How to Install and Use TermRecord on CentOS 8
If you’ve ever needed a quick video walkthrough of a terminal session, TermRecord is the unsung hero that will save you from endless screenshots or shaky screencasts. It captures your shell in real‑time and spits out an MP4 – no fancy overlays, just raw terminal action.
Why I’d Use TermRecord
I once had to demonstrate how to install a custom kernel module on a shared server. The colleague was watching me type through the console, but every keystroke was buried under a wall of prompts that kept scrolling by. A recorded video let them pause, rewind, and even export the exact steps for their own machines. That’s the power of TermRecord.
Getting Ready on CentOS 8
1. Enable EPEL and Install Build Tools
TermRecord depends on ffmpeg for encoding, which isn’t in the default repo.
sudo dnf install -y epel-release sudo dnf install -y git gcc make ffmpeg xz
Why this matters: Without ffmpeg, TermRecord will abort with a “binary not found” error.
2. Clone and Compile the Project
git clone https://github.com/termrecord/termrecord.git cd termrecord make sudo make install # or sudo cp termrecord /usr/local/bin/
The make step pulls in all necessary headers and builds the binary; skipping it will leave you with a broken executable.
Running Your First Record
Open a terminal, then type:
termrecord -t 15 demo.mp4
What that does:
- -t 15 tells TermRecord to record for 15 seconds.
- demo.mp4 is the output file name.
Now run whatever commands you want to showcase – maybe a quick yum update, or just play around in Bash. When you’re done, type exit. The video will be ready instantly.
Quick Tips
| Tip | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Full‑screen terminal | Keeps the frame consistent; otherwise ffmpeg may pick up window decorations. |
| Use a clear prompt (e.g., PS1='\u@\h:\w$ ') | Makes the recording easier to read if someone reviews it later. |
| Keep the session short | Long recordings balloon in size quickly; 30 seconds is usually enough for demos. |
Common Gotchas
- “ffmpeg: command not found” – double‑check that you installed the package from EPEL.
- Huge output files – try adding -qscale 2 to reduce quality slightly while keeping file size down.
- No audio – TermRecord deliberately records only the terminal. If you need a voiceover, layer it later with another tool.
Wrap‑up
That’s all there is to it: install a few deps, build from source, and you can capture your terminal like a pro. It’s not a flashy animation tool; it just does what it says on the tin – record the terminal and output an MP4. Give it a try when you need a quick visual aid for troubleshooting or teaching.
