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I'm using linux mint without problems except the yt-dlp app in the package manager repository is old and doesn't work when I use it. The yt-dlp devs said I need a newer version and to install it myself, except I can't find a straight answer as to how to do that.

I tried using pip and tried apt but neither works because the path is all wrong.

The linux mint forum website is a nightmare for newbs.

Thanks

I'm using linux mint without problems except the yt-dlp app in the package manager repository is old and doesn't work when I use it. The yt-dlp devs said I need a newer version and to install it myself, except I can't find a straight answer as to how to do that. I tried using pip and tried apt but neither works because the path is all wrong. The linux mint forum website is a nightmare for newbs. Thanks

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[–] • 3 pts (edited )

Mint is based on Ubuntu, so I tried to install it like that in Ubuntu. If some step fails tell us what the output in the terminal is.

Honestly installation instructions often suck and assume you know basics such as that every binary must have execute permissions with added with chmod +x. Anyway this is how you do it, hopefully it is identical on Mint:

Check if you have python installed run this in terminal (python is required):

python3 --version

Download the binary:

https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases/latest/download/yt-dlp

Check if the yt-dlp is now in your Downloads folder:

ls -la ~/Downloads

Copy yt-dlp into /usr/local/bin folder. This is the location where one usually places binaries that one want to be available on the terminal globally so to speak. sudo is needed to make changes at that path:

sudo cp ~/Downloads/yt-dlp /usr/local/bin

Verify that yt-dlp is there:

sudo ls -la /usr/local/bin

Add executable permission to yt-dlp otherwise you will not be able to execute it:

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/yt-dlp

Now it should work, to test run:

yt-dlp

[–] • 1 pt

Oh, and ffmpeg seems to be good to have too to get higher resolution of the downloaded video (yt-dlp might complain otherwise):

sudo apt install ffmpeg

[–] • 1 pt

Thanks, I did use pip and it worked. Thanks for this tutorial I'll archive this and use it as I learn.

[–] • 1 pt (edited )

@JeffersonHairpie This is the correct/best suggestion so far. I was about to go write up basically the same thing.

Also @quit_google this would actually work on almost any of the "mainstream" distros. Nothing distro specific in here at all.

[–] • 1 pt

I use their Pip install instructions (github.com).

With those you can update it by re‐running the package install command.

python3 -m pip install -U "yt-dlp[default]"

You could put that in a cron job to make sure your version is up to date.

You could automate re‐downloading the latest release binary, but it would waste bandwidth unless you found a way to check the new release’s version.