How To Install Lightworks On Linux
Linux users may not be able to get a native copy of Adobe Premiere, Sony Vegas or Final Cut Pro, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any industry-standard video editing tools for Linux out there. Introducing Lightworks, it’s an industry-standard visual editing tool that is up to the job.
SPOILER ALERT: Scroll down and watch the video tutorial at the end of this article.
Lightworks has many different features that users can look forward to, like a simple, easy to navigate interface, a full-screen editing environment for distraction-free work, great visual effects and a vast royalty-free media library. Here’s how to install it on Linux.
Note: to get all of the features of Lightworks on Linux you’ll need to purchase a membership. You can buy a monthly, annual, or lifetime license. The lifetime license costs $437 but if you intend to use the software long term, this license is the best deal.
Ubuntu/Debian Instructions
The primary way to install the Lightworks video editing software for Linux is on Ubuntu, Debian, and their derivatives. Unfortunately, as Lightworks is a piece proprietary software, users will not get the benefit of installing the software directly from a PPA, or traditional Debian software repository. Instead, users are instructed to head out and grab a Debian package file, and install it manually.
To get the latest Deb package, click this link. When the Debian package is finished downloading, open up your file manager, double-click on the DEB and open it up in the software installer. Click the “Install” button and enter your password to begin installation.
Alternatively, open up a terminal and use the CD command to move to the ~/Downloads directory. Then, use the dpkg command to start the installation process.
Note: Debian users may need to exchange apt for apt-get.
cd ~/Downloads sudo dpkg -i lwks-*-amd64.deb
Dpkg should install Lightworks correctly, with no errors. If for some reason there is an error (such as a missing dependency file or two), you’ll be able to correct the mistake quickly by using apt install -f.
sudo apt install -f
Want to uninstall the Lightworks video editing tool? Open up the Ubuntu Software Center, or the Debian Synaptic package management tool, search for “lwks”, or “light works” and click the uninstall button. Alternatively, use this command:
sudo apt remove lwks
Arch Linux Instructions
Though Arch Linux isn’t on the official list of supported distributions for the Lightworks video editor, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way to get it working. If you’re an Arch user looking to use this video editing tool, follow these instructions. The first step is to install the Git tool. Git is essential, as it will allow users to quickly grab the latest AUR source code and start the building process. Install Git by using the Pacman packaging tool.
sudo pacman -S git
With git installed, grab the latest AUR snapshot of Lightworks:
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/lwks.git
Using the CD command, enter the newly downloaded Lightworks AUR folder.
cd lwks
From here, you’ll need to run the makepkg command. This command will run a script that effectively de-compiles the latest Debian package file, extracts the source code and builds a compatible Arch Linux package. Be sure to use the -si flag with this command, as it will tell the Pacman packaging tool to download any and all dependencies that the Lightworks editor needs. Dependencies are also available at this URL here.
makepkg -si
Uninstall the Lightworks video editor tool from Arch Linux by passing this command onto the Pacman package manager:
sudo pacman -R lwks
Fedora Instructions
The other official way to install the Lightworks video editing tool for Linux is with an RPM file. The main operating system that Lightworks supports via RPM is the Fedora Linux operating system. However, if you’re using an operating system that installs package files via an RPM, the software should install.
To install for Fedora, first, grab the latest RPM file from this link here. Once downloaded, open up your file manager, and double-click on the RPM. Clicking on the RPM should open up the Gnome Software tool in Fedora. Click “Install”, and enter your password to complete the process.
Alternatively, open up a terminal window and use the CD command to move the terminal to ~/Downloads. Then, use DNF to install Lightworks.
cd ~/Downloads sudo dnf install lwks-*-amd64.rpm
Need to uninstall the Lightworks software from your Fedora PC? Search for “Lightworks”, or “lwks” in Gnome Software, and click “uninstall” to remove it. Otherwise, remove it using DNF:
sudo dnf remove lwks
Suse Instructions
Like Fedora, OpenSUSE has support for RPM packages, so it should be possible to easily install the Lightworks RPM package. Follow the download link and grab the package. Then, open up your file manager, double-click on the RPM file and open it with Gnome Software. Click “install” and enter your password. Alternatively, open up a terminal and use zypper to install it.
cd ~/Downloads sudo zypper install lwks-*-amd64.rpm
Uninstall Lightworks from Suse with this command:
sudo zypper uninstall lwks
Your instruction worked on my kubuntu. I searched a lot on stackoverflow.com and other websites, but nothing worked. Thank you for your contribution. I’m sharing this website’s link on stackoverflow.com.
No good, installs on both Kubuntu 17.10 & 18.04 but just flashes on the screen for a split second before closing.