Ubuntu can't include non-free codecs, but has had the ability to play Ogg Theora and Vorbis files out-of-the-box for years because they're open source. Now that WebM is such a popular, free alternative to H.264, why isn't support included by default?
Ubuntu – Why isn’t WebM video supported out of the box
videowebm
Related Solutions
You will have add the PPA ppa:gstreamer-developers/ppa
To do that
- Open Update Manager.
- Click on Settings.
- Go to 'Other Software' Tab.
- Click 'Add'
- Paste
ppa:gstreamer-developers/ppaand click add source. - Click close , Reload when asked.
- Install Updates.
Now you can view webm in the default media player(totem) .
Additionally if you want to make it automatically open in totem,right click and select open with other application and select Movie Player and tick 'Remember this application for webm documents'
Same via the command line:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gstreamer-developers/ppa
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade
# fixing a weird gstreamer installation error
sudo apt-get -f install
# now "totem <your .webm file>" will do the right thing )
I am not sure how much editing you will need to do but Openshot Video Editor (package openshot) supports webm import, editing and export.
Not the most powerful thing in the world but can fit some uses.
Best Answer
Webm has to first be supported out the box in the correct gstreamer packages before it can be supported in Ubuntu out the box. The main reason it is not included as yet is because it is a rather "recent" format and code for supporting it is still a bit fresh.
You would have to wait for gstreamer to support it as part of their default set, since at the moment it's still a bit "experimental" in gstreamer.