All I wanted is to install the current yt-dlp (2024.07.16-1) on debian 12.6.
Suggested way to that according to https://packages.debian.org/sid/all/yt-dlp/download is to add that line to that file (etc/apt/sources.list), but do I really need to download the 1600 files that upgrade would entail?
I don’t want to download the tar.gz 'cause upgrading that would be a pain.
I would advise just creating ~/.bin or ~/.local/share/bin and dropping it in there. As long as you have permission to that directory, yt-dlp should be able to easily update itself.
this is the way. easy. no install. no extra steps. update when you want.
or you can add the ppa that’s listed in the yt-dlp install instructions (scroll down to third-party package managers > apt) and use apt to install it like any other package.
In best scenario you’ll turn your Debian to SID. Worst case scenario you’ll break your system.
I do not suggest this operation unless you’re sure what you’re doing.
Alternatively you can install yt-dlp using snap or using Nix Package manager
Debian sid is their unstable branch; it contains all new packages before they are tested. As such, if you try to install updates from it, you’ll likely get a very unstable system.
You can set it up so that you only get a specific package ( https://wiki.debian.org/DebianUnstable#Can_I_use_Sid_packages_on_.22testing.22.3F ), but honestly, if you need the very latest version, I’d recommend just grabbing it from github or wherever. Iirc, yt-dlp has a -U flag which will automatically update it.
You’re adding the full repository of Debian unstable to your system. This wouldn’t just enable you to install yt-dlp but it would also turn your whole system from Debian stable to Debian unstable on the next update. Total overkill for one package.
https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/wiki/Installation
Normally I try to use apt for everything, but yt-dlp is an exception since when you want it, you probably do actually want the latest version. I think the only thing it depends on is python, so simple enough to get it from git one way or another.
PS: Now that I actually look at that page I linked to, I see there’s a PPA repo you could use. I don’t know who runs it or how up-to-date it is, but it’s probably a better bet than what you were trying.
