Install OBS Studio on Linux Mint 21 or 20
If you’re a streamer, gamer, or just want to record screencasts on Linux Mint, getting OBS up and running is easier than it sounds – and it’s a lot less painful than the Windows version. Below you’ll find three practical ways to install the latest OBS Studio on Mint 21 or Mint 20, plus a quick fix for the most common audio glitch that shows up after a driver hiccup.
Why use the official PPA over the default repos?
The Ubuntu‑derived Mint repos ship a very old snapshot of OBS (often version 26). That’s fine if you’re content with legacy features, but it means missing out on performance tweaks and new codecs. Adding the ppa:obsproject/obs-studio line pulls in the bleeding‑edge build that keeps pace with upstream releases.
Step 1 – Update your system
Every sane Linux user knows to keep packages current before installing anything new. This avoids dependency hell later.
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
The -y flag saves you from a “Do you want to continue?” prompt, which is handy when you’re on a coffee break.
Step 2 – Add the OBS PPA (Mint 20 or Mint 21)
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:obsproject/obs-studio -y
Why this step matters: The add-apt-repository command registers the PPA with your package manager, so future apt install commands can pull in OBS directly from the project’s official build server.
Step 3 – Install OBS Studio
sudo apt update sudo apt install obs-studio -y
After a few minutes, you’ll have a fresh copy of OBS that’s ready to launch. If you see a warning about “untrusted keys” or “broken packages,” just run sudo apt --fix-broken install.
Alternative 1 – Flatpak (works on both Mint 20 and Mint 21)
Flatpak is a sandboxed package format that ships the app with its own libraries, avoiding clashes with system libs.
# Install Flatpak if you don’t already have it sudo apt install flatpak -y # Add Flathub – the Flatpak app store flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo # Install OBS flatpak install flathub com.obsproject.Studio -y
Flatpak pulls in a self‑contained bundle, so you never get the “library version mismatch” error that can bite people after an OS update.
Alternative 2 – Snap (works on both Mint 20 and Mint 21)
Snaps are another universal packaging format. The downside? They’re usually a bit slower to start up because of the confinement layer.
sudo apt install snapd -y # Enable classic confinement for OBS sudo snap install obs-studio --classic
If you’re already comfortable with Snap, this is the quickest route – just one command and you’re done.
Common Pitfall: Audio drops out after a driver update
I’ve seen this happen to several friends who upgraded their Intel GPU drivers last month. OBS would launch fine, but no sound came through on the monitor or output device until they ran:
sudo apt install --reinstall libpulse0 pulseaudio
Re‑installing PulseAudio resets its configuration and clears a corrupted state that can sneak in during a driver roll‑out.
Optional: Enable GPU acceleration for better performance
If you have an NVIDIA card, consider installing the proprietary driver. Once it’s installed, run:
sudo apt install nvidia-ffmpeg
This adds NVENC support to OBS, letting you stream high‑resolution video without overloading your CPU.
Wrap‑up
You’re now armed with three solid methods for installing OBS on Linux Mint 20 or 21. Pick the one that fits your workflow: PPA for the freshest features, Flatpak for isolation, or Snap for
