FreeTube

Resources

FreeTube is a Free and Open Source client for YouTube built with privacy in mind. Its goal is to make a front end that would interface with YouTube without its users needing to run proprietary JavaScript code. It can connect both directly to YouTube's servers or route the connection through invidious. FreeTube supports both x86_64 and arm64, and it is currently still in beta.

Installation

Note
This guide was created for the x86_64 platform. On arm64 there might be arch-specific settings to change.

Installing with eselect-repository

FreeTube is not available in the official gentoo repository, but it is available in the GURU repository and other repositories as well.

There are both source and binary versions of FreeTube available. This guide will give instructions for both.

Installing the binary version

To install from eselect repository app-eselect/eselect-repository and dev-vcs/git

root #emerge --ask dev-vcs/git app-eselect/eselect-repository

Add the GURU repository:

root #eselect repository enable guru

Then sync the repositories:

root #emaint sync -r guru

freetube-bin is likely to be masked with the ~amd64 keyword. To unmask it:

FILE /etc/portage/package.keywords/package.keywords

net-misc/freetube-bin ~amd64

And Finally, install freetube-bin:

root #emerge --ask net-misc/freetube-bin

Building FreeTube from source code

FreeTube was moved from media-sound to media-video category

Source version of FreeTube can be installed from the zGentoo repository.

To install from eselect repository app-eselect/eselect-repository and dev-vcs/git

root #emerge --ask dev-vcs/git app-eselect/eselect-repository

Add the zGentoo repository:

root #eselect repository enable zGentoo

Then sync the repositories:

root #emaint sync -r zGentoo

FreeTube is likely to be masked with the ~amd64 keyword. To unmask it:

FILE /etc/portage/package.keywords/package.keywords

media-video/freetube ~amd64

And finally, compile and install FreeTube:

root #emerge --ask media-video/freetube

Installing with a custom ebuild repository

Besides installing FreeTube through overlays, there is also an option to install it with a repository created on your system locally. This guide will assume that you have your custom repository already set up and that it is located in /usr/local/portage. See creating an ebuild repository for more info.

Installing the binary version

Download the ebuild (Example source: [gpo.zugaina.org])

root #cd /usr/local/portage/

root #mkdir -p net-misc/freetube-bin && cd net-misc/freetube-bin

root #cp $HOME/Downloads/freetube-bin-0.16.0.ebuild .

root #pkgdev manifest

freetube-bin is likely to be masked with the ~amd64 keyword. To unmask it:

FILE /etc/portage/package.keywords/package.keywords

net-misc/freetube-bin ~amd64

emerge:

root #emerge --ask net-misc/freetube-bin

Installing the source version

Warning
The package versions in this guide might be outdated. Please make sure that you have the latest version first.

Download the ebuild (Example source: gpo.zugaina.org)

root #cd /usr/local/portage/

root #mkdir -p media-sound/freetube && cd media-sound/freetube

root #cp $HOME/Downloads/freetube-0.16.0.ebuild .

root #pkgdev manifest

FreeTube is likely to be masked with the ~amd64 keyword. To unmask it:

FILE /etc/portage/package.keywords/package.keywords

media-sound/freetube ~amd64

emerge:

root #emerge --ask media-sound/freetube

Flatpak Installation

FreeTube also has a Flatpak version.

Install Flatpak:

root #emerge --ask sys-apps/flatpak

Download the official FreeTube flatpakref:

root #wget https://dl.flathub.org/repo/appstream/io.freetubeapp.FreeTube.flatpakref

Install:

root #flatpak install flathub io.freetubeapp.FreeTube

Run through the command line:

user $flatpak run io.freetubeapp.FreeTube

See Flatpak for more information.

AppImage Installation

Most appimages, including FreeTube, requires sys-fs/fuse for them to work.

root #emerge --ask sys-fs/fuse

Download the .appimage file:

user $wget https://github.com/FreeTubeApp/FreeTube/releases/download/v0.16.0-beta/FreeTube_0.16.0_amd64.AppImage

Make the .appimage file executable:

user $chmod +x FreeTube_0.16.0_amd64.AppImage

Run FreeTube:

user $./FreeTube_0.16.0_amd64.AppImage

See Appimage for more information.

Removal

Portage Version

To remove the binary package:

root #emerge --unmerge net-misc/freetube-bin

To remove the source package:

root #emerge --unmerge media-sound/freetube

https://docs.appimage.org/

Flatpak Version

root #flatpak remove io.freetubeapp.FreeTube

Data Location

User Directories

User directories for FreeTube. For more information on customizing check out the External resources.

Linux Filesystem

$HOME/.config/FreeTube

Flatpak Version

$HOME/.var/app/io.freetubeapp.FreeTube/config/FreeTube/

Notable Files

Linux Filesystem

$HOME/.config/FreeTube/profiles.db

$HOME/.config/FreeTube/settings.db

$HOME/.config/FreeTube/playlists.db

$HOME/.config/FreeTube/history.db

Flatpak Version

$HOME/.var/app/io.freetubeapp.FreeTube/config/FreeTube/profiles.db

$HOME/.var/app/io.freetubeapp.FreeTube/config/FreeTube/settings.db

$HOME/.var/app/io.freetubeapp.FreeTube/config/FreeTube/playlists.db

$HOME/.var/app/io.freetubeapp.FreeTube/config/FreeTube/history.db

External resources

https://docs.freetubeapp.io/ - Official FreeTube docummentation.

https://docs.appimage.org/ - AppImage docummentation