Linux/Cinnamon X11: record start fails with could not start video source; system audio unavailable

[aditmb]

Summary

On Linux Cinnamon/X11, Recordly UI opens fine, microphone meter works, and webcam preview works.

But when I click Record:

1. I get:
   system audio is not available for this source. recording will continue without system audio.
2. After clicking OK, recording fails with:
   failed to start recording: could not start video source

Environment

• Recordly version: 1.2.1 AppImage
• OS: Linux Mint 22.3
• Desktop: Cinnamon
• Session: X11
• Audio stack: PipeWire
• Portal packages installed:
  • xdg-desktop-portal
  • xdg-desktop-portal-gtk
  • xdg-desktop-portal-xapp

Relevant environment:

XDG_SESSION_TYPE=x11
XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=X-Cinnamon
pactl info:

Server Name: PulseAudio (on PipeWire 1.0.5)
Repro
Launch Recordly-linux-x64.AppImage
Select screen/window source
Mic works, webcam works
Click Record
Actual result
First warning:

system audio is not available for this source. recording will continue without system audio.
Then failure:

failed to start recording: could not start video source
Expected result
Recording should start, or app should clearly explain unsupported Linux/Cinnamon/X11 capture constraints before trying to start.

Technical findings
1. Cinnamon portal stack does not expose ScreenCast
On this machine, active portal backends are xapp and gtk.

/usr/share/xdg-desktop-portal/portals/xapp.portal:

[portal]
DBusName=org.freedesktop.impl.portal.desktop.xapp
Interfaces=org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Wallpaper;org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Inhibit;org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Screenshot;org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Lockdown;org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Settings;org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Background;
UseIn=X-Cinnamon;MATE;XFCE;
/usr/share/xdg-desktop-portal/portals/gtk.portal:

[portal]
DBusName=org.freedesktop.impl.portal.desktop.gtk
Interfaces=org.freedesktop.impl.portal.FileChooser;org.freedesktop.impl.portal.AppChooser;org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Print;org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Notification;org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Inhibit;org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Access;org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Account;org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Email;org.freedesktop.impl.portal.DynamicLauncher;org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Lockdown;org.freedesktop.impl.portal.Settings;
UseIn=gnome
Neither backend exposes org.freedesktop.impl.portal.ScreenCast.

Also:

busctl --user introspect org.freedesktop.portal.Desktop /org/freedesktop/portal/desktop org.freedesktop.portal.ScreenCast
returned no ScreenCast interface.

This likely explains system-audio/screen-capture unavailability on Cinnamon/X11.

2. AppImage also shows GPU/GL startup failures
Running AppImage from terminal shows:

Requested GL implementation (gl=egl-gles2,angle=none) not found in allowed implementations: [(gl=egl-angle,angle=default)].
Exiting GPU process due to errors during initialization
Later:

GPU process launch failed: error_code=1002
GPU process isn't usable. Goodbye.
This may be separate from portal limitations, but could explain the final could not start video source failure.

Notes
Mic input works
Webcam works
Problem appears when starting actual screen recording
This may be combination of:
unsupported/absent ScreenCast backend on Cinnamon/X11
Recordly Linux/Electron handling not failing gracefully
GPU/GL init issue in AppImage

[webadderall]

accepting prs for linux

[SahilPanhotra]

this is a duplicate issue

and if you are a user you can temporarly use my build for linux

#137 (comment)

here is the link to my temporary build

v1.2.2

[dexisback]

I havent been active due to uni exams going on but already have a rough direction to fix the remaining bugs and will start working on the remaining audio/microphone fallback issues soon :)

[meiiie]

Closing this as duplicate tracking so the Linux follow-up stays in one place: #364 covers the Linux AppImage/Cinnamon source-selection and Could not start video source failure, while #417 covers Linux system-audio availability separately. No new reporter action is needed here.