Install Avidemux on Linux (Ubuntu, Mint, Arch, Fedora)

On Linux, the easiest way to install Avidemux is the official AppImage: download it, run chmod +x on the file, and launch it — no installation needed. Alternatives include the Flathub Flatpak, the xtradeb/apps PPA for Ubuntu and Linux Mint, the AUR package avidemux-qt for Arch, and distro repositories; Fedora users can check RPM Fusion.

Avidemux.net is an independent community resource site — not the official Avidemux project (avidemux.org, GitHub mean00/avidemux2). Version facts: v2.8.1 (2022) is the latest stable release; v2.8.2 is the development/nightly line, not stable.

At a glance: pick your method

Method Difficulty Updates Best for
AppImage Easiest Manual re-download Any distro; try it with zero commitment
Flatpak (Flathub) Easy Automatic via flatpak update Desktop users who want sandboxed, auto-updating apps
PPA: xtradeb/apps Easy Via apt upgrade Ubuntu / Linux Mint long-term installs
AUR: avidemux-qt Medium Via your AUR helper Arch / Manjaro / EndeavourOS users
Distro repos / RPM Fusion Varies Distro pace Fedora and others — check what your distro ships

Method 1: AppImage (recommended, works everywhere)

The official project publishes a single-file AppImage that runs on virtually any modern distro with no installation and no dependency hunting:

  1. Download the Linux AppImage from avidemux.org/nightly (or see our download page).
  2. Make it executable and run it: 
    chmod +x Avidemux*.AppImage
./Avidemux*.AppImage
  3. Optional: move it to ~/Applications or /opt and create a launcher if you want it in your app menu.

AppImage double-click does nothing? Open a terminal in the download folder, run chmod +x as above, then launch it with ./Avidemux*.AppImage and read the error message — it usually tells you exactly what’s missing (most often the executable bit wasn’t set by your file manager).

Method 2: Flatpak from Flathub

If you prefer sandboxed apps with automatic updates, Avidemux is published on Flathub:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
flatpak install flathub org.avidemux.Avidemux

Launch it from your app menu or with flatpak run org.avidemux.Avidemux. Updates arrive with flatpak update.

Method 3: Ubuntu / Linux Mint via the xtradeb/apps PPA

For a classic system-integrated install on Ubuntu and derivatives (including Linux Mint), the community-maintained xtradeb/apps PPA ships Avidemux:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xtradeb/apps
sudo apt update
sudo apt install avidemux-qt

Third-party PPA. xtradeb/apps is a community package archive, not the official Avidemux project. PPAs install with root privileges — only add ones you trust.

Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble) specifics

PPA support follows the maintainer, not Ubuntu’s release calendar: before adding the PPA on 24.04, open the xtradeb/apps Launchpad page and check that a Noble build exists. If your release isn’t listed, don’t force it — use the AppImage instead.

On 24.04, sudo apt install pulls the needed Qt libraries automatically in most cases. If the GUI fails to start with a Qt platform plugin error, the AppImage (which bundles its own Qt) sidesteps the problem entirely.

Linux Mint 21.x/22.x users: Mint is Ubuntu-based, so the same PPA instructions apply — just make sure the PPA has a build matching your Mint’s Ubuntu base (Jammy for Mint 21, Noble for Mint 22).

Method 4: Arch Linux via the AUR

On Arch and Arch-based distros (Manjaro, EndeavourOS), build the community avidemux-qt package from the Arch User Repository with your AUR helper:

yay -S avidemux-qt

No helper yet? Install yay first (git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git && cd yay && makepkg -si), or build avidemux-qt manually with makepkg. As always with the AUR: inspect the PKGBUILD before you build.

Method 5: Fedora and other distros

Fedora does not ship Avidemux in its default repositories. Your options, in order of least friction:

  1. AppImage (Method 1) — works on Fedora with zero repo changes.
  2. Flatpak (Method 2) — same, once Flathub is enabled.
  3. RPM Fusion / COPR / third-party repos — availability comes and goes; check what your Fedora release currently offers rather than trusting a years-old tutorial.

The honest rule for any distro: if your distro’s own repositories or a reputable third-party repo ship a current Avidemux, that’s the cleanest install — otherwise the AppImage is the universal fallback.

Debian: what to expect

Debian’s official repositories have not reliably shipped Avidemux on recent releases, and third-party Debian packaging (such as deb-multimedia) appears and disappears over time. The honest recommendation for Debian 12/13:

  1. AppImage (Method 1 above) — the path of least resistance, no repository surgery.
  2. Flatpak (Method 2 above) — equally painless once Flathub is enabled.
  3. Third-party apt sources — only if you can verify they currently build for your exact Debian release; treat any years-old tutorial with suspicion.

Wayland note

Recent Avidemux nightly builds use Qt6, which handles Wayland considerably better than the older Qt5 builds did. If you still see UI glitches (blank preview, misplaced dialogs) on a Wayland session, forcing XWayland usually clears them:

QT_QPA_PLATFORM=xcb avidemux

Two more Wayland notes: Qt6-based nightly builds run natively on Wayland far better than the old Qt5 releases, so if you’re on a Qt5 build and hit rendering bugs, trying a nightly is a legitimate fix. Fractional scaling (125%, 150%) can still misbehave — if the UI looks blurry, forcing QT_QPA_PLATFORM=xcb usually sharpens it at the cost of native Wayland integration.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the easiest way to install Avidemux on Linux?

The official AppImage: download one file, run chmod +x on it, and double-click (or run ./Avidemux*.AppImage). No installation, no dependencies to resolve, works on Ubuntu, Mint, Arch, Fedora, Debian, and basically everything else.

AppImage double-click does nothing — what now?

Almost always the executable bit: open a terminal in the download folder and run chmod +x Avidemux*.AppImage, then launch it from the terminal with ./Avidemux*.AppImage. If it still fails, the terminal output will show the real error — paste it into a search engine or the Avidemux forum.

Do I need to install extra dependencies?

Not with the AppImage (everything is bundled) or Flatpak (the runtime is pulled automatically). The PPA and AUR routes resolve dependencies through apt/pacman themselves — just let the package manager do its job.

Is there an official Snap or an official Ubuntu repository package?

No. The official project distributes the AppImage and nightly builds; there is no official Snap, and Ubuntu’s default archives no longer ship Avidemux on current releases. The Flathub Flatpak, the xtradeb PPA, and the AUR package are all community-maintained.

Does the xtradeb PPA support Ubuntu 24.04?

It depends on the maintainer’s current builds — check the xtradeb/apps Launchpad page for a Noble entry before adding the PPA. If 24.04 isn’t listed, the AppImage is the safe choice.

Can I install Avidemux from Debian’s official repositories?

Not reliably on current releases. Use the AppImage or the Flathub Flatpak; third-party apt sources exist, but verify they build for your exact Debian version.

Avidemux looks glitchy on Wayland — how do I fix it?

Launch it with QT_QPA_PLATFORM=xcb to force XWayland, which fixes most rendering glitches. Qt6-based nightly builds also handle native Wayland much better than the old Qt5 releases.