How To Record Screencasts In Ubuntu Linux With Kazam Screencaster

Recording screencasts can help create video tutorials by recording the desktop activity in the form a video. Kazam Screencaster is a robust Linux tool, which makes it easy to record and share screencasts by uploading them to YouTube and VideoBin. It seamlessly records the on-screen desktop activity and provides the additional option to capture background audio to provide a more enhanced screencast recording functionality. For example, you can record the desktop activity by demonstrating an activity and do a voice over to help your viewers understand the recorded process in a better way. During testing, I did not experienced any lags or functionality issues with Kazam and the video recording and uploading feature worked perfectly.

Kazam can be installed in Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot by entering the following PPA to your software sources and updating it. If you do not know how to add a PPA in Ubuntu, then see my post: How To Add PPA To Software Sources In Ubuntu Linux From Ubuntu Software Center. Alternatively, install Synaptic Package Manager in Oneiric and add the PPA to Repositories –> Software Sources and update the PPA using Reload option.

ppa:bigwhale/kazam-oneric

Once the PPA is added, you can install Kazam from Ubuntu Software Center.

Install

To record a screencast, launch Kazam from the Unity Dash, enable video and optionally audio recording. Click Record to being the recording process.

Step 1

This will start a 5 second countdown timer before the recording process is initiated.

Step 2

You can pause, finish (end) or quit the recording process from the app-indicator menu.

Step 3

After the recording process is complete, you are provided with the option to save the recording or to edit it with Kazam Screencaster.

Step 4

If you choose to edit the recorded video with Kazam Screencaster, you can upload it to VideoBin or YouTube.

Step 5

Before uploading a video, you will be asked to enter the title, description and keywords for the screencast. This way, you can quickly create and upload videos, without going through any complicated video uploading process. For example, when you select the YouTube option, a login dialog box opens  and allows you to enter your YouTube login credentials for uploading the video to your YouTube channel.

Step 6

You are provided with a prompt and the URL of your video, after the uploading process is successfully completed.

Step 8

Below is an example of a video screencast that I created and uploaded to YouTube, using Kazam Screencaster. The video is available on our WML Cloud YouTube Channel.

You can report bugs for Kazam Screencaster application at Launchpad.

Kazam Screencaster at Launchpad