When it comes to media streaming, there’s no better player than Kodi. It can stream everything from your boxset collection to live TV – a far cry from its humble beginnings on the original Xbox. As it’s cross-platform, you’ll have no problem installing it on your Linux PC.
Some Linux repositories already include Kodi as part of their software packages but not all. Here’s how to install Kodi on some of the most popular Linux distros.
Ubuntu and Installing Kodi
Recent versions of Ubuntu have included Kodi as part of Ubuntu’s default software repositories. This means you can install it straight from the terminal without needing to add a new software repository first. All you have to do is open a terminal window and type:
sudo apt install kodi
If you’re looking for the most recent Kodi releases, you might want to install Kodi from the Team Kodi repositories instead. To do that, type:
sudo apt install software-properties-common sudo add-apt-repository ppa:team-xbmc/ppa sudo apt update sudo apt install kodi
If you’d rather get the most cutting edge version of Kodi (like beta releases or nightly builds), you’ll need the developer repositories.
Follow the instructions above and replace “ppa:team-xbmc/ppa” with either “ppa:team-xbmc/unstable” for beta releases or “ppa:team-xbmc/xbmc-nightly” for nightly builds with the most up-to-date fixes and features.
You can follow these instructions for other flavors of Ubuntu too, like Kubuntu, as well as distributions like Linux Mint.
If you’d rather install using a GUI, you can install Kodi from a snap package using the Ubuntu software catalog. Simply open the applications menu (bottom left) and type Kodi. You should see Kodi listed a result at the top. Hit it and it’ll take you to the software catalog.
From there, click install, and Kodi will install automatically.
Debian and Installing Kodi
Ubuntu is based on Debian, so the instructions for installing on Debian are pretty similar. The simplest method is to use the Kodi version in the main Debian repository, assuming you’re running Stretch (Debian version 9) and above. Open a terminal and type:
sudo apt update sudo apt install kodi
These instructions will also work for Raspbian, the Debian-based distro for the Raspberry Pi.
Prefer a GUI installer? Open Synaptic, the GUI for apt, by going to “Applications -> System Tools -> Synaptic Package Manager.” Click “search” and begin a search for Kodi.
Mark it for installation, then click “apply.” Synaptic will then begin the installation.
Fedora and Installing Kodi
Unlike Debian and Ubuntu, there’s no version of Kodi available for Fedora from an “official” repository. You’ll need to add the RPM Fusion repository first. To do that, open a terminal and type:
sudo dnf install https://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm https://download1.rpmfusion.org/nonfree/fedora/rpmfusion-nonfree-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm
You’ll also need to edit the configuration for SELinux, a security mechanism that’s part of the Linux kernel. In the terminal, type:
sudo gedit /etc/selinux/config
Locate the “SELINUX=enable” parameter and swap “enable” to “permissive.” Save, exit, and reboot once you’re done. With RPM Fusion available and SELinux set, you can now install Kodi. Type:
sudo dnf install kodi
This will install Kodi using the latest available package.
Arch and Installing Kodi
The Arch philosophy is all about customizing your Linux distribution to suit your needs. You won’t need to delve into the depths of Arch to install Kodi, however. Open your terminal and type:
pacman -Syu pacman -S kodi
This will install the latest version of Kodi onto your Arch-running device. An extensive Kodi article on the Arch Wiki offers support and optimization tips for Kodi on Arch, as well as instructions for compiling Kodi yourself, should you need it.
Stream Better with Kodi on Linux
With Kodi installed, you can start to move on to installing the best Kodi add-ons to transform it into the only media center you’ll ever need. The open-source, collaborative nature of its development has won Kodi plenty of fans, but there are some good Kodi alternatives to consider if it isn’t for you.
Which Linux media player do you think is best? Let us know in the comments section below!
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