Can't change global default video player to VLC?

11.10 banshee vlc default plugins

7,289

Solution 1

I had the same problem on Ubuntu 12.04. Changing the Video default app to VLC has no effect, while for the others (web, mail, music, etc... ) it does work. It seems that there is a bug.

A quick solution:

Open defaults.list with

gksudo gedit /usr/share/applications/defaults.list

Search for totem.desktop and replace ALL with vlc.desktop.

Save, close, and... enjoy!

Solution 2

Global change

For changing the default Video Player, you need to change it from System Settings and goto Details

Then select Default Applications and change the Video

Global default video player

Only for specific file types

You can right click on any video and choose Properties, then goto Open With tab

Nautilus select properties

Nautilus Videos properties

Then select VLC and then click Set as default

7,289

jredkai

I'm an American, but I moved to Thailand for a better way of life. It has been about two years now and not one time have I regretted it, it is difficult at times but well worth it! I am a hobbyist programmer (I say hobbyist but I am learning by myself, more or less), I am studying Python and Ruby mostly. And unfortunately C#, we are after all still in a Windows (Mac) kind of world. Both are evil entities trying to corrupt civilization => Mac$ and Micro$ = EVIL!!! That's why I love Linux, I have played with Fedora, Chakra, and Mint but I always come back to Ubuntu, I don't care what anyone says about the "Unity" project, I like it, needs some more time and it will own lives!

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

jredkai over 1 year

I have already set VLC for default video player but still vids, movies, etc. open in Banshee and I cannot find anyway to turn that off. So far I have to manually tell each vid to open with VLC and to 'ignore' Banshee. Does anyone know any workarounds or hacks?? I think a plugin would be best ;)

May the Force be with you!!
jredkai about 12 years

Hi, I have seen this one already, however as stated by others this doesn't work globally, you have to do this with every single file. For example, this will only make "Movers and Shakers - ep.1" play with VLC. Next time you will have to do the same thing for the next vid. That is what I am trying to figure out how to do, make it work for ALL vids, especially since VLC is the default. Thank you for helping though!! :)
Jeff Welling about 12 years

I think that setting in the screenshot above is actually supposed to change the default globally, it does indeed say "and other files of type 'WebM video'" after all. If its not doing its job, I would suspect a permissions problem or a bug. Not sure how to check for the permissions problem though to be honest.
jredkai about 12 years

Okay, PROBLEM SOLVED (I still don't have the rights yet to answer my own question within the 8 hr period) I am still a bit o' a newb here (face palm), it is only doing it to certain file types. I am in the process of changing those now. Thank you all for your input and patience, you are what makes Ubuntu my fave distro!!!! May the Force be with you....always!
Manish Sinha about 12 years

@jredkai I updated the answer so that you can change it for all the file type of videos. May the force be with you too master :)
Manish Sinha about 12 years

@jredkai Does this solve your problem? If yes, then please mark it as solved so that in future it can be used as a guide
Manish Sinha about 12 years

@jredkai Just below the vote up/down button for every answer, there is a small checkbox. Click on it.
jredkai about 12 years

@ManishSinha Thank you! I probably should've seen that...oops. Anyway, thanks again!
jredkai almost 12 years

Thank you! I've found a different route that I will try for now....if it doesn't work then I will come back to this. Thanks again.
Czarek Tomczak over 9 years

Tried and it didn't work. What worked for me was to uninstall the Totem player.
George Dirac over 9 years

This didn't work for me either, I uninstalled VLC, then totem became default player, I uninstalled totem, then videos opened with handbrake, I really don't want to remove handbrake... are there any other solutions?