GIF Maker

Lightweight Linux screen recorder. Capture any region as GIF, MP4, or WebM.

Vibe-coded for personal use. Tested on Ubuntu 24.04 + X11.

Features

• Area selection with click-and-drag
• Output formats: GIF, MP4, WebM
• Frame rates: 15, 24, 30, 60 fps
• Global hotkey: Ctrl+Alt+S
• Red border overlay during recording
• Copy to clipboard

Install

From source

sudo apt install ffmpeg slop libgtk-4-1 libx11-6 libxext6 xdg-utils
./install.sh                # ~/.local/bin
sudo ./install.sh --system  # /usr/local/bin

Uninstall

./uninstall.sh

Dependencies

Package (apt)	Purpose
libgtk-4-1	UI toolkit
libx11-6	Display server
libxext6	X11 extensions
ffmpeg	Recording & encoding
slop	Area selection
xdg-utils	File opening

Usage

1. Launch GIF Maker
2. Ctrl+Alt+S or click Select Area
3. Drag to select region
4. Choose format, FPS, output directory
5. Record → Stop
6. Open or Copy to clipboard

Building

dotnet build                    # Debug
dotnet build -c Release         # Release
dotnet run                      # Run

Packaging (for distribution)

# Requires: fakeroot
VERSION=1.0.0 ./packaging/deb/build.sh       # → gifmaker_1.0.0_amd64.deb

# Requires: wget
VERSION=1.0.0 ./packaging/appimage/build.sh  # → GifMaker-1.0.0-x86_64.AppImage

Flatpak: submit manifest to Flathub.

Architecture

src/
  App/        # GTK4 UI
  Core/       # Result<T>, Rectangle, interfaces
  Recording/  # FFmpeg x11grab
  Conversion/ # Format conversion
  X11/        # P/Invoke, hotkeys, area selection

Limitations

• X11 only (Wayland: no global hotkeys, no window positioning)
• Linux only

License

MIT - DrSkillIssue