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Zoom Video SDK Linux

Zoom Video SDK for Linux - C++ headless bots, raw audio/video capture/injection, Qt/GTK integration, Docker support

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Zoom Video SDK - Linux Development

Expert guidance for developing with the Zoom Video SDK on Linux. Build headless bots, raw media capture/injection applications, and custom UI integrations with Qt/GTK.

**Official Documentation**: https://developers.zoom.us/docs/video-sdk/linux/ **API Reference**: https://marketplacefront.zoom.us/sdk/custom/linux/ **Sample Repository**: https://github.com/zoom/videosdk-linux-raw-recording-sample

Quick Links

**New to Video SDK? Follow this path:**

  1. **[SDK Architecture Pattern](concepts/sdk-architecture-pattern.md)** - Universal 3-step pattern for ANY feature
  2. **[Session Join Pattern](examples/session-join-pattern.md)** - Complete working code to join a session
  3. **[Raw Data vs Canvas](concepts/raw-data-vs-canvas.md)** - **CRITICAL**: Linux has NO Canvas API - raw data ONLY
  4. **[Raw Video Capture](examples/raw-video-capture.md)** - Capture and process YUV420 frames

**Reference:** - **[Singleton Hierarchy](concepts/singleton-hierarchy.md)** - 5-level SDK navigation map - **[API Reference](references/linux-reference.md)** - Complete API documentation - **[Qt/GTK Integration](examples/qt-gtk-integration.md)** - UI framework patterns - **[Troubleshooting](troubleshooting/common-issues.md)** - Quick diagnostics - **[SKILL.md](SKILL.md)** - Complete documentation navigation

**Having issues?** - PulseAudio setup → [PulseAudio Guide](troubleshooting/pulseaudio-setup.md) - Qt dependencies → [Qt Dependencies](troubleshooting/qt-dependencies.md) - Build errors → [Build Errors Guide](troubleshooting/build-errors.md)

Key Differences from Windows/macOS

| Feature | Linux | Windows/Mac | |---------|-------|-------------| | **Canvas API** | ❌ Not available | ✅ Available | | **Raw Data Pipe** | ✅ **ONLY option** | ✅ Available | | **UI Integration** | Qt, GTK, SDL2, OpenGL | Win32/WinForms/WPF, Cocoa | | **Headless Support** | ✅ Excellent (Docker) | Limited | | **Audio** | PulseAudio required | Native | | **Virtual Devices** | ✅ Required for headless | Optional |

SDK Overview

The Zoom Video SDK for Linux is a C++ library optimized for: - **Headless Bots**: Docker/WSL support, no display required - **Raw Data Access**: Capture YUV420 video, PCM audio - **Raw Data Injection**: Virtual camera/mic for custom media - **Screen Sharing**: Capture or inject share data - **Cloud Recording**: Record sessions to Zoom cloud - **Live Streaming**: Stream to RTMP endpoints - **Live Transcription**: Real-time speech-to-text - **Qt/GTK Integration**: Full UI framework support

Prerequisites

System Requirements

  • **OS**: Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 11+, or compatible
  • **Architecture**: x64 (recommended), ARM64
  • **Compiler**: GCC 9+, Clang 10+
  • **CMake**: 3.14 or later
  • **Qt5**: Bundled with SDK (do NOT install system Qt5)

Dependencies

```bash sudo apt update sudo apt install -y build-essential gcc cmake 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

# For headless Linux sudo apt install -y pulseaudio

# PulseAudio configuration (CRITICAL for audio) mkdir -p ~/.config echo "[General]" > ~/.config/zoomus.conf echo "system.audio.type=default" >> ~/.config/zoomus.conf

# Log directory mkdir -p ~/.zoom/logs ```

Quick Start

```cpp #include "zoom_video_sdk_api.h" #include "zoom_video_sdk_interface.h" #include "zoom_video_sdk_delegate_interface.h"

USING_ZOOM_VIDEO_SDK_NAMESPACE

// 1. Create SDK IZoomVideoSDK* sdk = CreateZoomVideoSDKObj();

// 2. Initialize ZoomVideoSDKInitParams init_params; init_params.domain = "https://zoom.us"; init_params.enableLog = true; init_params.logFilePrefix = "bot"; init_params.videoRawDataMemoryMode = ZoomVideoSDKRawDataMemoryModeHeap; init_params.shareRawDataMemoryMode = ZoomVideoSDKRawDataMemoryModeHeap; init_params.audioRawDataMemoryMode = ZoomVideoSDKRawDataMemoryModeHeap;

sdk->initialize(init_params);

// 3. Add delegate sdk->addListener(myDelegate);

// 4. Join session ZoomVideoSDKSessionContext ctx; ctx.sessionName = "my-session"; ctx.userName = "Linux Bot"; ctx.token = "jwt-token"; ctx.audioOption.connect = true; ctx.audioOption.mute = false; ctx.videoOption.localVideoOn = false;

// For headless: Virtual audio speaker ctx.virtualAudioSpeaker = new VirtualSpeaker();

IZoomVideoSDKSession* session = sdk->joinSession(ctx); ```

See **[Session Join Pattern](examples/session-join-pattern.md)** for complete code.

Key Features

| Feature | Linux Support | Guide | |---------|---------------|-------| | **Session Management** | ✅ Full | [Session Join](examples/session-join-pattern.md) | | **Raw Video (YUV420)** | ✅ ONLY rendering option | [Raw Video](examples/raw-video-capture.md) | | **Raw Audio (PCM)** | ✅ Full | [Raw Audio](examples/raw-audio-capture.md) | | **Virtual Camera/Mic** | ✅ Full | [Virtual Devices](examples/virtual-audio-video.md) | | **Cloud Recording** | ✅ Full | [Recording](examples/cloud-recording.md) | | **Live Streaming** | ✅ Full | [Live Stream](examples/live-streaming.md) | | **Live Transcription** | ✅ Full | [Transcription](examples/transcription.md) | | **Command Channel** | ✅ Full | [Commands](examples/command-channel.md) | | **Chat** | ✅ Full | [Chat](examples/chat.md) | | **Qt Integration** | ✅ Recommended | [Qt/GTK](examples/qt-gtk-integration.md) | | **GTK Integration** | ✅ Supported | [Qt/GTK](examples/qt-gtk-integration.md) | | **Docker/Headless** | ✅ Excellent | [Virtual Devices](examples/virtual-audio-video.md) |

Critical Gotchas

⚠️ CRITICAL #1: No Canvas API on Linux

**Problem**: Linux SDK does NOT have Canvas API like Windows/Mac.

**Solution**: You MUST use Raw Data Pipe and implement your own rendering.

See: **[Raw Data vs Canvas](concepts/raw-data-vs-canvas.md)**

⚠️ CRITICAL #2: PulseAudio Required for Audio

**Problem**: SDK requires PulseAudio for raw audio functions.

**Solution**: ```bash sudo apt install -y pulseaudio mkdir -p ~/.config echo "[General]" > ~/.config/zoomus.conf echo "system.audio.type=default" >> ~/.config/zoomus.conf ```

See: **[PulseAudio Setup](troubleshooting/pulseaudio-setup.md)**

⚠️ CRITICAL #3: Qt5 Dependencies

**Problem**: SDK requires Qt5 libraries (bundled, NOT system Qt5).

**Solution**: ```bash # Copy from SDK package cp -r samples/qt_libs/Qt/lib/* lib/zoom_video_sdk/

# Create symlinks cd lib/zoom_video_sdk for lib in libQt5*.so.5; do ln -sf $lib ${lib%.5}; done ```

See: **[Qt Dependencies](troubleshooting/qt-dependencies.md)**

⚠️ CRITICAL #4: Heap Memory Mode

Always use heap mode for raw data:

```cpp init_params.videoRawDataMemoryMode = ZoomVideoSDKRawDataMemoryModeHeap; init_params.shareRawDataMemoryMode = ZoomVideoSDKRawDataMemoryModeHeap; init_params.audioRawDataMemoryMode = ZoomVideoSDKRawDataMemoryModeHeap; ```

⚠️ CRITICAL #5: Virtual Audio for Headless

**Problem**: Docker/headless environments have no audio devices.

**Solution**: Use virtual audio speaker and mic.

```cpp session_context.virtualAudioSpeaker = new VirtualSpeaker(); session_context.virtualAudioMic = new VirtualMic(); ```

See: **[Virtual Audio/Video](examples/virtual-audio-video.md)**

Sample Repositories

Official Samples

| Repository | Description | |-----------|-------------| | **[raw-recording-sample](https://github.com/zoom/videosdk-linux-raw-recording-sample)** | Raw audio/video capture | | **[qt-quickstart](https://github.com/tanchunsiong/videosdk-linux-qt-quickstart)** | Qt6 UI integration | | **[gtk-quickstart](https://github.com/tanchunsiong/videosdk-linux-gtk-quickstart)** | GTK3 UI integration |

Sample Architecture

``` Headless Bot (Docker): ┌──────────────────────────────────┐ │ Virtual Audio Speaker/Mic │ ├──────────────────────────────────┤ │ Raw Data Processing │ │ - YUV420 → File/Stream

Merged from video-sdk/linux/SKILL.md

Zoom Video SDK Linux - Complete Documentation Index

Quick Start Path

**If you're new to the SDK, follow this order:**

1. **Read the architecture pattern** → [concepts/sdk-architecture-pattern.md](concepts/sdk-architecture-pattern.md) - Universal formula: Singleton → Delegate → Subscribe - Once you understand this, you can implement any feature

2. **Understand Linux specifics** → [concepts/raw-data-vs-canvas.md](concepts/raw-data-vs-canvas.md) - **CRITICAL**: Linux has NO Canvas API - raw data ONLY

3. **Implement session join** → [examples/session-join-pattern.md](examples/session-join-pattern.md) - Complete working JWT + session join code

4. **Setup environment** → [troubleshooting/pulseaudio-setup.md](troubleshooting/pulseaudio-setup.md) - PulseAudio configuration (required for audio) - [troubleshooting/qt-dependencies.md](troubleshooting/qt-dependencies.md) - Qt5 library setup (bundled with SDK)

  1. **Implement features** → Choose from examples below

---

Documentation Structure

``` video-sdk/linux/ ├── SKILL.md # Main skill overview ├── SKILL.md # This file - navigation guide ├── linux.md # Platform summary │ ├── concepts/ # Core architectural patterns │ ├── sdk-architecture-pattern.md # Universal formula for ANY feature │ ├── singleton-hierarchy.md # 5-level navigation guide │ └── raw-data-vs-canvas.md # Linux-specific: raw data ONLY │ ├── examples/ # Complete working code │ ├── session-join-pattern.md # JWT auth + session join │ └── command-channel.md # Command channel with threading │ ├── troubleshooting/ # Problem solving guides │ ├── pulseaudio-setup.md # Audio configuration │ ├── qt-dependencies.md # Qt5 library setup │ ├── build-errors.md # Common build issues │ └── common-issues.md # Quick diagnostic workflow │ └── references/ # Reference documentation └── linux-reference.md # API hierarchy, methods, error codes ```

---

By Use Case

### I want to build a headless bot 1. [SDK Architecture Pattern](concepts/sdk-architecture-pattern.md) - Understand the pattern 2. [Session Join Pattern](examples/session-join-pattern.md) - Join sessions 3. [PulseAudio Setup](troubleshooting/pulseaudio-setup.md) - Configure audio 4. [Raw Data vs Canvas](concepts/raw-data-vs-canvas.md) - Understand Linux differences

### I'm getting build errors 1. [Build Errors Guide](troubleshooting/build-errors.md) - SDK build issues 2. [Qt Dependencies](troubleshooting/qt-dependencies.md) - Qt5 setup 3. [Common Issues](troubleshooting/common-issues.md) - Quick diagnostics

### I'm getting runtime errors 1. [PulseAudio Setup](troubleshooting/pulseaudio-setup.md) - Audio not working 2. [Qt Dependencies](troubleshooting/qt-dependencies.md) - Library not found 3. [Common Issues](troubleshooting/common-issues.md) - Error code tables

### I want to use command channel 1. [Command Channel](examples/command-channel.md) - Send/receive commands 2. [Common Issues](troubleshooting/common-issues.md) - Threading requirements

### I want to implement a specific feature 1. [SDK Architecture Pattern](concepts/sdk-architecture-pattern.md) - **START HERE!** 2. [Singleton Hierarchy](concepts/singleton-hierarchy.md) - Navigate to the feature 3. [API Reference](references/linux-reference.md) - Method signatures

---

Most Critical Documents

### 1. SDK Architecture Pattern (MASTER DOCUMENT) **[concepts/sdk-architecture-pattern.md](concepts/sdk-architecture-pattern.md)**

The universal 3-step pattern: 1. Get singleton (SDK, helpers, session, users) 2. Implement delegate (event callbacks) 3. Subscribe and use

### 2. Raw Data vs Canvas (LINUX-SPECIFIC) **[concepts/raw-data-vs-canvas.md](concepts/raw-data-vs-canvas.md)**

**CRITICAL**: Unlike Windows/Mac, Linux SDK has NO Canvas API. You MUST use raw data pipe.

### 3. PulseAudio Setup (MOST COMMON ISSUE) **[troubleshooting/pulseaudio-setup.md](troubleshooting/pulseaudio-setup.md)**

Audio requires PulseAudio configuration.

### 4. Qt Dependencies **[troubleshooting/qt-dependencies.md](troubleshooting/qt-dependencies.md)**

SDK requires bundled Qt5 libraries, NOT system Qt5.

---

Key Learnings

Critical Discoveries:

1. **Linux has NO Canvas API** - Windows/Mac have Canvas API for SDK-rendered video - Linux MUST use Raw Data Pipe - See: [Raw Data vs Canvas](concepts/raw-data-vs-canvas.md)

2. **PulseAudio is MANDATORY** - SDK requires PulseAudio for raw audio - Must configure ~/.config/zoomus.conf - See: [PulseAudio Setup](troubleshooting/pulseaudio-setup.md)

3. **Use Bundled Qt5, NOT System Qt5** - SDK includes specific Qt5 versions - Copy from samples/qt_libs/ - See: [Qt Dependencies](troubleshooting/qt-dependencies.md)

4. **Helpers Control YOUR Streams Only** - `videoHelper->startVideo()` starts YOUR camera - To see others, subscribe to their VideoPipe - See: [Singleton Hierarchy](concepts/singleton-hierarchy.md)

5. **Virtual Devices for Headless** - Docker/headless needs virtual audio speaker/mic - Set before joining session - See: [Session Join Pattern](examples/session-join-pattern.md)

6. **Always Use Heap Memory Mode** ```cpp init_params.videoRawDataMemoryMode = ZoomVideoSDKRawDataMemoryModeHeap; ```

7. **GLib Main Loop Required** - while/sleep loops don't dispatch SDK events - Must use g_main_loop_run() - See: [Common Issues](troubleshooting/common-issues.md)

8. **All SDK Calls Must Be on Main Thread** - Background thread SDK calls return error 2 (Internal_Error) - Use g_idle_add() to schedule on GLib main thread - See: [Command Channel](examples/command-channel.md)

9. **Command Channel is Session-Scoped** - Does NOT span across different sessions - Both sender and receiver must be in the same session - See: [Command Channel](examples/command-channel.md)

---

Sample Repositories

  • **[raw-recording-sample](https://github.com/zoom/videosdk-linux-raw-recording-sample)** - Official raw data sample
  • **[qt-quickstart](https://github.com/tanchunsiong/videosdk-linux-qt-quickstart)** - Qt6 UI integration
  • **[gtk-quickstart](https://github.com/tanchunsiong/videosdk-linux-gtk-quickstart)** - GTK3 UI integration

---

Quick Reference

### "My code won't compile" → [Build Errors Guide](troubleshooting/build-errors.md)

### "Audio not working" → [PulseAudio Setup](troubleshooting/pulseaudio-setup.md)

### "Library not found" → [Qt Dependencies](troubleshooting/qt-dependencies.md)

### "How do I implement [feature]?" → [SDK Architecture Pattern](concepts/sdk-architecture-pattern.md)

### "What error code means what?" → [Common Issues](troubleshooting/common-issues.md)

---

Document Version

Based on **Zoom Video SDK for Linux v2.x**

---

**Happy coding!**

Remember: The [SDK Architecture Pattern](concepts/sdk-architecture-pattern.md) is your key to unlocking the entire SDK. Read it first!

Operations

  • [RUNBOOK.md](RUNBOOK.md) - 5-minute preflight and debugging checklist.