How To Install VLC Media Player on openSUSE

In this tutorial, we will show you how to install VLC Media Player on openSUSE. VLC Media Player, a free and open-source multimedia player, has carved a niche for itself in the digital world. Renowned for its compatibility with a diverse range of media formats and streaming protocols, VLC is a go-to choice for many.

This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step installation of the VLC multimedia player on openSUSE.

Prerequisites

• A server running one of the following operating systems: openSUSE.
• It’s recommended that you use a fresh OS install to prevent any potential issues.
• You will need access to the terminal to execute commands. openSUSE provides the Terminal application for this purpose. It can be found in your Applications menu.
• You’ll need an active internet connection to download VLC Media Player and its dependencies.
• You’ll need administrative (root) access or a user account with sudo privileges.

Install VLC Media Player on openSUSE

Step 1. Keeping your system up-to-date is a fundamental aspect of maintaining a secure and stable operating environment. Before installing new software, it’s always a good idea to update the system packages. To do this, open the terminal and enter the following command:

sudo zypper refresh
sudo zypper update

This command prompts the system to check for updates and install them. Remember, you might need to enter your password to grant the necessary permissions.

Step 2. Installing VLC Media Player on openSUSE.

Once your system is up-to-date, the next step is to add the VLC repository to your system. This repository is a storage location from which the system fetches the VLC Media Player for installation. To add the VLC repository, use the following command, replacing <SUSE Version> with your installed openSUSE version (e.g., Leap_15.2, Tumbleweed, SLE15SP2):

sudo zypper ar https://download.videolan.org/SuSE/<SUSE Version> VLC

After adding the VLC repository, it’s important to refresh the system repositories. This step ensures that the system recognizes the newly added VLC repository and can fetch the necessary installation files from it. To refresh the system repositories, use the following command:

sudo zypper refresh

With the VLC repository added and the system repositories refreshed, you’re now ready to install VLC Media Player. To do this, enter the following command:

sudo zypper in vlc

This command prompts the system to fetch the VLC Media Player from the VLC repository and install it on your system.

After the installation process is complete, it’s important to verify that VLC Media Player has been successfully installed. To do this, use the following command:

vlc --version

Step 3. Troubleshooting Common Issues.

Despite best efforts, you might encounter issues during the installation process. This section addresses some common problems and provides solutions to help you navigate through them.

• Permission Denied: If you encounter a ‘Permission Denied’ error, it’s likely because the command requires superuser (root) permissions. To resolve this, use ‘sudo’ before the command to grant the necessary permissions.
• Repository Not Found: If the system can’t find the VLC repository, double-check the repository URL and the openSUSE version you entered in Step 2. Ensure that the URL is correct and that it corresponds to your openSUSE version.
• Package Not Found: If the system can’t find the VLC package, it’s possible that the system repositories weren’t refreshed after adding the VLC repository. To resolve this, revisit Step 3 and refresh the system repositories.
• VLC Not Launching: If VLC doesn’t launch after installation, it could be due to a variety of reasons, including software conflicts or missing dependencies. In such cases, consider seeking help from online forums or the VLC community.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed VLC. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the VLC multimedia player on your openSUSE system. For additional or useful information, we recommend you check the official VLC website.