Invidious is an alternative front-end to YouTube, Invidious does not use the official YouTube API, instead it parses the source code of the YouTube site to get the necessary information (such as projects like youtube-dl and NewPipe.
While processing most user requests through the server it is installed on, which positively affects users. The project code is written in the Crystal programming language, uses the PostgreSQL DBMS and is distributed under the AGPLv3 + license.
Invidious indeed is analogous to the rather popular earlier web service HookTube , whose author, in July last year (a week after Invidious was announced), received a warning letter from Google about his violation of the YouTube API terms of use and was forced to stop "Normal" work of your service.
The main purpose of HookTube was to send user requests to Google's servers (YouTube), which, although it improved the privacy of users and also allowed them to view and download videos (including those with geo-restrictions, for example).
Invidious is currently on a monthly release cycle y is intended to provide administrators of their own Invidious instances with more or less relevant and stable source code enhancements.
Invidious Features
invidious It allows users to watch YouTube videos without advertising and without Google tracking.
At this point, the Invidious API uses the FreeTube app, MusicPiped music player, and the CloudTube website.
On the other hand, the possibility of importing / exporting subscriptions in Invidious is also highlighted (including NewPipe format), browsing history and settings. RSS support for YouTube feeds and custom feeds.
As well as the ability to manage subscriptions, to show only unvisited videos and the most recent videos, delivery of notifications about new videos, import of subscriptions from YouTube.
Another pretty cool feature of Invidious is the ability to embed Invidious videos on other sites' pages. Both directly and from YouTube (using a script).
It is also noteworthy that Invidious provides its own API for developers. Of the other features that can be highlighted in this front-end we find:
- Audio only mode (no need to keep window open on mobile)
- Free software (AGPLv3 license)
- In Invidious there are no ads or user tracking
- No need to create a Google account to save subscriptions
- Lightweight (homepage is ~ 4KB compressed)
- Dark mode
- Integrated stand
- Set the default player options (speed, quality, autoplay, loop).
- The ability to view the video without including JavaScript
- Support for Reddit comments instead of YT comments
- Doesn't use any of YouTube's official APIs
- Bypass blocking in case the video is not available for the user's country
- Developer API
Those interested in trying Invidious should know whate can visit the web page where the service is installed the link is this.
Or they can download the code from the front-end and mount it personally on a server.
How to install Invidious?
For those interested in mounting this front-end on a server or on their system on their personal computer.
But before it is necessary to have some dependencies necessary for the operation of Invidious, so we have to install them first.
If they are Users of Arch Linux, Manjaro, Antergos or any other derivative of Arch linux should open a terminal and type the following:
sudo pacman -S shards crystal imagemagick librsvg postgresql
In the case of those who are users of Debian, Ubuntu or any derivative of these, we will type the following:
curl -sSL https://dist.crystal-lang.org/apt/setup.sh | sudo bash
curl -sL "https://keybase.io/crystal/pgp_keys.asc" | sudo apt-key add -
echo "deb https://dist.crystal-lang.org/apt crystal main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/crystal.list
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt install crystal libssl-dev libxml2-dev libyaml-dev libgmp-dev libreadline-dev librsvg2-dev postgresql imagemagick libsqlite3-dev
Done this now we are going to download the Invidious installer script:
wget https://github.com/tmiland/Invidious-Updater/raw/master/invidious_update.sh
sudo chmod +x invidious_update.sh
sudo ./invidious_update.sh
Hello, good afternoon.
✗ Error: Sorry, your OS is not supported.
Manjaro 18 KDE | Kernel 4.20.13-1-Manjaro.
«If they are users of Arch Linux, Manjaro, Antergos or any other derivative of Arch linux, they should open a terminal and type the following:
sudo pacman -S shards crystal imagemagick librsvg postgresql
wget https://github.com/tmiland/Invidious-Updater/raw/master/invidious_update.sh
sudo chmod + x invidious_update.sh
sudo ./invidious_update.sh
✗ Error: Sorry, your OS is not supported.
Well, it turns out that I am an Arch Linux user (Manjaro) and I have tried to install it following the instructions.
Result "OS not supported error".
On another occasion, I hope you will be more rigorous with your publications and not waste your readers' time.
In Arch and derivatives the installation process is much more complicated than what is published here.
For those who want to see all the necessary steps:
https://github.com/omarroth/invidious
And won't the same thing happen to them as HookTube?
As I understand it, the problem with HookTube was not using the YT API with which 90% of the contents were inaccessible.
In this case, the same may not happen or at least not in the same percentage because:
a) Invidious does not use the official YouTube API, instead it parses the source code of the YouTube site to obtain the necessary information (such as projects like youtube-dl and NewPipe)
b) The Invidious API uses the FreeTube app, the MusicPiped music player, and the CloudTube website
The only way to know is by using it although I am not inclined to install it on my computers.
But you are not talking about the downfall and bad side of it.
If people will get to watch videos without ads, then creators who creates and put videos will also eventually stop making videos because there wouldn't be no motivation to continue making videos if they would not be making money off their videos.