Minitube: Slimline YouTube Client
Anyone wanting to watch just a short video on YouTube probably won't need Minitube, for those that want more, it's a must-have app.
Minitube is a classic Unix program for the playback of YouTube films. Enter a keyword and the program will retrieve all relative URLs from YouTube and play them one after the other. With a binary of just 440KByte, Minitube does without Flashplayer, is advertisement-free and relies fully on the Phonon framework for audio and video support.
Made in Italy.
The QT programmed tool was created by the Italian Flavio Tordini. A binary for Linux, Mac OSX and as source code under the GPLv3 is available for download. A free BSD port also. QT in version 4.5 at least, is required. Playback on the KDE multimedia framework will call for the installation of the relative packages.
Once the tar-gz archive is unpacked, start the program via the console with ./minitube. Enter keyword and a list of suggestions (similar to Google) will be shown. A click loads the available videos and playback starts automatically.
Something with Linux? Minitube helps you choose.
Minitube remembers used keywords and provides a list for speedy access.
The Player.
The graphic interface is easily explained. In most cases, a simple click on the full-screen button will get things running. Tabs let you decide if you want to watch the newest, most-viewed or highest rated videos. The default QT mode will select highest rated videos.
Don't like the video? Click the skip button or press [Ctrl]+[Right]. With [Ctrl]+[Y] the video will open on the YouTube homepage. Here however, you will need the Flashplayer plugin to play the videos.
Type in the keyword and press enter. The playlist for the evenings viewing is quickly filled.
More than this, Minitube can't do, but generally speaking, if all you want to do is watch a couple of really good vids, what more do you need?
Conclusion.
It's been a long time since I found a program that works out of the box and does what the blurb says it should. Minitube belongs on every multimedia PC.
Issue 263/2022
Buy this issue as a PDF
News
-
Deepin 23 Preview Release is Available For Testing
The developers of Deepin have made a preview release of their latest offering available with three exciting new features.
-
The First Point Release For Ubuntu 22.04 is Now Available
Canonical has released the first point upgrade for Jammy Jellyfish which includes important new toolchains and fixes.
-
Kali Linux 2022.3 Released
From the creators of the most popular penetration testing distributions on the planet, comes a new release with some new tools and a community, real-time chat option.
-
The 14" Pinebook Pro Linux Laptop is Shipping
After a considerable delay, the 14" version of the Pinebook Pro laptop is, once again, available for purchase.
-
OpenMandriva Lx ROME Technical Preview Released
OpenMandriva’s rolling release distribution technical preview has been released for testing purposes and adds some of the latest/greatest software into the mix.
-
Linux Mint 21 is Now Available
The latest iteration of Linux Mint, codenamed Vanessa, has been released with a new upgrade tool and other fantastic features.
-
Firefox Adds Long-Anticipated Feature
Firefox 103 has arrived and it now includes a feature users have long awaited…sort of.
-
System76 Refreshes Their Popular Oryx Pro Laptop with a New CPU
The System76 Oryx Pro laptop has been relaunched with a 12th Gen CPU and more powerful graphics options.
-
Elive Has Released a New Beta
The Elive team is proud to announce the latest beta version (3.8.30) of its Enlightenment-centric Linux distribution.
-
Rocky Linux 9 Has Arrived
The latest iteration of Rocky Linux is now available and includes a host of new features and support for new architecture.