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Since a recent update (obviously not manual, since these are snaps), I've been having trouble playing MP4 files in Firefox and Telegram, possibly other apps as well that I haven't tested.

After searching for answers online concerning the Firefox snap, I checked to see if libavcodec-extra is installed, and it is, so I'm left with quite the puzzle.

Plus, aren't snaps self-contained and therefore not reliant on system libraries?

Edit: Google Chrome is working fine with MP4 videos, but Telegram and Firefox continue to have issues.

Further information since the last edit: OBS Studio (the snap version) does not detect my dedicated graphics and disables hardware acceleration (with NVENC). I believe this may be a clue to what is happening, though I haven't tracked it down yet.

As requested, here's the output of sudo snap list:

Name                                  Version                           Rev    Tracking         Publisher               Notes
adw-gtk3-theme                        1.0                               1      latest/stable    mj-keyle                -
anbox                                 4+gitr7a0bee7                     214    latest/edge      morphis                 devmode
audacity                              3.2.4                             1175   latest/edge      lucyllewy✪              -
bare                                  1.0                               5      latest/stable    canonical✓              base
bashtop                               0.9.25                            504    latest/stable    kz6fittycent            -
bitwarden                             2023.5.1                          89     latest/stable    bitwarden✓              -
blender                               3.6.0                             3763   latest/stable    blenderfoundation✓      classic
boxy-svg                              3.96.0                            178    latest/stable    jarek-foksa             -
btop                                  1.2.13                            622    latest/stable    kz6fittycent            -
caprine                               2.57.4                            57     latest/stable    sindresorhus            -
celestia-daily                        ver1.6.0-2037-gad3fa145           880    latest/edge      t4saha                  -
chimpstackr                           v0.0.38                           146    latest/edge      apenz1                  -
chromium-ffmpeg                       0.1                               34     latest/stable    canonical✓              -
code                                  695af097                          132    latest/stable    vscode✓                 classic
codium                                1.79.2.23166                      327    latest/stable    vscodium                classic
colors-ai                             1.5.0                             10     latest/edge      tsinis                  -
converseen                            0.9.11.1                          6      latest/stable    faster3ck               -
core                                  16-2.59.4                         15419  latest/stable    canonical✓              core
core18                                20230530                          2785   latest/stable    canonical✓              base
core20                                20230613                          1950   latest/stable    canonical✓              base
core22                                20230612                          766    latest/stable    canonical✓              base
cups                                  2.4.6-1                           962    latest/stable    openprinting✓           -
darktable                             4.4.0                             105    latest/stable    sergiusens              -
digikam                               8.0.0                             74     latest/stable    kde✓                    -
electronplayer                        2.0.7                             9      latest/stable    oscartbeaumont          -
fakecam                               2.2.0                             104    latest/stable    lucyllewy✪              -
figma-linux                           0.9.5                             156    latest/stable    youdonthavepermissiony  -
firefox                               116.0a1                           2835   latest/edge      mozilla✓                -
foliate                               2.6.4                             1268   latest/stable    johnfactotum            -
fontvuer                              1.0.4                             18     latest/stable    tommysouta              -
formatlab                             2023.6.1                          38     latest/stable    rishabh3354             -
gimp                                  2.10.32                           399    latest/edge      snapcrafters✪           -
gnome-3-26-1604                       3.26.0.20221130                   111    latest/stable    canonical✓              -
gnome-3-28-1804                       3.28.0-19-g98f9e67.98f9e67        198    latest/stable    canonical✓              -
gnome-3-34-1804                       0+git.3556cb3                     93     latest/stable    canonical✓              -
gnome-3-38-2004                       0+git.6f39565                     140    latest/stable/…  canonical✓              -
gnome-42-2204                         0+git.ff35a85                     111    latest/stable    canonical✓              -
gnome-dictionary                      40.0                              59     latest/stable    canonical✓              -
gridplayer                            0.4.3                             16     latest/stable    vzhd1701                -
gtk-common-themes                     0.1-81-g442e511                   1535   latest/stable/…  canonical✓              -
gtk-theme-orchis                      2022-07-20                        3      latest/stable    hellsworth              -
gtk2-common-themes                    0.1                               13     latest/stable    canonical✓              -
hunspell-dictionaries-1-7-2004        1.7-20.04+pkg-6fd6                2      latest/stable    brlin                   -
icon-theme-papirus                    20230601                          41     latest/stable    capecrusader-121        -
inkscape                              1.2.2-732a01da63-2022-12-09-cust  10539  latest/stable    inkscape✓               -
kde-frameworks-5-91-qt-5-15-3-core20  5.91.0                            1      latest/stable    kde✓                    -
kde-frameworks-5-96-qt-5-15-5-core20  5.96.0                            7      latest/stable    kde✓                    -
kde-frameworks-5-98-qt-5-15-6-core20  5.98.0                            9      latest/stable    kde✓                    -
kde-frameworks-5-99-qt-5-15-7-core20  5.99.0                            7      latest/stable    kde✓                    -
kde-frameworks-5-core18               5.67.0                            35     latest/stable    kde✓                    -
kde-frameworks-5-qt-5-15-3-core20     5.87.0                            8      latest/stable    kde✓                    -
kdenlive                              23.04.2                           91     latest/stable    kde✓                    -
kf5-5-104-qt-5-15-8-core22            5.104                             9      latest/stable    kde✓                    -
kf5-5-105-qt-5-15-9-core22            5.105                             11     latest/stable    kde✓                    -
kf5-5-106-qt-5-15-9-core22            5.106                             23     latest/stable    kde✓                    -
krita                                 5.1.5                             90     latest/stable    krita✓                  -
ksnip                                 1.10.1                            488    latest/stable    dporobic                -
libreoffice                           7.5.4.2                           279    latest/beta      canonical✓              -
losslesscut                           3.55.2                            123    latest/edge      mifino                  -
musicpod                              0+git.339fa81                     200    latest/stable    frederik-feichtmeier    -
natron                                2.5.0                             768    latest/stable    popey                   -
nextcloud-desktop-client              3.9.0                             140    latest/stable    glasen                  -
obs-studio                            27.2.1                            1287   latest/edge      snapcrafters✪           -
onlyoffice-desktopeditors             7.4.0                             155    latest/stable    onlyoffice✓             -
opentoonz                             1.5.0                             147    latest/stable    snapcrafters✪           -
opera-developer                       101.0.4843.0                      261    latest/stable    opera-software✓         -
penpot-desktop                        0.2.33                            9      latest/beta      korbsstudio             -
pick-colour-picker                    1.60.178-e3e4c2b                  508    latest/stable    sil                     -
pinta                                 2.1.1                             25     latest/stable    james-carroll✪          -
pyqt5-runtime-core20                  20.04                             9      latest/stable    rishabh3354             -
qr-code-generator-desktop             v1.0.27+git2.c64e4cb              304    latest/stable    studiolacosanostra      -
random-face-generator                 3.0.0                             7      latest/stable    adityar224              -
redact                                0.16.5                            5      latest/stable    redact                  -
retroarch                             1.15.0                            2005   latest/stable    libretro                -
scrcpy                                v1.25                             399    latest/stable    sisco311                -
shotcut                               23.07.01                          1150   latest/edge      meltytech✓              classic
skrooge                               2.20.0                            24     latest/stable    kde✓                    -
skype                                 8.99.0.202                        284    latest/stable    skype✓                  -
slack                                 4.32.127                          79     latest/stable    slack✓                  -
snap-store                            41.3-71-g709398e                  959    latest/stable/…  canonical✓              -
snapd                                 2.59.5                            19457  latest/stable    canonical✓              snapd
snapd-desktop-integration             0.9                               83     latest/stable/…  canonical✓              -
spotify                               1.2.11.916.geb595a67              67     latest/stable    spotify✓                -
supertuxkart                          1.3                               645    latest/stable    lucyllewy✪              -
synfigstudio                          1.5.1                             14     latest/beta      synfig                  -
telegram-desktop                      4.8.4                             4826   latest/stable    telegram-desktop✓       -
thunderbird                           115.0b6-1                         343    latest/beta      canonical✓              -
vlc                                   4.0.0-dev-24351-g82faf7932a       3574   latest/edge      videolan✓               -
warzone2100                           4.3.5                             6271   latest/stable    warzone-2100-project    -
warzone2100-videos                    1                                 2      latest/stable    warzone-2100-project    -
zoom-client                           5.14.7.2928                       205    latest/stable    ogra 

  
5
  • Do you have ubuntu-restricted-extras installed?
    – HilarieAK
    Commented Jun 30, 2023 at 6:09
  • update your question by the output of sudo snap list command Commented Jul 1, 2023 at 5:55
  • @HilarieAK yes I do. I get no problems with natively installed apps or Flatpaks, only snaps as of a few weeks ago now. I think it's somehow related to hardware acceleration.
    – RolandiXor
    Commented Jul 2, 2023 at 19:56
  • try to disable any snap related to core 18, 20 if this fixes your issue you can remove them because after updating no need to old snap which may be conflict withe same new snap Commented Jul 2, 2023 at 20:27
  • @TalaatEtman niether of these could be removed without removing other packages. Still having this issue.
    – RolandiXor
    Commented Jul 23, 2023 at 4:25

1 Answer 1

2
+75

Yes, snaps are self-contained. Don't worry about anything, just pass control to the developers. To keep control, install Firefox snapless - I've described here how to do it.

You could try to install ffmpeg (if not already done - chrome-ffmpeg plugin has been installed), but it would surprise me if that would solve your problem.

In case that works it is a splendid demonstration about the efficiency of snap: You would need two ffmpeg instances (thus more space) because of snap....

Another blind guess would be change the config in firefox (about:config):

media.hardware-video-decoding.force-enabled true

I still can play videos, but I don't use snap images ..

1
  • I know how to install Firefox without snaps. I'm not just having issues with Firefox, though. I can't play MP4s in any snap-based applications so far, except Google Chrome.
    – RolandiXor
    Commented Jun 28, 2023 at 3:35

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