In 2025 Byzanz is reimplemented as an applet for modern
MATE Panel of traditional MATE Desktop Environment.

The applet was tested on Debian 10 (buster), 11 (bullseye), 12 (bookworm) and
upcoming 13 (trixie).

To build the deb-package locally use commands below:

```
cd ~/Downloads
git clone https://github.com/N0rbert/byzanz-mate
cd byzanz-mate
sudo apt-get install debhelper mate-common libmate-panel-applet-dev libcairo2-dev \
libglib2.0-dev libgstreamer-plugins-base1.0-dev libgstreamer1.0-dev libgtk-3-dev libx11-dev
dpkg-buildpackage -uc -us -b
sudo apt-get install ../byzanz_0.3.0+git202*.deb
```

Then do right mouse click on the MATE Panel, click "Add to Panel", search for "Desktop
Recorder" and then click "Add". Click on the Recorder button to specify output file
and format and to start recording, stop recording by clicking Stop button. 
Please note that "Record audio" checkbox should be unchecked for GIF format.

---
Historical part of the README file is below, it is unchanged and 
came from https://salsa.debian.org/debian/byzanz .
---

"byzanz is awesome. i love byzanz. to me it represents pragmatic utility over 
 idealistic artistry"
   -- Mike Hearn

Byzanz is a simple tool to record a running X desktop to an animation suitable
for presentation in a web browser. It's design has been guided by the
following principles:
- PURPOSE
  Byzanz records animations for presentation in a web browser. If something
  doesn't fit this goal, it should not be part of Byzanz.
- CORRECTNESS
  When Byzanz provides a feature, it does this correctly. In particular, it
  does not crash or corrupt data.
- SIMPLICITY
  The user interface and programming code are simple and easy to understand
  and don't contain any unecessary features.
  Byzanz does not attempt to do be smarter than you are.
- UNOBTRUSIVENESS
  Byzanz does not interfere with the task you are recording, neither by
  keeping a large settings window around nor by consuming all your CPU during
  a recording.

Byzanz is implemented as a GNOME applet. A command line tool for testing
purposes is available, too.

The most current code is available in GNOME git in the byzanz module. It can
be obtained via the following command:
  git clone git://git.gnome.org/byzanz
Releases are available for download at
  http://www.freedesktop.org/~company/byzanz