How to convert a DVD into an AVI on Linux using devede and mencoder?

There are a plethora of formats out there and often you need a simple compressed format to move things around.

By Jedi787plus at en.wikipedia [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], from Wikimedia Commons

I don’t know if there is an easier solution (please share if you know one) –

# Recent Edit – Try this tool before proceeding – http://www.noobslab.com/2013/09/curlew-multi-converter-01203-version.html

To convert the DVD into a compact format you can use devede –

http://news.softpedia.com/news/How-to-convert-AVI-to-DVD-54418.shtml # The link shows how to convert AVI to DVD.

To do vice versa – DVD to AVI –

1. Install devede –

$ sudo apt-get install devede         # works on Ubuntu

2. Run devede –

$ devede &

3. Select the Divx / MPEG -4 option

4. Add the DVD videos of interest

Click on Add below

Choose the .VOB files of interest (I think it allows only one at a time)

When done with the addition –

3. Choose the appropriate media size & click on ‘Adjust disc usage’ button

4. Click Foward

and choose destination folder

5. Quit when done

6. You will get a .avi file for each .VOB file. You can join them into one in the destination folder using –

$ mencoder -oac copy -ovc copy movie_01.avi movie_02.avi movie_03.avi -o WholeMovie.avi

(Source: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-general-1/how-to-merge-2-avi-together-424988/)

There should be an easier way to do this!