Windows 7 SP1 x64
ClipGrab 3.9.7

ClipGrab uses yt-dlp to download YouTube audio and video files. I
recently had problems in which the result is an empty file. I think
updating yt-dlp might resolve those problems, but I do not know how to
do that update.

GitHib hosts the development and distribution of yt-dlp. However, I
cannot figure out how to get the latest binary or how to install it.
Searching GitHub, I keep going around in circles. Can anyone help me?

By the way, installing ClipGrab is known also to install nagware. This
can be defeated by downloading the ClipGrab installer and then disabling
the Internet connection before executing the installer.

--
David E. Ross
<http://www.rosde.com/>

X (previously known as Twitter) is the place where truth goes to die.

In message <uj8epj$2u55g$1@dont-email.me> at Fri, 17 Nov 2023 11:26:40,
David E. Ross <nobody@nowhere.invalid> writes
>Windows 7 SP1 x64
>ClipGrab 3.9.7
>
>ClipGrab uses yt-dlp to download YouTube audio and video files. I
>recently had problems in which the result is an empty file. I think
>updating yt-dlp might resolve those problems, but I do not know how to
>do that update.

Open a command prompt in the directory where yt-dlp.exe is (or go there
once you've opened the command prompt, using the cd command), and type

yt-dlp -U

(note: capital U)

You can type

yt-dlp --version

(note two "-"s) before and after the -U, to see what version you
had/have.
>
>GitHib hosts the development and distribution of yt-dlp. However, I
>cannot figure out how to get the latest binary or how to install it.
>Searching GitHub, I keep going around in circles. Can anyone help me?

Yes, GitHub pages aren't for the faint-hearted, are they!
>
>By the way, installing ClipGrab is known also to install nagware. This
>can be defeated by downloading the ClipGrab installer and then disabling
>the Internet connection before executing the installer.
>
I've found yt-dlp simple enough to use on its own. I have it in a
folder, and a shortcut to open a command prompt there (I usually leave
it open), and just go there and type y space alt-space E P enter
whenever I want a download (which appears in that directory). [To save
typing, I've renamed yt-dlp.exe to y.exe; the upgrade keeps the name, so
I just type "y -U". Just did it: updated from 2023.09.24 to 2023.11.16.]
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

To keep leaf vegetables clean and crisp, cook lightly, then plunge into iced
water (the vegetables, that is). - manual for a Russell Hobbs electric steamer

On 11/17/2023 12:15 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> In message <uj8epj$2u55g$1@dont-email.me> at Fri, 17 Nov 2023 11:26:40,
> David E. Ross <nobody@nowhere.invalid> writes
>> Windows 7 SP1 x64
>> ClipGrab 3.9.7
>>
>> ClipGrab uses yt-dlp to download YouTube audio and video files. I
>> recently had problems in which the result is an empty file. I think
>> updating yt-dlp might resolve those problems, but I do not know how to
>> do that update.
>
> Open a command prompt in the directory where yt-dlp.exe is (or go there
> once you've opened the command prompt, using the cd command), and type
>
> yt-dlp -U
>
> (note: capital U)
>
> You can type
>
> yt-dlp --version
>
> (note two "-"s) before and after the -U, to see what version you
> had/have.

I tried yt-dlp -U, but it does not seem to work. I do not get a new
yt-dlp file. I tried it with yt-dlp.exe in
[C:\Users\David\AppData\Roaming\ClipGrab\ClipGrab], which is where
ClipGrab wants yt-dlp. I also tried it with yt-dlp.exe in my
[C:Installs]. No new yt-dlp was created.

--
David E. Ross
<http://www.rosde.com/>

X (previously known as Twitter) is the place where truth goes to die.

On Fri, 17 Nov 2023 20:15:46 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:

>In message <uj8epj$2u55g$1@dont-email.me> at Fri, 17 Nov 2023 11:26:40,
>David E. Ross <nobody@nowhere.invalid> writes
>>Windows 7 SP1 x64
>>ClipGrab 3.9.7
>>
>>ClipGrab uses yt-dlp to download YouTube audio and video files. I
>>recently had problems in which the result is an empty file. I think
>>updating yt-dlp might resolve those problems, but I do not know how to
>>do that update.
>
>Open a command prompt in the directory where yt-dlp.exe is (or go there
>once you've opened the command prompt, using the cd command), and type
>
> yt-dlp -U
>
>(note: capital U)
>
>You can type
>
> yt-dlp --version
>
>(note two "-"s) before and after the -U, to see what version you
>had/have.
>>
>>GitHib hosts the development and distribution of yt-dlp. However, I
>>cannot figure out how to get the latest binary or how to install it.
>>Searching GitHub, I keep going around in circles. Can anyone help me?
>
>Yes, GitHub pages aren't for the faint-hearted, are they!
>>
>>By the way, installing ClipGrab is known also to install nagware. This
>>can be defeated by downloading the ClipGrab installer and then disabling
>>the Internet connection before executing the installer.
>>
>I've found yt-dlp simple enough to use on its own. I have it in a
>folder, and a shortcut to open a command prompt there (I usually leave
>it open), and just go there and type y space alt-space E P enter
>whenever I want a download (which appears in that directory). [To save
>typing, I've renamed yt-dlp.exe to y.exe; the upgrade keeps the name, so
>I just type "y -U". Just did it: updated from 2023.09.24 to 2023.11.16.]

We do similar. I added (prepended) the letter 'q' to the yt-dlp filename so that
in order to use it I would type q tab space right-click. It means moving from
the keyboard to the mouse, but I get to avoid the Command Prompt menu system.

On Fri, 17 Nov 2023 17:42:03 -0800, "David E. Ross" <nobody@nowhere.invalid>
wrote:

>On 11/17/2023 12:15 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>> In message <uj8epj$2u55g$1@dont-email.me> at Fri, 17 Nov 2023 11:26:40,
>> David E. Ross <nobody@nowhere.invalid> writes
>>> Windows 7 SP1 x64
>>> ClipGrab 3.9.7
>>>
>>> ClipGrab uses yt-dlp to download YouTube audio and video files. I
>>> recently had problems in which the result is an empty file. I think
>>> updating yt-dlp might resolve those problems, but I do not know how to
>>> do that update.
>>
>> Open a command prompt in the directory where yt-dlp.exe is (or go there
>> once you've opened the command prompt, using the cd command), and type
>>
>> yt-dlp -U
>>
>> (note: capital U)
>>
>> You can type
>>
>> yt-dlp --version
>>
>> (note two "-"s) before and after the -U, to see what version you
>> had/have.
>
>I tried yt-dlp -U, but it does not seem to work. I do not get a new
>yt-dlp file. I tried it with yt-dlp.exe in
>[C:\Users\David\AppData\Roaming\ClipGrab\ClipGrab], which is where
>ClipGrab wants yt-dlp. I also tried it with yt-dlp.exe in my
>[C:Installs]. No new yt-dlp was created.

When you're trying to update that program, you must:
1) either be in the directory where it resides, or you must specify the path to
the directory where it resides; and
2) refer to it by whatever you've called it, which might be yt-dlp.exe. Note
that the extension can usually be dropped, so yt-dlp is also likely to work.

Above, when you say it "does not seem to work", I'm assuming you actually
received a 'file not found' type of error message.

On 11/17/2023 7:16 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
> On Fri, 17 Nov 2023 17:42:03 -0800, "David E. Ross" <nobody@nowhere.invalid>
> wrote:
>
>> On 11/17/2023 12:15 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>>> In message <uj8epj$2u55g$1@dont-email.me> at Fri, 17 Nov 2023 11:26:40,
>>> David E. Ross <nobody@nowhere.invalid> writes
>>>> Windows 7 SP1 x64
>>>> ClipGrab 3.9.7
>>>>
>>>> ClipGrab uses yt-dlp to download YouTube audio and video files. I
>>>> recently had problems in which the result is an empty file. I think
>>>> updating yt-dlp might resolve those problems, but I do not know how to
>>>> do that update.
>>>
>>> Open a command prompt in the directory where yt-dlp.exe is (or go there
>>> once you've opened the command prompt, using the cd command), and type
>>>
>>> yt-dlp -U
>>>
>>> (note: capital U)
>>>
>>> You can type
>>>
>>> yt-dlp --version
>>>
>>> (note two "-"s) before and after the -U, to see what version you
>>> had/have.
>>
>> I tried yt-dlp -U, but it does not seem to work. I do not get a new
>> yt-dlp file. I tried it with yt-dlp.exe in
>> [C:\Users\David\AppData\Roaming\ClipGrab\ClipGrab], which is where
>> ClipGrab wants yt-dlp. I also tried it with yt-dlp.exe in my
>> [C:Installs]. No new yt-dlp was created.
>
> When you're trying to update that program, you must:
> 1) either be in the directory where it resides, or you must specify the path to
> the directory where it resides; and
> 2) refer to it by whatever you've called it, which might be yt-dlp.exe. Note
> that the extension can usually be dropped, so yt-dlp is also likely to work.
>
> Above, when you say it "does not seem to work", I'm assuming you actually
> received a 'file not found' type of error message.
>

I tried installing via Windows pseudo-DOS. The current directory was
where yt-dlp.exe was located, so I did not specify a directory. It
seemed that yt-dlp.exe was doing something since I did not immediately
receive a new command prompt.

After attempting to install it, I used Everything to seach all three of
my disc partitions. The only yt-dlp results were the old version and
the .exe installer. I tried deleting the old yt-dlp, but that still did
not yield a new one. (Fortunately, I did not empty the Recycle Bin and
thus was able to restore the old version.)

--
David E. Ross
<http://www.rosde.com/>

X (previously known as Twitter) is the place where truth goes to die.

On 11/17/2023 11:26 AM, David E. Ross wrote:
> Windows 7 SP1 x64
> ClipGrab 3.9.7
>
> ClipGrab uses yt-dlp to download YouTube audio and video files. I
> recently had problems in which the result is an empty file. I think
> updating yt-dlp might resolve those problems, but I do not know how to
> do that update.
>
> GitHib hosts the development and distribution of yt-dlp. However, I
> cannot figure out how to get the latest binary or how to install it.
> Searching GitHub, I keep going around in circles. Can anyone help me?
>
> By the way, installing ClipGrab is known also to install nagware. This
> can be defeated by downloading the ClipGrab installer and then disabling
> the Internet connection before executing the installer.
>
I deleted yt-dlp and then launched ClipGrab. ClipGrab complained about
the lack of yt-dlp and offered to get it. I accepted the offer.
ClipGrab downloaded and install the NEW version (dated yesterday).

--
David E. Ross
<http://www.rosde.com/>

X (previously known as Twitter) is the place where truth goes to die.

On 11/17/2023 2:26 PM, David E. Ross wrote:
> Windows 7 SP1 x64
> ClipGrab 3.9.7
>
> ClipGrab uses yt-dlp to download YouTube audio and video files. I
> recently had problems in which the result is an empty file. I think
> updating yt-dlp might resolve those problems, but I do not know how to
> do that update.
>
> GitHib hosts the development and distribution of yt-dlp. However, I
> cannot figure out how to get the latest binary or how to install it.
> Searching GitHub, I keep going around in circles. Can anyone help me?
>
> By the way, installing ClipGrab is known also to install nagware. This
> can be defeated by downloading the ClipGrab installer and then disabling
> the Internet connection before executing the installer.
>

One of the secrets is using a good browser. Some of the graphical features
in Github, have been engineered to only work in the latest browsers.

That's why I just started W11 bash and launched my Firefox from there.
(I run a Linux Firefox on a Windows computer :-) )

https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp#installation

File Description

yt-dlp.exe Windows (Win7 SP1+) standalone x64 binary (recommended for Windows)

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

This is what I got. I changed the name so it would not overwrite the
one I've already got.

Name: yt-dlp-Nov2023-x64.exe
Size: 14,200,334 bytes (13 MiB)
SHA256: 6DE14B1127AF1C314864AE0CB04C91EBBF61C230B9CBFB316EADE9EA9C5CD982

7ZIP won't open it. That is because it is packed in a weird way,
with what seems to be a kind of "raw" zlib thing. I can see the
two byte code declaring ZLib, but haven't convinced any tool to work
with it (yet). ZLibs normally have a header and trailer, and this
is why regular tools won't open this.

https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/6de14b1127af1c314864ae0cb04c91ebbf61c230b9cbfb316eade9ea9c5cd982/details

Packer: PyInstaller Overlay: zlib archive

There are tools for it, but I don't want to go on a "custom tool crusade".

*******

https://github.com/yt-dlp/FFmpeg-Builds

There is a Downloads subtitle, and some rectangular buttons underneath.

https://github.com/yt-dlp/FFmpeg-Builds/releases/download/latest/ffmpeg-master-latest-win64-gpl.zip

Name: ffmpeg-master-latest-win64-gpl.zip
Size: 135,848,925 bytes (129 MiB)
SHA256: 74D8C238969C42EE4D777932DC5068A0C8FDFD66DF4D8334AC82CBB7E2361F6A

When unpacked, any time ffmpeg.exe is being used as a helper,
you can try dropping it into the same folder as the executable
that got installed for the main package. You could stick the
file, anywhere that shows up in your %path%. It may not "go" into
the Program Files folder, because that is owned by TrustedInstaller.

The purpose of FFMPEG in this context, is as a re-mux. If the downloader
downloads a "Best video-only stream" and a "Best audio-only stream",
FFMPEG is used as a post-processor, to make a single video file with
audio and video streams inside, ready to play as a movie. Unless you
pass a parameter to stop it, yt-dlp will erase the component parts,
and only the FFMPEG output is given to you.

There is an assumption in this behavior, that the FFMPEG step worked
and made a "good" movie.

If you play the movie and the audio isn't working, if you kept the
component parts, you might only need to download a different audio
and glue that to the movie instead. I've had to do that a couple times.

yt-dlp has lots of command line parameters, and it can download content
from 10,000 web sites. For example, it knows about my local news station
and how their stuff is set up. On one of my news sites, it even pulled
an entire collection of vids about a corrupt local politician, about 500MB worth,
and it made quite an impact playing all those later. The news web page had
only shown one vid, but apparently there were a ton of links in the
HTML just sitting there. This means, occasionally, if will "go mining"
and bring all sorts of stuff back.

Paul

On Fri, 17 Nov 2023 20:48:06 -0800, "David E. Ross" <nobody@nowhere.invalid>
wrote:

>On 11/17/2023 11:26 AM, David E. Ross wrote:
>> Windows 7 SP1 x64
>> ClipGrab 3.9.7
>>
>> ClipGrab uses yt-dlp to download YouTube audio and video files. I
>> recently had problems in which the result is an empty file. I think
>> updating yt-dlp might resolve those problems, but I do not know how to
>> do that update.
>>
>> GitHib hosts the development and distribution of yt-dlp. However, I
>> cannot figure out how to get the latest binary or how to install it.
>> Searching GitHub, I keep going around in circles. Can anyone help me?
>>
>> By the way, installing ClipGrab is known also to install nagware. This
>> can be defeated by downloading the ClipGrab installer and then disabling
>> the Internet connection before executing the installer.
>>
>I deleted yt-dlp and then launched ClipGrab. ClipGrab complained about
>the lack of yt-dlp and offered to get it. I accepted the offer.
>ClipGrab downloaded and install the NEW version (dated yesterday).

That seems like a strange way to get the latest version but it appears to have
worked. I commend you on your resourcefulness.

In message <4h8glitngdj24d4n8ub88af3p6lcp3083k@4ax.com> at Fri, 17 Nov
2023 20:36:20, Char Jackson <none@none.invalid> writes
>On Fri, 17 Nov 2023 20:15:46 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
[]
>>I've found yt-dlp simple enough to use on its own. I have it in a
>>folder, and a shortcut to open a command prompt there (I usually leave
>>it open), and just go there and type y space alt-space E P enter
>>whenever I want a download (which appears in that directory). [To save
>>typing, I've renamed yt-dlp.exe to y.exe; the upgrade keeps the name, so
>>I just type "y -U". Just did it: updated from 2023.09.24 to 2023.11.16.]
>
>We do similar. I added (prepended) the letter 'q' to the yt-dlp
>filename so that
>in order to use it I would type q tab space right-click. It means moving from
>the keyboard to the mouse, but I get to avoid the Command Prompt menu system.
>
Renaming it to just y.exe saves me the space right-click. (And I find
alt-space E P quicker than the mouse, but that might be because I'm
left-handed.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

what - recession? Up north? What we gonna have - more nowt?
(News Quiz 2013-7-26)

In message <61lglih0dn5nme3dgob3bl4mthk343dmn7@4ax.com> at Sat, 18 Nov
2023 00:06:54, Char Jackson <none@none.invalid> writes
>On Fri, 17 Nov 2023 20:48:06 -0800, "David E. Ross" <nobody@nowhere.invalid>
>wrote:
[]
>>I deleted yt-dlp and then launched ClipGrab. ClipGrab complained about
>>the lack of yt-dlp and offered to get it. I accepted the offer.
>>ClipGrab downloaded and install the NEW version (dated yesterday).
>
>That seems like a strange way to get the latest version but it appears to have
>worked. I commend you on your resourcefulness.
>
Indeed! I'm still surprised "yt-dlp -U" didn't work, but whatever does
for you.

One possibility for why it didn't work: I don't know how yt-dlp does its
upgrading, but back in the days of yt-dl, I discovered that it did it by
creating a batch file and then running it (IIRR it deleted the batch
file when it was done) - and that failed if there was a space in the
path name. I can't remember what showed when it failed, though, or how
it failed. IIRR it downloaded the new version with a new name, then
deleted the old version, then renamed the downloaded new version to what
the old one had been called, then deleted the batch file; I can't
remember at what stage it failed. If yt-dlp upgrades in a similar
manner, it might be failing for that reason (e. g. if you have it in a
directory that has "Program Files" in it somewhere; I have my copy in
D:\videos\yt-dlp, and run it there, moving downloaded video files after
I've got them.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

what - recession? Up north? What we gonna have - more nowt?
(News Quiz 2013-7-26)

"Paul" <nospam@needed.invalid> wrote

| One of the secrets is using a good browser. Some of the graphical features
| in Github, have been engineered to only work in the latest browsers.
| | That's why I just started W11 bash and launched my Firefox from there.
| (I run a Linux Firefox on a Windows computer :-) )
| | https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp#installation
| | File Description
| | yt-dlp.exe Windows (Win7 SP1+) standalone x64 binary (recommended for
Windows)
| | https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases/latest/download/yt-dlp.exe
|

I see those downloads fine with New Moon on XP and script
disabled. But it often takes some looking around. In this case
it was on the first page where I looked, though the page
layout with github is horrendous and there seems to be little
standard. When there are no official, compiled downloads, for
example, that can sometimes be hard to figure out. I assumed
that was due to geek arrogance punishing anyone who wasn't
intending to compile their own from source.

On Sat, 18 Nov 2023 07:51:05 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:

>In message <4h8glitngdj24d4n8ub88af3p6lcp3083k@4ax.com> at Fri, 17 Nov
>2023 20:36:20, Char Jackson <none@none.invalid> writes
>>On Fri, 17 Nov 2023 20:15:46 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
>[]
>>>I've found yt-dlp simple enough to use on its own. I have it in a
>>>folder, and a shortcut to open a command prompt there (I usually leave
>>>it open), and just go there and type y space alt-space E P enter
>>>whenever I want a download (which appears in that directory). [To save
>>>typing, I've renamed yt-dlp.exe to y.exe; the upgrade keeps the name, so
>>>I just type "y -U". Just did it: updated from 2023.09.24 to 2023.11.16.]
>>
>>We do similar. I added (prepended) the letter 'q' to the yt-dlp
>>filename so that
>>in order to use it I would type q tab space right-click. It means moving from
>>the keyboard to the mouse, but I get to avoid the Command Prompt menu system.
>>
>Renaming it to just y.exe saves me the space right-click.

It only saves you the tab.

>(And I find
>alt-space E P quicker than the mouse, but that might be because I'm
>left-handed.)

Could be. For me, a single mouse click is faster and easier than 4 keypresses.

On 11/18/23 13:15, Char Jackson wrote:

[snip]

>
>> (And I find
>> alt-space E P quicker than the mouse, but that might be because I'm
>> left-handed.)
>
> Could be. For me, a single mouse click is faster and easier than 4 keypresses.

At least if you've just used the mouse, and still have a hand on it.

--
36 days until the winter celebration (Monday, December 25, 2023 12:00 AM
for 1 day).

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"One does well to put on gloves when reading the New Testament. The
proximity of so much uncleanliness almost forces one to do this."
[Fredrich Nietzsche]