Problems with VLC Snap install

7-webmaster · June 20, 2025, 2:58am

I am on Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS. The VLC Snap does nothing and when I invoke it from the command line I get:

$ vlc
VLC media player 3.0.20 Vetinari (revision 3.0.20-1-g2617de71b6)
[0000623ac0dcca00] main libvlc: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.
Warning: Ignoring XDG_SESSION_TYPE=wayland on Gnome. Use QT_QPA_PLATFORM=wayland to run on Wayland anyway.
Qt: Session management error: Could not open network socket
Fontconfig warning: FcPattern object width does not accept value [75 100)
Segmentation fault (core dumped)

So I removed the snap and attempted to install using apt:

$ sudo apt install vlc
[sudo] password for jcobban: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 libqt5svg5 : Depends: libqt5gui5t64 (>= 5.15.13+dfsg~) but it is not installable or
                       libqt5gui5-gles (>= 5.15.13+dfsg~) but it is not installable
 libqt5widgets5t64 : Depends: libqt5gui5t64 (>= 5.15.1) but it is not installable or
                              libqt5gui5-gles (>= 5.15.1) but it is not installable
 libqt5x11extras5 : Depends: libqt5gui5t64 (>= 5.15.13+dfsg~) but it is not installable or
                             libqt5gui5-gles (>= 5.15.13+dfsg~) but it is not installable
 vlc-plugin-base : Depends: libssh2-1t64 (>= 1.2.3) but it is not installable
 vlc-plugin-qt : Depends: libqt5gui5t64 (>= 5.14.1) but it is not installable or
                          libqt5gui5-gles (>= 5.14.1) but it is not installable
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.
jcobban@jcobban-OptiPlex-9020:~$ cd /etc/apt
jcobban@jcobban-OptiPlex-9020:/etc/apt$ ls
apt.conf.d   preferences.d        sources.list.d            trusted.gpg
auth.conf.d  sources.list         sources.list.distUpgrade  trusted.gpg~
keyrings     sources.list_backup  sources.list.save         trusted.gpg.d
jcobban@jcobban-OptiPlex-9020:/etc/apt$ cd sources.list.d/
jcobban@jcobban-OptiPlex-9020:/etc/apt/sources.list.d$ ls
google-earth-pro.list.distUpgrade  ondrej-ubuntu-php-noble.sources
google-earth-pro.sources           ondrej-ubuntu-php-noble.sources.save
google-earth-pro.sources.save      ubuntu.sources
nodesource.list.distUpgrade        ubuntu.sources.save
nodesource.list.save
jcobban@jcobban-OptiPlex-9020:/etc/apt/sources.list.d$ more ubuntu.sources
Types: deb
URIs: http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu
Suites: noble-security
Components: main restricted universe multiverse
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/ubuntu-archive-keyring.gpg

What am I missing? Obviously some users are running VLC on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

rubi1200 · June 20, 2025, 3:38am

Welcome to Ubuntu Discourse

I moved your post to its own topic to receive better support.

Thanks.

thingizkhan · June 20, 2025, 1:11pm

apt can’t find the Qt and SSH2 libraries because your system is only looking at the security pocket.
All the normal packages (the ones VLC depends on) live in main and
updates, but those lines are missing from your sources.

Add the standard repositories, update the package lists, and VLC will install
without errors.

# Add the normal 24.04 (noble) archives
sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list <<'EOF'
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-updates main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-security main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble-backports main restricted universe multiverse
EOF

# Refresh package lists
sudo apt update

# Install VLC from the deb archive
sudo apt install vlc

(or open Software & Updates ▸ Ubuntu Software and tick “Main”, “Universe”,
“Restricted”, “Multiverse”, plus “Updates” and “Backports”, then click Reload
and install VLC through Ubuntu Software or apt).

Once those repos are enabled the unmet-dependency errors disappear and VLC
installs and runs normally.

ogra · June 20, 2025, 1:25pm

Note that sources.list is obsolete, you should better use proper deb822 sources (seemingly the system already uses an ubuntu.sources file proper, better add to that one in the correct format)

Actionparsnip · June 20, 2025, 4:35pm

Could try:
QT_QPA_PLATFORM=wayland vlc

tsugu-sk · June 21, 2025, 7:17am

They seem to have encountered the same issue here

The solution is to install the vlc snap and run

sudo rm /var/cache/fontconfig/*
rm ~/.cache/fontconfig/*
fc-cache -r

I was told this is an issue due to VLC’s snap using the old Core18 as its Base.

7-webmaster · June 25, 2025, 4:21am

Thank you very much. I do not understand why the main repository was disabled.

VLC stops unexpectedly after opening the disk and without displaying anything.

~$ vlc
VLC media player 3.0.20 Vetinari (revision 3.0.20-0-g6f0d0ab126b)
[000056c64e2f0550] main libvlc: Running vlc with the default interface. Use ‘cvlc’ to use vlc without interface.
[000056c64e3884b0] main playlist: playlist is empty
[000073a064001130] dvdnav demux: DVD Title: LOIS_AND_CLARK_SEASON1_T5_D1
[000073a064001130] dvdnav demux: DVD Serial Number: 3361a561
[000073a064001130] dvdnav demux: DVD Title (Alternative):
[000073a064001130] dvdnav demux: DVD disk reports itself with Region mask 0x00ed0000. Regions: 02 05

Although I ordered the set from an address in California the set came from England, and therefore has region 2. It will therefore not play on my DBD/Blu Ray player, so I am trying to watch it on Ubuntu. I would appreciate any suggestions.

7-webmaster · June 25, 2025, 4:43am

Thank you very much.

I found it was necessary to install libdvdcss2 etc so VLC opens and plays the DVD however there are a lot of frightening messages:

$ VLC media player 3.0.20 Vetinari (revision 3.0.20-0-g6f0d0ab126b)
[00005e796eb21550] main libvlc: Running vlc with the default interface. Use 'cvlc' to use vlc without interface.
[00005e796ebb94b0] main playlist: playlist is empty
[000073ba9c001130] dvdnav demux: DVD Title: LOIS_AND_CLARK_SEASON1_T5_D1
[000073ba9c001130] dvdnav demux: DVD Serial Number: 3361a561
[000073ba9c001130] dvdnav demux: DVD Title (Alternative): 
[000073ba9c001130] dvdnav demux: DVD disk reports itself with Region mask 0x00ed0000. Regions: 02 05
[000073ba9c001130] dvdnav demux: Attempting to retrieve all CSS keys
[000073ba9c001130] dvdnav demux: This can take a _long_ time, please be patient
libva info: VA-API version 1.20.0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/iHD_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_20
libva error: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/iHD_drv_video.so init failed
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 1
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/i965_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_20
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0
Failed to open VDPAU backend libvdpau_nvidia.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
[000073ba9c03c9e0] main decoder error: buffer deadlock prevented
[00005e796ebddce0] main audio output error: too low audio sample frequency (0)
[000073ba9c196640] main decoder error: failed to create audio output
[00005e796ebddce0] vlcpulse audio output error: digital pass-through stream connection failure: Input/Output error
[00005e796ebddce0] main audio output error: module not functional
[000073ba9c196640] main decoder error: failed to create audio output
libva info: VA-API version 1.20.0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/iHD_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_20
libva error: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/iHD_drv_video.so init failed
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 1
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/i965_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_20
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0
Failed to open VDPAU backend libvdpau_nvidia.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
[00005e796ebddce0] main audio output error: too low audio sample frequency (0)
[000073ba9c07b430] main decoder error: failed to create audio output
[00005e796ebddce0] vlcpulse audio output error: digital pass-through stream connection failure: Input/Output error
[00005e796ebddce0] main audio output error: module not functional
[000073ba9c07b430] main decoder error: failed to create audio output
libva info: VA-API version 1.20.0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/iHD_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_20
libva error: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/iHD_drv_video.so init failed
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 1
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/i965_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_20
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0
Failed to open VDPAU backend libvdpau_nvidia.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
[000073ba9c074150] main decoder error: Timestamp conversion failed for 33367267: no reference clock
[000073ba9c074150] main decoder error: Could not get display date for timestamp 0
[000073ba9c074150] main decoder error: Timestamp conversion failed for 33367267: no reference clock
[000073ba9c074150] main decoder error: Could not convert timestamp 0 for FFmpeg
[00005e796ebddce0] main audio output error: too low audio sample frequency (0)
[000073ba9c196640] main decoder error: failed to create audio output
[00005e796ebddce0] vlcpulse audio output error: digital pass-through stream connection failure: Input/Output error
[00005e796ebddce0] main audio output error: module not functional
[000073ba9c196640] main decoder error: failed to create audio output
libva info: VA-API version 1.20.0
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/iHD_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_20
libva error: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/iHD_drv_video.so init failed
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 1
libva info: Trying to open /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/dri/i965_drv_video.so
libva info: Found init function __vaDriverInit_1_20
libva info: va_openDriver() returns 0
Failed to open VDPAU backend libvdpau_nvidia.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
jcobban@jcobban-OptiPlex-9020:~$

thingizkhan · June 25, 2025, 3:00pm

Your apt is only pointing at noble-security. Add the regular archive and updates pockets, refresh, then install VLC:

sudo add-apt-repository main
sudo add-apt-repository universe
sudo add-apt-repository restricted
sudo add-apt-repository multiverse
sudo add-apt-repository -c noble-updates

sudo apt update
sudo apt install vlc

After the full repositories are enabled the missing Qt/SSH2 libraries resolve and VLC installs normally.

system · June 28, 2025, 3:00pm

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