gpu-screen-recorder

Hardware-accelerated screen recorder

TLDR

Record a monitor to a file

$ gpu-screen-recorder -w screen -o [path/to/video.mp4]

Let the desktop portal choose the source, which is how Wayland grants access

$ gpu-screen-recorder -w portal -o [path/to/video.mp4]

Record one named output

$ gpu-screen-recorder -w [DP-1] -o [path/to/video.mp4]

Show the capture sources this machine offers

$ gpu-screen-recorder --list-capture-options

Show the audio devices available

$ gpu-screen-recorder --list-audio-devices

Record desktop audio alongside the video

$ gpu-screen-recorder -w screen -a default_output -o [path/to/video.mp4]

Match the frame rate of a high refresh monitor

$ gpu-screen-recorder -w screen -f [144] -o [path/to/video.mp4]

Choose the codec and container

$ gpu-screen-recorder -w screen -k h264 -c mkv -o [path/to/video.mkv]

Use constant bitrate, which keeps memory use steady in high motion scenes

$ gpu-screen-recorder -w screen -bm cbr -q [40000] -o [path/to/video.mp4]

Keep the last 30 seconds in a replay buffer, writing into a directory

$ gpu-screen-recorder -w screen -c mkv -r [30] -o [path/to/directory]

Save whatever is in the replay buffer

$ pkill -SIGUSR1 -f gpu-screen-recorder

Stop recording and close the file cleanly

$ pkill -SIGINT -f gpu-screen-recorder

Run a script each time a video is saved

$ gpu-screen-recorder -w screen -sc [path/to/script.sh] -o [path/to/video.mp4]

Start the replay buffer at login, as a user service

$ systemctl enable --now --user gpu-screen-recorder

SYNOPSIS

gpu-screen-recorder [options] -w source -o output

gpu-screen-recorder is a hardware-accelerated screen recorder that uses GPU encoding (NVIDIA NVENC, AMD VAAPI/AMF, or Intel VAAPI) for minimal CPU impact. It supports H264, HEVC, AV1, VP8, and VP9 codecs.Key features include a replay buffer (recording the last N seconds like instant replay), support for both X11 and Wayland via portals, and efficient hardware encoding. The replay buffer is saved by sending SIGUSR1 to the process and stopped cleanly with SIGINT. The tool supports multiple monitors, specific window capture, region capture, and simultaneous system audio and microphone recording. A CPU fallback encoder is available for H264.

PARAMETERS

-w SOURCE

Video source: window ID, monitor name, focused, portal, region, or V4L2 device path. Combine with |.

-o FILE

Output file path, or directory in replay mode.

-r SECONDS

Replay buffer duration in seconds (2-86400). Saves only on signal.

-ro DIR

Regular recording output directory during replay/streaming mode.

-c CONTAINER

Container format: mp4, mkv, flv, webm. Defaults to file extension.

-f FPS

Frame rate (default: 60).

-fm cfr|vfr|content

Frame rate mode (default: vfr).

-k CODEC

Video codec: auto, h264, hevc, av1, vp8, vp9, hevchdr, av1hdr (default: auto).

-q QUALITY

Quality preset: medium, high, veryhigh, ultra (default: veryhigh). In CBR mode, specifies bitrate.

-bm auto|qp|vbr|cbr

Bitrate mode (default: auto). CBR recommended for replay/streaming.

-a SOURCE

Audio source: defaultoutput, defaultinput, device:name, or app:name. Repeatable.

-ac aac|opus|flac

Audio codec (default: opus for mp4/mkv, aac otherwise).

-s WxH

Output resolution limit. Use 0x0 for original resolution.

-cr limited|full

Color range (default: limited).

-cursor yes|no

Include mouse cursor (default: yes).

-encoder gpu|cpu

Encoding device (default: gpu). CPU limited to H264.

-keyint SECONDS

Keyframe interval in seconds (default: 2.0).

--list-capture-options

List available video capture sources.

--list-audio-devices

List available audio devices.

--list-application-audio

List available audio application names.

INSTALL

sudo pacman -S gpu-screen-recorder

sudo zypper install gpu-screen-recorder

nix profile install nixpkgs#gpu-screen-recorder

CAVEATS

Requires compatible GPU with hardware encoding support (NVIDIA with NVENC, AMD with VAAPI/AMF, or Intel with VAAPI). Wayland support depends on desktop portal implementation. Some desktop environments may require additional configuration.

HISTORY

gpu-screen-recorder was created to provide an efficient, GPU-accelerated alternative to software-based screen recorders. It's particularly popular among Linux gamers for its low overhead and instant replay capabilities.