GitHub - thingsiplay/ytdl: Simple wrapper to yt-dlp with only a subset of options.
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Simple wrapper to yt-dlp with only a subset of options. - thingsiplay/ytdl

The terror continues…

10 days ago I posted the initial version of this script. Since then lot of changed and added. Here some of those changes since v0.1:

  • -h is now much more simple, to see full help use -H
  • -f to repackage to another container format, or -F to force re-encoding video content with a codec to any other format
  • -s and -b will operate on sponsors only, and -S and -B on complete list of SponsorBlock segments
  • similarly -e and -d will only embed and download only a few extra metadata and files, -E and -D does all extra files and data
  • new -R will download and name files in reverse order, with index starting at 1 for the bottom file, useful for playlists who add newest entry to top
  • by default all file names are simplified and sanitized a little bit, even if no option -r (for very strict) is used

My goal is to make the usage of yt-dlp itself easier with this script, without the need to study help, the manual and to write a configuration file and a script. And you don’t need to test it with various sources. It does not everything what yt-dlp offers, but most of the stuff in the way I like it.

git clone https://github.com/thingsiplay/ytdl
cd ytdl
chmod +x ytdl
./ytdl -h
  • lol@discuss.tchncs.de
    0·
    5 months ago

    I think the name is badly chosen. If it becomes more popular, it will likely be confused by many with youtube-dl, which is already commonly abbreviated as yt-dl or just ytdl (the official website used to be yt-dl.org and can now be found at ytdl-org.github.io/youtube-dl). This makes it unnecessarily difficult to find the project itself and potentially helpful related resources using a web search.

    Why not use a more descriptive name like e.g. yt-dlp-wrapper or yt-dlp-simple instead? Unlike plain ytdl, a name like that would even give prospective users a hint about what to expect without needing to read any explanations as to how exactly your project differs from youtube-dl/yt-dl and yt-dlp.

    • thingsiplay@beehaw.orgOP
      0·
      5 months ago

      That’s actually a good point, one that I made myself over other projects in the past. Guess I did not think through this entire thing. The script itself is kind of like what an alias means to be, a shorter and simple alias to a more complex command that already exist. In fact it started and got evolved from that. The script is not a project on its own like yt-dlp being independent from youtube-dl. But I admit this is a bad excuse.

      I would like to keep the simple and short to remember ytdl executable name. And if anyone wants to, can still rename it to something else when installing. On the other hand the project title and how it is referred to as has ambiguity to it. Changing the readme and some descriptions and titles is not a big deal (in this early stage), but changing the path to the project comes at a huge cost, meaning the Github link.

      • lol@discuss.tchncs.de
        0·
        5 months ago

        I think when you rename a project on GitHub, all links to the old repository (including issues, wiki etc.) will be redirected to the new name, so it shouldn’t cause any issues, if that’s what you’re worried about.

        IMHO, keeping the executable name as it is doesn’t make much sense, especially if you’re going to rename everything else and the plan is to alias it anyway.

        I’m always annoyed when I install some-cli-tool and then have to go on a hunt because the binary isn’t also called some-cli-tool, but sc-t or something. I’d be doubly annoyed if sc-t was actually a wrapper for scd-t and both of them now lived in my PATH, meaning I’d now have to always remember which cryptic name is the one I actually want.

        • thingsiplay@beehaw.orgOP
          0·
          5 months ago

          You are 100% and completely convinced me. Right now I’m in the process of renaming the project and decided to rename the executable too. All your points are on point and is something I would probably say about other projects as well.

          As for why I was reluctant to change project name was not only the Github links, in example in the executable and documentation of older version people downloaded. But also the default ignore file I am using with the script, that is created and read/written at “~/.local/share/ytdl” . It will probably annoy people who already downloaded and using it; and I hate that its doing it. But better I do it now that later.

          So thank you for this suggestion and explanation.

          Edit: I’m going with yt-dlp-lemon , as in easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Probably not as descriptive as you hoped for, but I don’t think this is bad.