How to Install Kdenlive on Debian 11

Are you looking for a tutorial on how to install Kdenlive on Debian 11? Then you’ve come to the right place!

Kdenlive is a free and open-source video editing program that started back in 2003. Based on Qt and the KDE Frameworks libraries, Kdenlive can handle most basic to intermediate video editing tasks. So it suits Linux users best, especially at its price.

In this guide, we will explore various ways to install Kdenlive on Debian 11. 

Let’s get started!

How to Install Kdenlive on Debian 11

We will discuss how to install Kdenlive using command lines and some well-known GUIs. And since we’ll tackle each one in detail, just choose the one that suits you best.

Installing Kdenlive from the Command Line

First, we will talk about how to install Kdenlive using the command line. Here, we will be using package managers and PPA to install it.

Using a Package Manager: apt, apt-get, and aptitude

Open your Terminal. There are a few different commands to do this.

To install Kdenlive using apt, run this command:

$ sudo apt install kdenlive

Output:

To install it using the apt-get command, run this command:

$ sudo apt-get install kdenlive

Output:

To install Kdenlive using aptitude, execute this command:

$ sudo aptitude install kdenlive

Output:

However, you will need aptitude installed for this. You can do just that using this command:

$ sudo apt install aptitude

Output:

Using a PPA Repository

Another way to install Kdenlive is by adding its PPA repository. PPA means Personal Package Archive. Developers can create their repositories, which users can add to their source list. This way, it’s even easier to update software.

To add the PPA repository, run this command:

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kdenlive/kdenlive-stable

Output:

Then update your system by running this command:

$ sudo apt update

Output:

Finally, install Kdenlive with this command:

$ sudo apt-get install kdenlive

Output:

That should get the installation done. It’s a 500+MB file, so it might take a while to download and install, depending on your internet speed. So be patient till then.

Installing Kdenlive from the Software Center

Debian has a software center from which you can directly install Kdenlive. You can access it by going to ‘Activities’. It’s in the top right corner.

Start typing ‘software’ in the search bar, and tap on the blue bag icon on the left to open it.

Tap on the search icon in the top right corner.

In the search bar, start typing ‘kdenlive’. The video editor should appear. Click on the name.

Click on the Install button to start the installation.

You will get a prompt to enter your password as authentication. Enter your password. The installation should start preparing, and after that, the installation will begin.

Once that’s done, click on the Launch button.

Installing Kdenlive Using AppImage

AppImages are a fantastic way to install and use software on Linux. First off, they are distro independent—meaning you can use them on most modern distributions (unlike snap, rpm, and deb). 

Also, you technically don’t have to install AppImages on your device. So you just download and start using the app.

To use the Kdenlive AppImage, download it from this link. It’s almost 200 megabytes, so it shouldn’t take too long to download. 

Once you visit the link, you will get a prompt to save the downloaded file in a directory. So choose the one you prefer. In our case, we chose the Downloads folder.

Once you’re done downloading AppImage, go to the directory where you saved it.

Open your Terminal in this directory. Right-click on the screen and click ‘Open in Terminal’.

After that, run this command:

$ chmod u+x kdenlive-23.04.0-x86_64.AppImage

The previous command will turn the file into an executable file. Another way to do this is to right-click on the app icon. Then click on Properties.

Go to the Permissions tab. Check the mark beside the option ‘Allow executing file as program’.

Now double-click on the app icon to launch it.

And that’s how you install Kdenlive using AppImage.

Installing Kdenlive Using Flatpak

Flatpak is another software deployment software similar to AppImages. First, we’ll need to install it and set it up. You can do so with this command:

$ sudo apt install flatpak

Output:

After that, install the Flatpak plugin for GNOME software by running this command:

$ sudo apt install gnome-software-plugin-flatpak

Output:

Now add the flathub repository with this command:

$ flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Output:

This is where we’ll get our Flatpak apps. Now install Kdenlive Flatpak with this command:

$ flatpak install flathub org.kde.kdenlive

Output:

Alternatively, you can visit this link to install Kdenlive.

This will download a flatpakref file on your device. Open the Terminal in that directory and run this command to install it:

$ flatpak install org.kde.kdenlive.flatpakref

Output:

After installing, you can start Kdenlive with this command:

$ flatpak run org.kde.kdenlive

How to Remove Kdenlive on Debian 11

In this part, we will go over the ways to uninstall Kdenlive and the GUIs you used to install it.

Remove the PPA Installation

You can uninstall Kdenlive using this command:

$ sudo apt-get remove kdenlive

Once you’ve uninstalled Kdenlive, remove the PPA repository using this command:

$ sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:kdenlive/kdenlive-stable

Remove From Software Center

If you installed Kdenlive using the Software Center, simply go to the Software Center again. Visit Kdenlive’s page, and then click Remove.

Remove AppImage

If you used AppImage to install Kdenlive, you may choose to uninstall it afterward. All you need to do is open the Terminal in the downloaded directory. Then run this command:

$ sudo rm kdenlive-23.04.0-x86_64.AppImage

Alternatively, you can right-click on it and click ‘Move to Trash’. And delete it completely once it’s in there.

Remove Flatpak

If you chose to install Kdenlive with Flatpak, you may uninstall it using this command:

$ flatpak uninstall org.kde.kdenlive

Final Thoughts

And that’s about it for this tutorial. Here, we covered the different ways to install Kdenlive on Debian 11. Each of the methods we talked about earlier has its own advantages and drawbacks. So it’s totally up to you to decide which method you want to use.

If you have any questions or if you had difficulties following this tutorial, let us know in the comments down below.

If this guide helped you, please share it.