"Browser Source" source missing in Ubuntu 24

[raleighlittles]

The "Browser Source" source element is missing from OBS on Ubuntu 24. See screenshot attached.

Log file: https://obsproject.com/logs/0iNvcTzOQFXDlsrN

OBS version: 30.0.2.1-3build1

OS version: Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS
Kernel: 6.8.0-41-generic

 

[Tuna]

Use the PPA or Flatpak as the OBS page instructs. If Ubuntu does not package the browser, take that issue to them.

 

[AaronD]

From the last sticky thread in this subforum:

Ubuntu PPA Installation Instructions

The Linux version of OBS is still under development and contains many bugs, but if you're feeling brave, and can install Ubuntu PPAs, then you can give this a try. If you're on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, you'll first need to install FFmpeg: sudo apt-add-repository ppa:kirillshkrogalev/ffmpeg-next sudo...

obsproject.com

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:obsproject/obs-studio
sudo apt update
sudo apt install obs-studio

Or if OBS is already installed natively, change the last line to sudo apt upgrade or sudo apt full-upgrade.

Don't use flatpak or any other container for OBS. Yes, they exist, but most of the questions about things not working seem to come from containers. Containers are meant for security and portability. They're fine for things that are entirely self-contained and don't need much connection to anything else, but OBS practically needs to access major parts of the entire machine. (this is also why it doesn't work so well on virtual machines) A container can be made to work, but by the time you jump through all of those hoops, you've pretty well nullified the purpose of the container, and kept the downsides.

Don't use containers for OBS. Always install it natively. And since it seems that the distribution repos can't be trusted to have a decent version (again), you'll need to get it from our PPA, as above. (or build it from source; that works too)

 

[AaronD]

Following up on this.

If you need stability, DO NOT install the PPA! If you do, the automatic update system will pull from that (as it's supposed to), and give you the latest experimental major release (x.0.0) that's full of bugs and breaks your rig. OBS's devs are far too eager to publish new major versions, and so you don't want that on a rig that absolutely must work. It's great as long as they're only publishing minor revs, but as soon as the next premature major one comes out, you're cooked with no warning.

Instead, forget the PPA (remove it if you've already added it: sudo apt-add-repository --remove ppa:obsproject/obs-studio), and grab the last of the previous major rev here:

Releases · obsproject/obs-studio

OBS Studio - Free and open source software for live streaming and screen recording - obsproject/obs-studio

github.com

At the time of this writing, it's:

Release OBS Studio 31.1.2 · obsproject/obs-studio

ImportantThe code signing certificate for OBS has been updated. This may impact game capture compatibility with some anti-cheat solutions with this OBS update. If you are a game or anti-cheat devel...

github.com

Download the .deb for either noble or plucky (the codename, not the version number), depending on what version of Ubuntu you have, and sudo apt install path/to/obs-studio_31.1.2-0obsproject1...

That will not update at all, since it's only looking at the default repository, and that's older than what you'll download here. It won't downgrade automatically, only upgrade, and there isn't a newer version available for it to upgrade to.

 

[stephematician]

It's somewhat true that the major releases are going to be buggy. There's a focus on having new features for a major release, rather than outright stability. I've seen fixes sit around for months before they get merged, let alone released.

I don't think it's necessary to ditch the PPA, but it's up to the user.

You can hold a package using apt-mark hold obs-studio that way it'll only get upgraded when you unhold it (e.g. apt-mark unhold obs-studio. I do this with Wine all the time because there are often regressions.

That said, if an upgrade results in an unstable application - then it won't always be possible to downgrade using APT, even if you specify the version with apt install obs-studio=31.1.2obsproject1~noble. At least then there is the backup option of the Debian package from the GitHub release page.️

 

[AaronD]

The problem with the PPA is, it automatically grabs *whatever* the latest version is, whether that's a bugfix or a new-feature regression. That makes the PPA a ticking time bomb.

Yes, I can hold a package, but that also prevents the bugfixes, which is also a problem. I would love to be able to blacklist by version number, like "update automatically, but skip over xx.0.x", but it seems that that's not possible. Also see the thread that I made specifically for that:

Is there a way to skip the first of a major revision when updating automatically?

I want the minor bugfixes, but I DON'T want the "San Bernardino train wreck" that a brand new major release often is for these guys. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino_train_disaster Using the official PPA on Ubuntu Studio (with the apt package manager), with automatic updates...

obsproject.com

It just so happens that I was going to replace a bunch of computers anyway, by buying one really good one to start a chain of hand-me-down's, and so I just happened to reinstall and rebuild from scratch anyway and not have to worry about downgrading from a bad upgrade. For that, I used the Debian package from GitHub of the last of the previous major release, and did NOT add the PPA.

Effectively, that's the same as holding that version, except that I KNOW it's the last of that major rev, and I don't have to find that out when I get the new broken one automatically. It also means it's on me to see what version they're on and decide if they've possibly fixed enough bugs to be worth trying yet. Or if they've moved on to the next major rev, and so I can grab the last of what used to be current.

 

[stephematician]

For those who are interested in keeping the PPA, you can look at the next available version of a _held_ package via apt update followed by apt list --upgradable. The first command will alert if there are packages that can be upgraded, while the second will list the version that are now available.