MakeMKV just won't work.

The place to discuss linux version of MakeMKV
science-nerd
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2026 2:26 pm

Re: MakeMKV just won't work.

Post by science-nerd »

Retromovieman wrote:
Mon Oct 06, 2025 10:16 pm
Has this issue been fixed yet ? I am still experiencing the same issues. I have made sure I am part of the CD rom groups ect..
VLC can see my drive and play dvd's just fine and so does k3b and dvdbackup apps.
The problem is Makemkv complains about not able to get full access to drive and just wont load the disc when entered.
I have tried Ubuntu , Arch , Debian , MInt and it just wont run Makemkv properly. I boot into WIndows and whammo it magically works.
Any one get it working in linux lately and what is the work around?
Thanks..
Is your sg kernel module loaded?

Code: Select all

sudo modprobe sg
Makemkv runs fine on Arch based distros (in my case CachyOS), installed from AUR or pre-compiled from chaotic-aur.

If you need flashing, you will need to use v1.17.7. You can check how to run both latest and this version simultaneously viewtopic.php?f=3&t=40977
red-lichtie
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2026 10:28 pm

Re: MakeMKV just won't work.

Post by red-lichtie »

Why? Really, why?

I bought a license years ago, although I didn't have to because I believed in what was being done here.

Now I am forced to either use an unsupported/expired/unmaintained version (1.17.7) or home that there is some strange "Libre" firmware for my drive (which there isn't and apparently never will be).

So again, why? Why break MakeMKV like this?

Where is the Libre in forcing a firmware down your users throats? Especially if the drive isn't supported by it?

Now my BluRay drive is basically useless because someone decided to stop supporting the products used by their users. And I thought enshitification was the domain of cloud providers and cloud services.

Simple question, when will "non-Libre" drives be supported again?
16442496
Posts: 76
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2016 12:47 pm

Re: MakeMKV just won't work.

Post by 16442496 »

I have paid key and i use Non-Libre BD-Drives with newest MakeMKV 1.18.3 on one my machine. Works fine.

What i did:
1. Install MakeMKV 1.17.6 (Add Paid Key)
2. Open MakeMKV and put DVD in.
3. Wait MakeMKV to get firmware file.
4. Install newest MakeMKV 1.18.3 and enjoy.

Backup that .MakeMKV directory or atleast that BD-drive firmware. ;)
Debian
MakeMKV 1.17.6 (Registered)
2x Pioneer BD (Non-Libre)
red-lichtie
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2026 10:28 pm

Re: MakeMKV just won't work.

Post by red-lichtie »

I have found a way to get the latest version (1.18.3) working.

Edit .MakeMKV/settings.conf and add your drives name to "sdf_Stop",

In my case it looks like this:

Code: Select all

sdf_Stop = "TEAC_BD-W26SS-B_2.02_{serial number}"
With that, the original functionality returns.
16442496
Posts: 76
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2016 12:47 pm

Re: MakeMKV just won't work.

Post by 16442496 »

red-lichtie wrote:
Mon Mar 16, 2026 9:15 am
I have found a way to get the latest version (1.18.3) working.

Edit .MakeMKV/settings.conf and add your drives name to "sdf_Stop",

In my case it looks like this:

Code: Select all

sdf_Stop = "TEAC_BD-W26SS-B_2.02_{serial number}"
With that, the original functionality returns.
I tested this and it works if you have only one drive. With two drives you get "endless spin".
Debian
MakeMKV 1.17.6 (Registered)
2x Pioneer BD (Non-Libre)
computer-machine
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2026 6:40 pm

Re: MakeMKV just won't work.

Post by computer-machine »

16442496 wrote:
Mon Mar 16, 2026 5:42 am
What i did:
1. Install MakeMKV 1.17.6 (Add Paid Key)
2. Open MakeMKV and put DVD in.
3. Wait MakeMKV to get firmware file.
4. Install newest MakeMKV 1.18.3 and enjoy.

Backup that .MakeMKV directory or atleast that BD-drive firmware. ;)
What/where is this firmware file?

I had replaced my OS disk, with a fresh install rather than cloning the drive, and all attempts on the new don't work. But when I reboot into the old (NVMe>USB3 enclosure), it works fine.

Old is flatpak using --user, since basically when flathub released it. New I'd switched to --system, but adding --user repo and copying over my ~/.var/ did not appear to help either, neither did ~/.Makemkv/.

I've also recently tried installing from repo, but that appears to be behaving same as flatpak (loads fine, but on entering disc, system scans and it becomes available to the system, but MakeMKV spins endlessly and I have to kill the process in htop to fully close).

I've also just tried the other things I've seen here, including `modprobe sg`, and adding my drive name to sdf_Stop in Settings.conf.

Trying to revert flatpak, flathub only lists back to 1.17.9. Since cloning over the user-level didn't work, I don't think attempting to migrate part of that to the system-level would be fruitful, let alone prudent.
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