Alternative to youtube: freetube

Tips, Tricks and Tutorials Tips & Tricks
#1

Now, as you may know by now youtube is blocking adblockers and forcing you to sit through twin 30-second unskippable ads most times you want to watch a video.

Now, to install freetube, you can install it from discover/gnome software for gui method or you could type this in your terminal: flatpak install flathub io.freetubeapp.FreeTube .

Or if you want deb, download it through here: FreeTube - The Private YouTube Client

Glad to help!

Then you are finally free of the tyrannical rule of the evil corporation and their ad partners()

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#2

I've been using Freetube for a while as an APPIMAGE.
It works quite well.

If/when some clever dev makes an extension to totally defeat all of yt's BS that will be a very happy day IMO.

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#3

I am relatively new to Linux, I've been using Linux for the last four years but never heard about Freetube, that sounds like good way to watch youtube videos without adds, but what I am using is Brave browser and is very efficient on blocking adds on youtube and every web page that I visit. it's also very efficient with using hardware resources, it's not as resource hungry as chrome/chromium.

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#4

Welcome @snowman to the community!

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#5

There's a Flatpak for it if you guys are interested:

Thanks for your contribution @Basil_Cat

I've been using Brave browser without any problems but it's always great to have other FLOSS alternatives :penguin:

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#6

Nice feature of FreeTube is to use mpv as external Player.
... supports Hardware video acceleration

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#7

Term reports "error: No remote refs found for ‘flathub’"

Then, when trying to download the deb...this: "Blocked - Dangerous"

I rarely run into these warnings and errors when downloading FOSS so I'm a bit concerned.

Ubuntu 22.04 & Brave browser.

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#8

Canonical and Flatpaks are not best friends :smiley:

You can configure your system for Flatpak / Flathub or use the AppImage.

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#9

Maybe you haven't added the Flathub repository to your system yet. Have you followed this tutorial? I think Step 3 is what you need :slightly_smiling_face:

https://flatpak.org/setup/Ubuntu

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#10

This suggestion worked. Installing the FreeTube app now. Haven't run it yet but, looking like it'll be fine.

I did have to manually install the app as just clicking the download gave an error message.

Anyway, THANKS!

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#11

Glad it worked pal :smile:

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#12

Up and running. Used term to start it. Odd couple pages of error messages about 'can't connect to bus', 'can't find directory' 'Failed to export buffer' but the app popped up and was installed in the Menu too so on my desktop now. Listening to Mozart.

Good looking app! Should be my go to player for Youtube from now on. Good job by the coders.

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#13

Wonderful. Leave the developer a star if you wish: GitHub - FreeTubeApp/FreeTube: An Open Source YouTube app for privacy :slightly_smiling_face:

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#14

FreeTube falls back to the invidious protocol, another way to access the evil demon without all the tracking and profiling, available through any browser but best through the TOR browser - Well noted @Basil_Cat. :+1:
https://api.invidious.io/

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#16

Welcome @Honeybuil to the community!

#17

I don't like ads anymore than anyone else but tolerate some unobtrusive ads now and then
These sites have to make money so it is ads or pay for content. Keep that in mind.

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#18

Ads is not really a problem, some browsers block the most privacy intrusive ones already.
But youtube vids with age restrictions that force you to create an account and login are tiresome. This is where Freetube is a breath of fresh air. :slight_smile:

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#19

I agree that it isn't totally about the ads, and...
If/when I go to start a yt video, but instead yt takes control of that visit & forces me to completely tolerate 2 short commercials for large corporate services which I will NEVER use - it is that hijacking control to which I object.

My browser now has several tools for avoiding that hijacking & if/when it seems like a good idea Freetube can be opened.

Reading this whole thread has me wondering...:
If thre exists a choice between snap, flatpak or appimage - why does it seem as if many folks tend to avoid using appimage files ??

#20

Yes, that is something I also really hate.
It's my computer and if the website is restricting or rightout denying me the control over my browser (mouseclick-hijacking and mouseclick-blocking anyone ? redirecting without my consent etc. etc.) then I get really annoyed. To me it borders on criminal behaviour. Not that there is much to do about it.

If their service is not "unique and highly needed", I block them from my searchresults (browserplugin: uBlacklist)

Until webbrowser-developers stop giving the reigns of the browser to webpages or create a button to block such dangerous behaviour, I have tampermonkey as plugin in my browsers and I use the developers-console a lot.

Actually, it is pretty ridiculous that we have to fight and partially disable parts of the websites we visit, just to get a normal user experience.

No idea, really.

  1. I have one or two snaps installed that came with the system.

  2. When I needed temporarily an upgraded version of Avidemux I used the appimage from their site. I really like the way it works without administrative- and systemcontrol overhead

  3. I actually never used flatpaks. I've tried some, out of curiousness, but to me the result doesn't seem to be worth the hassle.

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#21

I agree with TKN 100%.
My computer is MINE to use & control as I see fit.

As to yt itself - it has crossed the line between mildly annoying into being a total nuisance now & to avoid using it is the easiest method for me.

Back when I was a daily windoze user, portable apps were a great way of minimizing system overhead that clearly worked well;
When I finally went to 100% Linux use, it was great to find that APPIMAGEs were this OS's way of making apps portable so I use those whenever possible.