# Get started

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To quickly understand the capabilities of the Video SDK for Linux, build the Video SDK Electron sample for Linux. You can build the sample in a Linux environment, such as on a Linux machine, a Docker container, or the [Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install). You can also create a [Debian distribution package](https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-faq/pkg-basics.en.html) from the built sample package.

Be sure to follow the steps to download the Video SDK package [before you get started](/docs/video-sdk/linux/).

_See [Video SDK Plans & Pricing for Developer](https://zoom.us/pricing/developer) for pricing._

> The Video SDK packages contain the libraries (the `*.so` files) to build your own Linux app with Video SDK for 64-bit x86 and 64-bit ARM processors.
>
> -   `zoom-video-sdk-linux_x86_64-#.#.#.tar.xz`
> -   `zoom-video-sdk-linux_arm64-#.#.#.tar.xz`

You can also skip the sample and [integrate the SDK](/docs/video-sdk/linux/integrate/) into your Linux app instead.

## Access the Electron sample app

Access the [Video SDK Electron sample app on GitHub](https://github.com/zoom/videosdk-electron-sample).

This sample app contains libraries for Linux, macOS, Windows x86, and Windows x64. You can build the sample for all of these platforms.

The Video SDK for Linux sample is in the `/sdk/linux` folder. Once you build this, you can create a `*.deb` package to run it elsewhere.

## Prerequisites

Install dependencies.

1. Install node.js 20.17.0.

    - Install the packages at https://nodejs.org/en/
    - Or use the following commands:

        ```shell
        sudo apt update
        sudo apt install -y curl
        curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo -E sh -
        sudo apt install -y nodejs
        ```

2. Install **Electron 33.0.0**.

    ```shell
    npm i electron@33.0.0
    ```

3. Install **Python**. Based on the Electron version that you are using, you might install a different python version. Python 2.7 works with Electron 2 to Electron 9, and Python 3 works with Electron 4 and later.

    ```shell
    sudo apt update
    sudo apt install -y python3
    ```

## Build and run sample

Follow these steps in an Ubuntu or Debian Linux environment, such as a Linux machine or [Docker container](#run-demo-in-a-docker-container), to build the Video SDK Electron sample.

1. Clone the GitHub package.

    ```shell
    git clone https://github.com/zoom/videosdk-electron-sample.git
    ```

2. Download and unzip protobuf 22.3.

    ```shell
    wget https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/archive/refs/tags/v22.3.zip -O protobuf-22.3.zip
    unzip protobuf-22.3.zip
    ```

3. Download `abseil-cpp 20230802.1`.

    ```shell
    git clone https://github.com/abseil/abseil-cpp.git
    cd abseil-cpp
    git checkout 20230802.1
    ```

4. Put the `absl` folder in `protobuf-22.3/src`.

    ```shell
    cp -r abseil-cpp/absl protobuf-22.3/src
    ```

5. Copy the protobuf 22.3 source code into the SDK dependency folder and name it `protobuf_src`.

    ```shell
    cp -r protobuf-22.3/src zoom_electron_video_sdk/lib/node_add_on
    mv zoom_electron_video_sdk/lib/node_add_on/src zoom_electron_video_sdk/lib/node_add_on/protobuf_src
    ```

6. Set up dependencies for running the Electron demo app and create a `/.zoom/logs` folder.

    ```shell
    sudo apt install -y libglib2.0-dev liblzma-dev libxcb-image0 libxcb-keysyms1 libxcb-xfixes0 libxcb-xkb1 libxcb-shape0 libxcb-shm0 libxcb-randr0 libxcb-xtest0 libgbm1 libxtst6 libgl1 libnss3  libasound2 libpulse0
    mkdir -p ~/.zoom/logs
    ```

7. Build the Electron sample app, for example, for v1.6.2, run:

    ```shell
    cd ../Electron/zoom-video-sdk-electron-demo-1.6.2/Sample
    npm i
    npm run electron:buildNode
    npm run electron:build
    ```

_Replace the version number with the latest version that you downloaded._

8. Run `npm run electron:build` to build the `*.deb` package.

To run the demo on another machine, copy the `*.deb` file to another Linux machine and follow the steps to copy and run the DEB package, then go to the next step on the machine where you want to run the demo.

### Run the demo

Enter the following command in a terminal to start the demo:

```shell
npm run electron:serve
```

## Demo walkthrough

The demo displays buttons to **Create a Session** or **Join a Session**:

![Video SDK - Linux demo](/img/vsdk-linux-sample.png)

Click one of the buttons and choose your camera, speaker, and microphone options (note that you can't use audio or video with a Docker-hosted instance).

For the Token, enter your [SDK JWT](/docs/video-sdk/auth/#2-generate-the-video-sdk-jwt).

The demo adds you to the session.

## Create and run from a Debian distribution package

You can also create a [Debian distribution package](https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-faq/pkg-basics.en.html) from the built demo package.

You can create a Debian (DEB) Distribution package to install and run the Video SDK on another Linux machine or in a Docker container after you have built the package.

### Create a DEB package

In a terminal, under the `zoom_electron_video_sdk folder`, run:

```shell
npm run electron:build
```

After successfully running this command, you will find a DEB package in the `dist_electron` folder. For example, `zoom-video-sdk_Setup_<versions>.deb`.

```shell
cd dist_electron
ls *.deb
```

### Copy and run the DEB package

1. Copy the Debian (`*.deb`) package to a Linux machine.
2. To install, in a terminal, type:

    ```shell
    sudo dpkg -i zoom-video-sdk_Setup_<versions>.deb
    ```

3. To run the Electron demo app, in a terminal, type:

    ```shell
    electron-video-sdk
    ```

## Run demo in a Docker container

See the following instructions to run Zoom Video SDK for Linux in an Ubuntu Docker container with a Virtual Network Computing (VNC) service.

### Run Docker container

1. Install Docker Desktop if you haven't already.
2. Run the Docker container with the command:

    ```shell
    docker run -p 6080:80 -v /dev/shm:/dev/shm dorowu/ubuntu-desktop-lxde-vnc
    ```

3. Go to `http://localhost:6080` to connect to the container.

### Copy Zoom Video SDK package to Docker

Follow these steps to copy the Zoom Video SDK from your local host to the Docker host.

1. Go to the Video SDK file directory on your local host.

2. In Docker, navigate to File Explorer > Application > System Tools > LXTerminal to open LXTerminal.

3. In LXTerminal, create a Downloads directory:

    ```shell
    mkdir Downloads
    ```

4. In a terminal on your local machine (local terminal), run `docker ps` to find the container ID of the running docker container. For example:

    ```plaintext
    CONTAINER ID   IMAGE                            COMMAND         CREATED        STATUS                  PORTS                  NAMES
    e7073f1a7aee   dorowu/ubuntu-desktop-lxde-vnc   "/startup.sh"   28 hours ago   Up 28 hours (healthy)   0.0.0.0:6080->80/tcp   priceless_payne
    ```

5. In your local terminal, execute the `docker cp` command to copy the Zoom Video SDK zip file from your local host to the Docker host. This command copies the file, for example, "`zoom-video-sdk-electron-demo-1.6.4.zip`" to the container's `/usr/share` directory:

    ```shell
    docker cp zoom-video-sdk-electron-demo-1.6.4.zip <CONTAINER ID>:/root/Downloads
    ```

6. In Docker, install the advanced package tool to handle installation and removal of packages:

    ```shell
    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get upgrade
    ```

7. In Docker, check if unzip and vim is available. If not, install them with:

    ```shell
    sudo apt install -y unzip
    sudo apt install -y vim
    ```

### Build and run

In Docker, follow the previous instructions to [build and run](#build-and-run-demo) the demo.

### Extra steps for camera and microphone

The Docker container does not have a camera or microphone. You would have to develop interfaces to use these features. However, you can test how you can use this to create a bot that sends or captures raw data using virtual devices.