Documentation:Installing VLC

There are VLC binaries available for the many OSes, but not for all supported ones. If there are no binaries for your OS or if you want to change the default settings, you can compile VLC from sources.

Windows

95, 98, ME

You can install VLC on Windows 95, 98 or ME operating systems by using KernelEx.

2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8

Recommended

The normal and recommended way to install VLC on a Windows operating system is via the installer package.

Step 0: Download and launch the installer

Download the installer package from the VLC download page for Windows. After you download the installer package, double click on the file to begin the install process. If you're using Windows Vista, 7, or 8 and have UAC enabled, the operating system may prompt you to grant VLC administrator permissions. Click Yes to continue the installation process.

Step 1: Select an installer language

Before you can continue, you must select the language that you want the installer to use to display information to you. It is recommended that you select a language that you understand. After you select a language, click OK.

Step 2: Review the Welcome screen

The VLC installer recommends that you close all other applications before continuing the installation process. When you're ready to proceed with the installation process, click Next.

Step 3: Read Licence agreement

Read the Terms of Service. Once you're done reading, click Next.

Step 4: Select components

Use this menu to customize your install. Choose all of the components you wish to install and whether you want VLC to be your default media player or not. Once you are done, click Next.

Step 5: Pick a location

Click Browse... to choose the destination installation folder. After you've identified the desired folder, click Install.

Step 5: Now installing

Wait as VLC is installed on your machine. It shouldn't take too long. Click "Show details" to see more information about the installation's progress.

Step 7: Installation complete

Once installation is complete, you may choose to run VLC or read VLC's release notes. Click Finish to complete the installation process and close the installer.

Alternative

If you want to be pro and perform an unattended (or silent) installation of VLC, you can do so via a command line interface. Just type in "filename" /L="languagecode" /S. For example, the English installation would look something like vlc-2.0.1-win32.exe /L=1033 /S.

PowerShell

Installing VLC using PowerShell is as easy as pie.

Command Prompt

You can also do it using the command prompt... if that's your thing.

100x100px Mac OS X

1. Download the Mac OS X package from the VLC MacOS X download page.
2. Double-click on the icon of the package: an icon will appear on your Desktop, right beside your drives.
3. Open it and drag the VLC application from the resulting window to the place where you want to install it (it should be /Applications).

Linux

BeOS

1. Download the Zip file from the VLC BeOS download page.
2. Unzip the file in a directory to install VLC.

Debian

Debian stable (lenny)

Add the following lines to your /etc/apt/sources.list:

deb http://download.videolan.org/pub/videolan/debian stable main
deb-src http://download.videolan.org/pub/videolan/debian stable main

Then, for a normal install, write the following commands in Terminal:

# apt-get update
# apt-get install vlc libdvdcss2

Debian testing (squeeze)

You should not be using Debian testing unless you perfectly know what you are doing. It is almost impossible to support Debian testing and there are no plans to do it.

For more information on Debian testing, please look at the Testing Page.

Debian unstable (sid)

Add the following lines to your /etc/apt/sources.list:

deb http://download.videolan.org/pub/videolan/debian sid main
deb-src http://download.videolan.org/pub/videolan/debian sid main

Then, for a normal install, write the following commands in Terminal:

# apt-get update
# apt-get install vlc libdvdcss2

Linux Mandrake

There are VLC packages for Mandrake 9.1 and Cooker.

To install them, add the following sources for either Mandrake 9.1 or Cooker (you can use Easy urpmi for that): contrib from the core distribution and plf (Penguin Liberation Front) from the external add-ons.

Then install the required packages with urpmi:

# urpmi libdvdcss2 libdvdplay0 wxvlc vlc-plugin-a52 vlc-plugin-ogg vlc-plugin-mad

Linux (EL5)

1. Download and install the latest rpmforge-release rpm (eg rpmforge-release-0.3.6-1.el5.rf.i386.rpm)

2. Either;

# yum install vlc 

or (if you have epel-release installed);

# yum --disablerepo='epel' install vlc 

Linux RedHat

Download the RPM package vlc and the packages listed in the required libraries and codecs section (the other packages are optional) from the VLC Red Hat download page and put them all into the same directory.

Then install the RPM packages you have downloaded:

# rpm -U *.rpm

If you have not installed all the RPM packages included with your distribution, you may be asked to install a few of them first.

100x100px Ubuntu

Launch the Ubuntu Software Center and go to All Software → Sound & Video then in search VLC Player. After it will come click on it and it will automatically install

You need to check that a universe mirror is listed in your /etc/apt/sources.list file.

 # sudo apt-get update
 # sudo apt-get install vlc vlc-plugin-pulse mozilla-plugin-vlc

Compile the sources by yourself

For more detailed information on compiling VLC, please see Compile VLC.

This page is part of official VLC media player Documentation (User Guide • Streaming HowTo • Hacker Guide • Modules)
Please read the Documentation Editing Guidelines before you edit the documentation

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.