yt-dlp-2026.02.21

#### Supplemental Linux® From Scratch - Version 13.0

### Chapter 3. General Utilities

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# yt-dlp-2026.02.21

## Introduction to yt-dlp

The yt-dlp package provides a Python3 CLI utility to download audio and video files from thousands of websites, including YouTube. It can convert downloads into other formats using FFmpeg.

### Note

If you're downloading videos from YouTube, be aware that the platform often makes changes that break yt-dlp. In this case, there is usually a newer version, in which you should upgrade.

- Download: https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/archive/2026.02.21/yt-dlp-2026.02.21.tar.gz

### yt-dlp Dependencies

#### Required

Hatchling

#### Recommended

cURL, FFmpeg, make-ca, and Node.js

#### Optional

brotli (with Python3 bindings), certifi, Requests, and Urllib3

## Installation of yt-dlp

If you wish to download YouTube videos, apply a patch to add Node.js as a default JavaScript engine [4]:

    patch -Np0 << EOF
    --- yt_dlp/options.py
    +++ yt_dlp/options.py
    @@ -467 +467 @@
    -        default=['deno'],
    +        default=['deno', 'node'],
    @@ -473 +473 @@
    -            'Only "deno" is enabled by default. The highest priority runtime that is both enabled and '
    +            'Only "deno" and "node" are enabled by default. The highest priority runtime that is both enabled and '
    EOF

Install yt-dlp by running the following commands:

    pip3 wheel -w dist --no-build-isolation --no-deps --no-cache-dir $PWD

Now, as the `root` user:

    pip3 install --no-index --find-links=dist --no-cache-dir --no-user yt_dlp

## Command Explanations

`-w dist`: Builds the appropriate “wheel” for this module in the directory `dist`.

`--no-build-isolation`: Tells pip3 to run the build in the system environment instead of creating a temporary build environment.

`--no-deps`: Prevents pip3 from building wheels for the project's dependencies.

`--no-index`: Ignores the package index (only looking at `--find-links` URLs instead).

`--find-links dist`: Looks for links to archives such as wheel (`.whl`) files in the directory `dist`.

`--no-cache-dir`: Disables the cache to prevent a warning when installing as the `root` user.

`--no-user`: Prevent mistakenly running the install command as a non-root user.

`--upgrade`: Upgrade the package to the newest available version. This option is used with the install command if a version of the package is already installed.

`--force-reinstall`: Reinstall the package even if it is up-to-date. This option is used with the install command if reinstalling the package or reverting to an earlier version of the package.

`--no-deps`: Do not install package dependencies. This option may be needed with the `--upgrade` or `--force-reinstall` options.

## Contents

Installed Programs: yt-dlp
Installed Libraries: None
Installed Directories: /usr/lib/python3.14/site-packages/yt_dlp and /usr/lib/python3.14/site-packages/yt_dlp-2026.02.21.dist-info

### Short Descriptions

yt-dlp | downloads and converts audio and video files

[4] A JavaScript engine is used to solve JavaScript challenges, needed to download from YouTube. Node.js is a suitable one already packaged in BLFS.

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