Flatpak - No embedded Media/Video Playback
Since Flathub list the org.mozilla.firefox app as official, i hope this is the correct support channel.
Recently i switched from distro specific package managers to flatpak as my application provider. The firefox flatpak won't play most embedded Video/Media on applications like in-browser fediverse clients, forums, blogs or wikis. Youtube works without any issues, Twitch is fine until there is an adbreak. Then it sometimes stops with the supported format/mime error (screenshot appended), only recoverable by cache-dismissive reload.
I used this Article https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/audio-and-video-firefox and the links it contains to debug without any success. None of these samples play. just shows supported format/mime error https://test-videos.co.uk/bigbuckbunny/mp4-h265 At this test website 1. and 3. example won't play. I provided a screenshot before and after trying to click play on all the examples. https://www.tekeye.uk/html/html5-video-test-page
Contrary to the observed behavior about:support#media claims Software Decoding supported for everything except HEVC.
Chromium Flatpak has no such issues. So i copy the video url and play it with chromium. You can see: dire times.
Alle svar (7)
Forgot to include the Flatpak info:
$ flatpak info org.mozilla.firefox
Firefox - Fast, Private & Safe Web Browser
ID: org.mozilla.firefox
Ref: app/org.mozilla.firefox/x86_64/stable
Arch: x86_64
Branch: stable
Version: 141.0.3
License: MPL-2.0
Origin: flathub
Collection: org.flathub.Stable
Installation: system
Installed: 294.0 MB
Runtime: org.freedesktop.Platform/x86_64/24.08
Sdk: org.freedesktop.Sdk/x86_64/24.08
Commit: 271e026c410fc2b80582a11266863ba69a2d7b407f73299aa6b5adac8eaabffe
Parent: b37a095bd9d514dae72a8a13627de12d06ca6d32a5bc37838102bdf4cc14e8e0
Subject: Export org.mozilla.firefox
Date: 2025-08-07 12:37:46 +0000
edit: after posting this i realized i was still running the old 141.0.3 flatpak. after updating to i can now play the "1: HTML5 MPEG Video Test" at the test page and big buck bunny is working as well. Still no Luck with "3: HTML5 Ogg Video Test" and some embedded videos still don't play.
Ændret af ea8e27aa-3e5c-4e3f-89df-317234589d08 den
I have no issue with either site. see screenshot Not a browser issue, looks like you're missing something. What OS? What Desktop? X11 or Wayland? Does it happen with Firefox in Troubleshoot Mode?
Operating System: openSUSE Leap 15.6
KDE Plasma Version: 5.27.11
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.115.0
Qt Version: 5.15.12
Kernel Version: 6.4.0-150600.23.60-default (64-bit)
Graphics Platform: X11
Processors: 16 × AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850HS with Radeon Graphics
Memory: 62.1 GiB of RAM
Graphics Processor: AMD Radeon Graphics
Manufacturer: HP
Product Name: HP EliteBook 865 16 inch G9 Notebook PC
Ændret af jonzn4SUSE den
After some more days of testing i am not any wiser. The video support blimps occasionally. And i cannot figure how that happens. I quit my Browser (e.g. when travelling and coding) and when i fire it back up the videos play. Then i restart it again and the support is gone again. Switching into troubleshoot mode does not change that. Restarting, both OS and flatpak, does not reliable restore video playback.
> Not a browser issue, looks like you're missing something.
As far as i understand flatpaks are supposed to bring their own codecs. And since every non-firefox browser has no playback issues, i started looking into firefox as a source.
>What OS? What Desktop? X11 or Wayland?
Fedora Linux 42.20250821.0 (Sway Atomic)
SwayWM as provided by the distro.
No additions to the os-tree at all.
org.mozilla.firefox Flatpak from Flathub
Does it happen with Firefox in Troubleshoot Mode? Yes. No matter what mode i use the error happens in all of them.
I tested some other flatpak browsers: working: app.zen_browser.zen com.opera.Opera org.qutebrowser.qutebrowser org.chromium.Chromium com.vivaldi.Vivaldi com.brave.Browser not working: net.waterfox.waterfox org.gnome.Epiphany(webKit/Safari based)
You are missing some needed packages for your distro. I would hit your distro forum and I'm sure it's easy fix. Waterfox also works for me. see screenshot
Ændret af jonzn4SUSE den
>You are missing some needed packages for your distro.
This would be true, if i would not use flatpaks. The codecs are supposed to be bundled with flatpaks. my base OS is not aware of multimedia at all. Still flatpaks like mpv, chromium-based browsers and so on are managing. addition: And as stated earlier the media support goes in and out when restarting firefox.
Even if i WOULD install h264/5 codecs on my system these codecs would not be available in the context of the flatpaks, since thats exactly the point of containerized applications. And thats the reason i am posting here and not to my distros support channels.
I appreciate your effort, but please read the information i provide as i do with your answers. 💕
Ændret af ea8e27aa-3e5c-4e3f-89df-317234589d08 den
Good luck.