How do I set VLC media player as default video player?

Question

I can't seem to set VLC media player as the default video player. I have gone to System Settings → System Info → Default Applications, and changed "Video" to VLC media player.

However, all movies still open with Movie Player (Totem) by default. The video default application setting appears to have no effect. I have tried changing the setting and logging out/rebooting, but it doesn't appear to work.

Is there some command-line magic that can work on this?

score 93 · Answer 1 · edited Jan 17 '17 at 19:07

93

Go to System Settings → System info → Default Applications, and set it there. It works in Ubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot).

In Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail) and later, it's found in System Settings → Details → Default Applications.

edited Jan 17 '17 at 19:07

Peter Mortensen

884

answered Jan 24 '12 at 06:25

Pyri

931

2

Even though the poster states clearly that this doesn't work? I suspect that this only affect a certain extension - perhaps mp4. (S)He's trying to open a matroska (mkv) file and default applications appears to be ignoring that. – Scaine Jan 24 '12 at 17:05
doesn't work for me – Sirber Mar 17 '12 at 19:28
13

In 13.04 it is in System Settings/Details/Default Applications – ltn100 Jun 01 '13 at 09:30
It's 2015, @ltn100's answer works in 15.10 too, can you update? – Ev Dolzhenko Nov 16 '15 at 10:09

score 56 · Answer 2 · edited Aug 13 '16 at 23:56

56

Rightclick any video file, choose properties. Choose Open With and there you can select VLC and the option set as default (bottom right).

enter image description here

--

14.04 and 16.04 also has this option:

enter image description here

edited Aug 13 '16 at 23:56

rancho

4,036

answered Dec 31 '11 at 07:38

Rinzwind

299,756

This step is to be done on all video filetypes. You can also replace /usr/share/applications/totem.desktop with /usr/share/applications/vlc.desktop to fool Ubuntu that VLC is Totem but I don't recommend this method. – jcisio Dec 31 '11 at 09:42
No in 11.10 it is set for all video files iirc. – Rinzwind Dec 31 '11 at 14:11
4

If your screenshot is correct, the step you've done is just for "Matroska video". – jcisio Jan 01 '12 at 04:51
2

Set as default doesn't seem to be there in 13.04 – ltn100 Jun 01 '13 at 09:32
@ltn100yes there is. I added proof :+ Now remove the downvote. – Rinzwind Jun 01 '13 at 10:46
3

@Rinzwind - I didn't see it in a fresh install of 13.04 as well when trying to set VLC as the default for MP4's. I had to go into System Settings > Details > Default Applications as suggested by Pyri to change it. – Nick Jan 02 '14 at 03:53
+comment above. this is not working in 13.10 either – playcat Jan 13 '14 at 20:19
In my version of 13.04 this works. Maybe they changed it? – sage88 Mar 05 '14 at 17:39
I don't see this in ver 14. – XiaoChuan Yu Nov 30 '14 at 04:26
1

Wow, it is very simple, It is working for Ubuntu 20.04 also. – Sun Jun 28 '22 at 02:55
Works for 22.04 as well – Elder Geek Jan 21 '23 at 01:11

score 15 · Answer 3 · edited Jun 12 '20 at 14:37

15

Ubuntu 13.10, 14.04

Click on the gear icon in the top right corner then select the option About this computer. From that set Vlc media player as default application for opening videos.

enter image description here

edited Jun 12 '20 at 14:37

Community

1

answered Apr 26 '14 at 14:07

Avinash Raj

78,556

hi! I set this (14.04) but nautilus has used totem (instead of vlc) yet. How can I set vlc as default for nautilus (and for gnome-disk-image-mounter too)? – Regisz May 08 '14 at 12:55
follow the first answer. – Avinash Raj May 08 '14 at 13:04
thx Avinash Raj, but I have problem with dvd-s not video files, so that answer does not help me (if I think well) – Regisz May 08 '14 at 13:07

score 7 · Answer 4 · answered Mar 23 '13 at 04:25

7

In Ubuntu 12.10, go to

"System Settings" "Details" "Default Applications"

CLick on the "down arrow" for "Video"

Select "VLC Media Player"

Then close window.

answered Mar 23 '13 at 04:25

clbgssvg

71

score 5 · Answer 5 · answered Apr 11 '15 at 08:54

If you want to assocoate all video mimetypes with vlc for current user, you can do this:

Check totem is currently default for all video mimetypes:
```
cat /usr/share/applications/defaults.list | grep video
```
You will see lines like this:
```
video/x-avi=totem.desktop
```

Append all the lines containing video types to the local file:

cat /usr/share/applications/defaults.list | grep video >> ~/.local/share/applications/mimeapps.list

Replace all occurences of "=totem.desktop" with "=vlc.desktop" in vim, nano, geany or gedit. E.g. Search->Replace in gedit:
```
gedit ~/.local/share/applications/mimeapps.list
```

P.S.: If you want to open audio by default in vlc too, then just replace "grep video" with "grep audio" and "=totem.desktop" with "=rhythmbox.desktop" in above 1,2,3.

Source: http://www.libre-software.net/change-the-default-application-ubuntu-linux

This works on Xubuntu as well. – Karthic Raghupathi Nov 11 '15 at 03:51 — Karthic Raghupathi, Nov 11 '15 at 03:51

score 3 · Answer 6 · answered Apr 27 '13 at 00:30

3

Remove the totem video player via ubuntu software center. It appears with name "Video". This will make every video format use VLC automatically.

answered Apr 27 '13 at 00:30

Bhavin Doshi

2,466

score 2 · Answer 7 · edited Jun 12 '20 at 14:37

2

For 12.04

In Ubuntu Tweak under File Type Manager you can change and set the default for all media types and their specific formats.

edited Jun 12 '20 at 14:37

Community

1

answered Jan 16 '12 at 17:07

Jah Fou

31

Worked nicely for me. Allows you to set the default for all extensions at once. – Jobi Carter Jul 03 '13 at 15:01

score 1 · Answer 8 · answered Jan 16 '12 at 16:37

1

I managed to fix this by right click on the video file > Open With Other Applications > Right click on Banshee and click Forget association

I say Banshee, because I already uninstalled Totem in order to fix the issue.

answered Jan 16 '12 at 16:37

Ivan Dokov

792

How do I set VLC media player as default video player?

8 Answers8

Ubuntu 13.10, 14.04

For 12.04

Linked

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