avideo

AVideo

AVideo /ævə'dɛjo:/ is a powerful, 100% libre video and audio downloader for GNU/Linux. With your freedom and privacy a #\1 priority, avideo offers you peace of mind in watching everything from world news and documentaries to the latest cat videos.

Why AVideo?

AVideo builds on the power of the infamous youtube-dl to ensure that the user's liberty is not sacrificed.

YouTube-DL incorporates JS, SWF, and SDK interpreters in order to deliver some functionality. However, packaging these runs contrary to delivering freedom as a number 1 priority.

It was discovered in 2017 on the Trisquel GNU/Linux fora that youtube-dl included the quite unexpected functionality to run JavaScript. Further investigation by Grace Past revealed this to be a component of DRM on YouTube, meaning the non-free code sourced from YouTube is an unethical means to an unethical end. Thus, in order to provide you with control over your computer, such a sacrifice unfortunately must be made.

Similar reasoning applies to the other cases of interpreters for non-free software packaged with the parent. If any methods of addressing these issues arise that allow them to be attacked without compromising core values, they shall be promptly implemented; however, aside from such a possible workaround, it is avideo's aim to avoid compromising user freedom.

Releases

Executable zipfiles and debian packages for current releases, as well as source code, can be found at the releases page. Instructions for installation are available in the User Documentation. If you already have the software installed, instructions for updating are also available in the user docs.

Contributing

If you'd like to contribute, we'd enthusiastically welcome you to join us! There's always room for beta testers- just go to the Downloads page, download and install a beta listing, and give it a spin (although preferably not in a high-stakes environment...). If you've got some skills to offer, though, then there might be a good place to put them to work.

For coders, work on issues is appreciated. Adding features or re-designing components in need of a fix is also a great way to contribute. A list of suggestions can be found in 'TODO.txt', but don't let that limit you! However, before you get your hands into the source, please read the Developer Documentation to understand what you're dealing with.

For those with linguistic prowess, documentation and/or translation are always in short supply. If you also have some coding skills, making the software more translator-friendly would be appreciated immensely. It appears that avideo is English-only at present, contrary to its mission to bring freedom to everybody.