The Linux terminal environment is a preferred workspace for a growing number of Linux users due to some obvious facts. Firstly, it is by default dissociated from the Linux OS GUI environment which makes it faster to load and execute keyed-in commands.
Secondly, most Linux packages are terminal-oriented which means that you are more likely to install a majority of application packages from the command line than from the OS Software Center (GUI).
Thirdly, it is logically recommended to test web and desktop server applications from the command-line environment because of its fast execution time and resource-friendly nature.
[ You might also like: mps-youtube – A Terminal Based YouTube Player and Downloader ]
The Linux OS is an interesting maze of skillful puzzles that increases the computing prowess of each and every user that crosses its path.
However, to accelerate the learning curve of the Linux operating system, we sometimes need the assistance of external learning materials like video and audio files. The YouTube platform is enriched with such video and audio files.
The ytfzf script provides a solution to accessing resource-rich YouTube videos via mpv/youtube-dl without the need for an API. This article will walk us through the installation and configuration of the ytfzf script to successfully find and watch YouTube videos from the command line.
ytfzf Features
We can list its prominent features with the following bullet points.
- Addon support
- Queuing multiple videos
- Search History
- Thumbnails
- Custom menus and scrappers
- Video download support
- Watch history
- subscriptions
Install ytfzf YouTube Video Downloader in Linux
To install ytfzf, you need to install the following required dependencies in the following manner:
$ sudo apt install curl git mpv jq fzf yt-dlp [On Debian, Ubuntu and Mint] $ sudo yum install curl git mpv jq fzf yt-dlp [On RHEL/CentOS/Fedora and Rocky Linux/AlmaLinux] $ sudo pacman -S curl git mpv jq fzf yt-dlp [On Arch Linux] $ sudo zypper install curl git mpv jq fzf yt-dlp [On OpenSUSE]
Next, clone the latest ytfzf (a script to find and watch youtube videos from the terminal) release as shown.
$ git clone https://github.com/pystardust/ytfzf $ cd ytfzf $ sudo make install doc $ ytfzf -h
Once installed, you can start ytfzf from the terminal.
$ ytfzf
Search for a Youtube video from the provided prompt window.
The resulting search result page should look like the following:
Use the keyboard arrow keys to navigate to the video of your choice and press [Enter] to start playing Youtube video in the Linux terminal.
To quit ytfzf, use keyboard keys [Ctrl]+c. More usage options on ytfzf can be found by running the command:
$ ytfzf -h
ytfzf makes it possible to interact with YouTube videos from the comfort of the Linux terminal environment. Let us know how you plan to use ytfzf for your Linux projects by leaving a comment or feedback.
