How do I install VLC extensions?

Question

VLC player allows installing extensions, plugins, skins. They have to be copied into a folder: for example, its .lua extensions should be in a folder with the same name. Where is that?

Answer 1

To install extensions (.lua) the needed folder is ~/.local/share/vlc/lua/extensions/ for the current user and /usr/lib/vlc/lua/extensions/ for all users. I found about it here and here.

Once installed, they are to be found under 'View'

(I put them here for illustration, I do not recommend all of them.)

Skins are installed by going to Tools/Preferences(Ctrl-P) - Interface: 'Use custom skin', and select the skin file.

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UPDATE

At least for the moment, very few VLSub extensions are really working and are worth trying; and, among these, most are not actively developed, as you can see here: the best is VLSub, probably the best tool around at the present for downloading subtitles - to the point that recent versions of the player have integrated that addon by default (but in VLC 2.2.2 that is outdated and has stopped working: see below).

VLC 2.2. has the capability to search and install extensions within it's settings, under Tools-Plugins and extensions:

Only it doesn't always install the latest version which is needed for the extension to really work, in which case download the script from the developer (for VLSub, here) and install it as indicated in the first part of this answer.

If the addons that come with the player need to be replaced, look for them in /usr/lib/vlc/lua/extensions/.

Answer 2

I'm using the snap version of VLC on Xubuntu 20.10.

The extensions are located under:

/home/[username]/snap/vlc/1700/.local/share/vlc/lua/extensions/

Answer 3

For those that installed the Flatpak version of VLC the path to your extension folder is

/home/[username]/.var/app/org.videolan.VLC/data/vlc/lua/extensions

(at least on Ubuntu 21.10 using VLC 3.0.16)

Answer 4

Sorry,I don't have enough reputation to comment on the previous answers:

1. 1st answer by user47206 & edited by Jorge Castro descries two ways to add add-ons (plugins or extensions) to VLC manually by placing their lua files in a certain directory or automatically via tools menu>plugins and extensions which are still valid ways theoretically but directories mentioned in the answer and the comment by Antonio Petricca are now all not working/ obsolete.
   
2. 2nd Answer by user1137772 & edited by Nmath shows a new directory /home/[username]/snap/vlc/1700/.local/share/vlc/lua/extensions/ which needs a little tweak now "I'm using VLC version 3.0.12.1 on ubuntu 21.04 from ubuntu software store" to /home/[username]/snap/vlc/2103/.local/share/vlc/ "which contains folders skins2 for vlt file type skins and lua/ for different plugins and extensions of lua file types i.e extensions like VLsub which is preadded by default now, playlist like radiotime also preadded,later it may create other folders inside e.g sd for service discovery like TuneIn or intf for interface like syncplay which you can add the automatic way".
   
3. location for luac files library extracted from " preadded VLsub = extension" more information from tools menu>plugins and extensions>active extensions is /snap/vlc/2103/usr/lib/vlc/lua/[folder] see evidence image and evidence image which contains luac files for other preadded add-ons like jamendo and icecast.
4. By default tools>preferences>"advanced"interface>input / Codecs>disable all lua plugins is checked and unchecking it will disable those preadded "luac" add-ons (like VLsub, jamendo, and icecast) and the "lua" ones I added (like TuneIn Radio, Jump to time, Sampler_PG "which have only a lua file in /home/[username]/snap/vlc/2103/.local/share/vlc/lua/[folder] !").
5. For me, I added some add-ons automatically and some manually, only extensions appeared in view menu under VLsub ,while service dicovery add-ons added the "automatic way" will appear in playlist left panel and other add-ons e.g. skins, playlist parsers, interface will appear installed only in tools>plugins and extensions :
   
   • Skins worked only manually for me from native skin by going to tools>preferences>"simple"preferences>look and feel>check use custom skin and then browse to your vlt file "automatically downloaded skins will not appear here as .local is hidden directory so you'll have to put them into a visible one" click save and restart VLC. After loading a cusom skin an option will appear in right click menu>interface>select skin, From which you can choose a skin from /home/gandalf/snap/vlc/2103/.local/share/vlc/skins2.
     Choosing skin2 from tools>preferencec>"advanced"preferences>interface>main interface>skinnable interface "check" caused the player to crash and not be opened anymore except by typing VLC in terminal.
   • Extensions I added automatically "appeared to" work.
   • All other add-ons that I added did not work.