions, get the source code via GitHub.

Source: http://www.webupd8.org/2013/06/simplescreenrecorder-powerful-screen.html

One of the things that make SimpleScreenRecorder stand out is the stellar interface that is straightforward and very easy to use, unlike many applications that provide similar features.

A normal session of using SimpleScreenRecorder starts off with creating a profile or choosing one of the already created ones, and then you will have to select the video input. It’s important to note that the app allows you to record the entire screen up to an 1080p resolution, or you can choose to record a fixed rectangle or record OpenGL games.

An interesting feature that we liked a lot is the ability to follow the cursor as you record, which makes videos a lot more appealing and interactive. This type of recording is more suitable for the web and tutorials. Of course, you can also add a custom width and height and even select the desired framerate, features that just make the whole experience very easy to customize.

Another ability that SimpleScreenRecorder brings to the table is scaling, which is great if you want the recorded video to scale on lower resolution monitors. Of course, like any good screen recording app, SimpleScreenRecorder does provide you with the ability of recording the cursor or just ignoring it altogether, depending on your needs.

SimpleScreenRecorder brings you an opportunity to record with audio or just forget about it completely. In order to record audio you do need to select a valid source and that’s it! You will just need to press Continue and start recording.

We liked the fact that SimpleScreenRecorder supports multiple libraries and codecs, so you can easily record in the format you want. Although in an experimental form, SimpleScreenRecorder does include live streaming capabilities, a feature that will definitely be addressed and improved in the future versions of the app. It’s important to note that SimpleScreenRecorder is also filled with numerous tooltips, so even if you are stuck and don’t know what to do next, reading the complete documentation will help you immediately. Lastly, it’s important to note that you can check out a live preview during recording, which makes the experience very interesting since you remove the hassle of recording something that doesn’t look as you would expect.

Compiling and running SimpleScreenRecorder is quite simple, and the app works seamlessly on 32-bit and 64-bit systems alike, which is great. While using SimpleScreenRecorder there weren’t any performance issues, although it’s important to know that the app does require a good computer with a lot of RAM and a powerful processor in order to record properly. This is especially true in the case of game recording.

Overall, SimpleScreenRecorder is a valuable addition to your app stash if you are recording videos of your games or apps often. The app is easy to use and it provides a very simple recording process that recommends it as being the to-go screen recorder for Linux users!

8.0/10

Article sponsored by Lowhosting.com