Use a stable version of MPV

Oct 13, 2025 by recoveryshake.com 25 views

MPV Crashes Due to Segmentation Fault When Playing Certain MP4 Files on Arch Linux

Are you experiencing issues with MPV crashing randomly when playing certain MP4 files on Arch Linux? You're not alone. Many users have reported similar problems, and in this article, we'll delve into the possible causes and solutions to help you resolve the issue.

A segmentation fault is a type of error that occurs when a program attempts to access a memory location that it's not allowed to access. This can happen due to various reasons, including:

Invalid memory access: The program tries to access memory that's not allocated to it.
Buffer overflow: The program writes more data to a buffer than it's supposed to hold.
Null pointer dereference: The program tries to access a null pointer, which doesn't point to a valid memory location.

When MPV crashes due to a segmentation fault, it's often accompanied by an error message that indicates the type of fault. In the case of MPV, the error message might look something like this:

mpv: error: [demux] demuxer error: invalid demuxer state

Based on user reports and debugging efforts, here are some possible causes of MPV crashes due to segmentation fault when playing certain MP4 files on Arch Linux:

Corrupted MP4 files: The MP4 files downloaded from Microsoft Teams might be corrupted, leading to MPV crashes.
Incompatible MP4 codecs: The MP4 files might use codecs that are not compatible with MPV or Arch Linux.
MPV configuration issues: MPV's configuration might be set up in a way that causes it to crash when playing certain MP4 files.
System library issues: Issues with system libraries, such as libavcodec or libavformat, might cause MPV to crash.

To troubleshoot the issue, follow these steps:

Step 1: Check MP4 File Integrity

Try playing the MP4 file using a different media player, such as VLC or FFmpeg, to see if the issue is specific to MPV. If the file plays fine in other players, it's likely that the file is corrupted.

Step 2: Update MPV and System Libraries

Ensure that MPV and system libraries, such as libavcodec and libavformat, are up-to-date. You can update MPV using the following command:

sudo pacman -Syyu mpv

Step 3: Check MPV Configuration

Check MPV's configuration file, ~/.mpv/config, for any settings that might be causing the issue. You can try resetting the configuration file to its default settings using the following command:

mv ~/.mpv/config ~/.mpv/config.bak

Step 4: Disable MPV Extensions

Try disabling MPV extensions, such as the demuxer extension, to see if they're causing the issue. You can disable extensions by adding the following line to your ~/.mpv/config file:

demuxer=no

Step 5: Reinstall MPV

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, try reinstalling MPV using the following command:

sudo pacman -S --reinstall mpv

MPV crashes due to segmentation fault when playing certain MP4 files on Arch Linux can be caused by a variety of factors, including corrupted MP4 files, incompatible MP4 codecs, MPV configuration issues, and system library issues. By following the troubleshooting steps outlined in this article, you should be able to identify and resolve the issue.

For more information on MPV and troubleshooting, refer to the following resources:

MPV Documentation
Arch Linux Wiki: MPV
Stack Overflow: MPV Segmentation Fault
MPV Crashes Due to Segmentation Fault: Q&A =============================================

Q: What is a segmentation fault, and how does it relate to MPV crashes?

A: A segmentation fault is a type of error that occurs when a program attempts to access a memory location that it's not allowed to access. In the case of MPV, a segmentation fault can cause the program to crash when playing certain MP4 files.

Q: Why do some MP4 files cause MPV to crash?

A: There are several reasons why some MP4 files might cause MPV to crash. These include:

Corrupted MP4 files: The MP4 files might be corrupted, leading to MPV crashes.
Incompatible MP4 codecs: The MP4 files might use codecs that are not compatible with MPV or Arch Linux.
MPV configuration issues: MPV's configuration might be set up in a way that causes it to crash when playing certain MP4 files.
System library issues: Issues with system libraries, such as libavcodec or libavformat, might cause MPV to crash.

Q: How can I troubleshoot MPV crashes due to segmentation fault?

A: To troubleshoot MPV crashes due to segmentation fault, follow these steps:

Check MP4 file integrity: Try playing the MP4 file using a different media player, such as VLC or FFmpeg, to see if the issue is specific to MPV.
Update MPV and system libraries: Ensure that MPV and system libraries, such as libavcodec and libavformat, are up-to-date.
Check MPV configuration: Check MPV's configuration file, ~/.mpv/config, for any settings that might be causing the issue.
Disable MPV extensions: Try disabling MPV extensions, such as the demuxer extension, to see if they're causing the issue.
Reinstall MPV: If none of the above steps resolve the issue, try reinstalling MPV using the following command:
```
sudo pacman -S --reinstall mpv
```

Q: What are some common MPV configuration settings that might cause crashes?

A: Some common MPV configuration settings that might cause crashes include:

demuxer: The demuxer setting controls how MPV handles demuxing, which is the process of extracting audio and video streams from a file. If the demuxer setting is set to no, MPV might crash when playing certain MP4 files.
cache: The cache setting controls how MPV caches audio and video streams. If the cache setting is set to a high value, MPV might crash when playing certain MP4 files.
hwdec: The hwdec setting controls how MPV uses hardware acceleration to decode audio and video streams. If the hwdec setting is set to a value that's not compatible with your system, MPV might crash when playing certain MP4 files.

Q: How can I prevent MPV from crashing due to segmentation fault?

A: To prevent MPV from crashing due to segmentation fault, follow these best practices:

Use a stable version of MPV: Ensure that you're using a stable version of MPV, rather than a development version.
Update system libraries: Ensure that system libraries, such as libavcodec and libavformat, are up-to-date.
Disable MPV extensions: Disable MPV extensions, such as the demuxer extension, to see if they're causing the issue.
Use a different media player: If MPV continues to crash, try using a different media player, such as VLC or FFmpeg.

Q: Where can I find more information on MPV and troubleshooting?

A: For more information on MPV and troubleshooting, refer to the following resources: