How to install all existing media codecs?

UPDATE: 2017-Jan

For Ubuntu 16.04 LTS and 16.10 (12.04 or later)

update the repos:

sudo apt-get update

install CURL tool

sudo apt-get install curl

load VideoLAN repository

curl https://download.videolan.org/pub/debian/videolan-apt.asc | sudo apt-key add -
echo "deb https://download.videolan.org/pub/debian/stable ./" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/libdvdcss.list
sudo apt-get update

install VLC and Mplayer, and their support elements

sudo apt-get install vlc vlc-data browser-plugin-vlc mplayer2

If still using 14.04 LTS (or earlier), then:

sudo apt-get install vlc-plugin-pulse

install remaining Ubuntu 'restricted extras' (146 MB when installed, skip if space is critical)

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

If you are NOT already using 16.04 LTS (or later), force (manually) install the three key elements for full DVD support:

sudo apt-get install libdvdcss2 libdvdnav4 libdvdread4

Yep, I had this problem when I switched to Ubuntu a year ago lol. I only know how to install them. I then made a mirror of my Linux installation as it's a bit more complex than using just the Ubuntu Desktop. I use a Server Thin Client Environment.

Anyway the command to install codecs you need is

sudo apt-get install gstreamer0.10-ffmpeg gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad gstreamer0.10-bad-multiverse

You may want to check if there is a later version of gstreamer available. The last one worked well for me and all my videos played so I stuck to this version (0.10)

I'm sure there is a way to save it too but hopefully someone will answer your the second part of your question here

To install all the *default media codecs for Ubuntu, run this command in the **terminal:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

You will then be asked for your password (your password will NOT show up in the terminal, but I promise you it is there)

Press [Enter]

When prompted, press [Enter] (again)

Once the process is complete, you're good to go!

*Generally you have a choice to download and install them during initial instillation, but you can always install them this way as well after the fact

**To open the terminal, right click on any empty workspace, and select "Open Terminal"