Screen recording on elementary OS with GNOME Screenshot and Kazam
Screen recording on elementary OS is useful for far more than making tutorials. You might capture a software bug for a support forum, record a short lesson for TAFE, demonstrate a workflow for colleagues, or save a presentation before an unreliable video call. The right tool depends on whether you need a still image, a short clip, system audio, a microphone, or a polished recording with a cursor and clear timing.
GNOME Screenshot and Kazam serve different purposes. GNOME Screenshot is primarily a screenshot utility: it captures the whole display, a particular window, or a selected area. Kazam is designed for screencasting, with controls for video, audio, countdowns, cursor visibility, and the recording area. Keeping that distinction clear prevents a common mistake: installing a screenshot program and expecting it to produce a video file.
elementary OS has a clean Pantheon desktop rather than the standard GNOME Shell desktop. Some GNOME utilities run well on it, but GNOME Shell shortcuts and desktop integrations do not automatically come with them. This means a recording setup may need a little testing, particularly after an operating system upgrade or when running several monitors.
For Australian users, practical details matter. A recording made on a busy NBN connection may need to be compressed before uploading, while a short clip can be much easier to send to a Brisbane client or a Perth support technician than a long screen-share session. The following setup keeps the process straightforward and explains where each application fits.
What each application actually does
GNOME Screenshot is best treated as a still-image capture tool. It can capture the entire screen, the active window, or a rectangular selection, depending on the version installed. The result is normally saved as PNG, which is ideal for a bug report, a settings guide, or a forum post where sharp text matters more than motion.
On elementary OS, open Applications and search for “Screenshot”, or launch the program from a terminal with:
gnome-screenshot
Useful options can be checked with:
gnome-screenshot --help
Common switches include capturing the current window, selecting an area interactively, including or excluding the mouse pointer, and adding a short delay. The exact options can vary slightly between package versions, so the help output is more reliable than copying an old command from a blog.
GNOME Screenshot does not generally provide a full desktop video recorder on Pantheon. GNOME Shell itself has a built-in recording shortcut on some GNOME desktops, but that feature belongs to the shell rather than the screenshot application. Pressing a GNOME Shell shortcut in elementary OS may do nothing, or may conflict with another shortcut. For video, use a recorder such as Kazam instead of assuming the screenshot utility has hidden recording controls.
Installing the tools safely
Before installing packages, refresh the local package index:
sudo apt update
Then install the screenshot utility and Kazam:
sudo apt install gnome-screenshot kazam
If APT reports that Kazam cannot be located, check the package name and enabled software sources:
apt policy kazam
Some elementary OS releases inherit package availability from their Ubuntu base, while repository components can differ between releases. Avoid downloading an unverified installer from a random website simply because the package is missing. A package from the correct Ubuntu-compatible repository is easier to update and remove.
Launch Kazam from Applications, or run:
kazam
The first launch may create configuration files in your home directory and show a compact control window. Before recording anything important, make a short test clip. This confirms that the application opens correctly, the selected display is the one you expect, and the saved file can be played back.
A small test is especially sensible on a dual-monitor setup in Canberra or Melbourne, where a laptop panel and an external display may be arranged differently after docking. Record ten seconds, move the pointer across the intended area, speak briefly, and check the result before committing to a long demonstration.
Configuring a clear desktop recording
Kazam generally lets you choose between the full screen, a window, or a selected region. Full-screen capture is convenient for a live presentation, but a selected region produces a smaller and more focused video. For a software tutorial, record only the application and a small amount of desktop context. This reduces distractions and keeps the output file manageable.
Set the frame rate according to the material. Fifteen frames per second is often sufficient for explaining menus and document work. Thirty frames per second looks smoother when demonstrating animations, games, or rapid pointer movement, but it creates more data. A static terminal command does not need the same settings as a fast-moving video editor.
Enable the pointer if the recording explains where to click. A visible cursor is helpful when showing elementary OS settings, although an oversized or rapidly moving pointer can make a demonstration harder to follow. Move deliberately, pause over controls, and allow a moment after opening a menu so viewers can see what changed.
Audio needs separate attention. Select the correct microphone, speak at a consistent distance, and disable unused inputs. If you are recording a video call or a presentation with sound, test whether Kazam captures system audio through the available PulseAudio or PipeWire controls on your release. Audio routing can differ after upgrades, so never assume that a microphone test also proves desktop audio is being recorded.
For an arvo troubleshooting session, a USB headset is usually more predictable than a laptop microphone beside a rattling fan. It also reduces echo if you are recording a Zoom or Teams demonstration. Record in a quiet room, silence phone notifications, and close unrelated browser tabs before pressing the record button.
Recording and saving the video
Kazam normally provides a countdown, giving you time to position windows and move the pointer away from the control panel. Use the countdown rather than editing out an awkward start every time. When recording a tutorial, begin with the application already open, then explain the task in a single short sequence.
Start with a simple file name that includes the subject and date, such as:
elementary-kazam-audio-test-2026-09-15.webm
Kazam can save in formats supported by the installed version, commonly WebM or another container selected in its preferences. WebM is efficient for online sharing, while compatibility with older editing software may vary. Test the file in a standard media player before uploading it to a forum or sending it as an attachment.
When the recording stops, Kazam may offer to open the file location or play the result. Review the first and last few seconds, then listen through the middle for gaps or distortion. A video that looks correct but has no microphone track is a common failure, as is a recording that captures the wrong monitor.
Keep the original until the recipient confirms that the file works. If the recording contains personal information, remove it before sharing. Desktop videos can expose email addresses, customer names, browser history, licence keys, and notification previews even when those details are visible for only a moment.
A short screen recording is also useful when asking for help in the elementary OS community. Pair it with a written description of the release, hardware, and steps that cause the problem. If the issue might involve a damaged system configuration, take a recovery snapshot first; this guide to automated snapshots explains a command-line approach using Timeshift.
Improving quality and reducing file size
A screen recording should be easy to understand before it is visually impressive. Increase the display scale if text is tiny, use a simple desktop background, and enlarge important application windows. Avoid recording an entire 4K monitor when the viewer only needs to see a small settings dialog. A cropped region at a sensible resolution often looks clearer after compression.
If the file is too large, reduce the frame rate or recording area first. You can also transcode the result with FFmpeg, provided it is installed:
ffmpeg -i input.webm -c:v libx264 -crf 23 -c:a aac output.mp4
The command creates an MP4 that is widely supported, although the exact codecs available depend on the installed FFmpeg build. A lower CRF value usually improves visual quality while increasing file size. For a basic desktop tutorial, the default settings are often adequate; do not re-encode repeatedly because each lossy conversion can reduce clarity.
Australian upload speeds vary significantly between suburbs, providers, and NBN technologies. Someone in regional New South Wales may have a very different upload experience from someone on a fast fibre connection in inner Sydney. If a community forum limits attachment size, a short WebM file or a compressed MP4 is generally more practical than an unedited high-resolution capture.
For larger files, use a trusted storage service and share access only with the intended recipients. Avoid placing confidential workplace recordings in a public folder. A screen recording can be technically harmless while still revealing enough information to create a privacy problem.
Troubleshooting common recording problems
If Kazam opens but produces a black video, test a smaller capture area and check whether the desktop session or graphics driver is involved. Log out and inspect the session type if necessary:
echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE
A Wayland session can affect how older screen-capture applications access windows and displays. elementary OS releases and graphics configurations do not all behave identically, so a recorder that worked on one installation may need an update or a different capture method after an upgrade. Look for a package update before changing several system settings at once.
If only one monitor is recorded, select the intended display explicitly in Kazam. If the cursor is missing, enable pointer capture in the application preferences. If the image is present but the sound is absent, inspect the selected microphone and desktop-audio source in the system sound settings, then make another short test rather than relying on the previous recording.
GNOME Screenshot has its own failure modes. A delayed capture may save the wrong window if focus changes during the countdown, and a selected-area capture can be cancelled accidentally with Escape. Check the destination folder and file permissions if an image appears not to have been saved. On a standard installation, the Pictures folder is the first place to look.
When a bug report requires both an image and a video, use the tools together. Capture a still screenshot of the error message with GNOME Screenshot, then use Kazam to show the steps that reproduce it. This creates a compact, readable record for a forum post and avoids forcing viewers to pause a video to read small text.
If you enjoy comparing local food while travelling, even a very different topic can demonstrate the value of a focused, well-labelled clip: a guide to Surabaya rawon dishes would benefit from clear stills for menus and a short video for the surrounding atmosphere. The same principle applies to an elementary OS tutorial: use screenshots for detail and video for movement.
Choose GNOME Screenshot when a crisp still image communicates the problem, and choose Kazam when the sequence of actions matters. Test the display, microphone, audio source, file format, and saved location before recording anything significant. The key point to remember is that GNOME Screenshot captures what is on screen, while Kazam captures what happens over time.
