Y2mate Desktop Helper

This is an optional user-side tool. Run it on YOUR COMPUTER, never on the website
server. Metadata and video traffic use your own network. It does not guarantee
source availability, request login credentials, rotate IPs or bypass restrictions.
Only save media that you own or have permission to download.

Requirements: Python 3.10+, yt-dlp (installed from requirements.txt).
FFmpeg is optional and required only for the high-quality local merge mode.

Windows:
1. Extract this ZIP into a normal folder.
2. Install Python from https://www.python.org/downloads/ if needed. Enable PATH.
3. Run start-windows.bat. It creates .venv in this folder and installs yt-dlp.
4. Use the browser window opened by the launcher. Paste one public video URL.
5. Check the video, choose a mode and click Save on this computer.

macOS / Linux:
  python3 -m venv .venv
  .venv/bin/python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
  .venv/bin/python y2mate-desktop.py

The default output folder is ~/Downloads/Y2mate.
Choose another folder or port:
  python y2mate-desktop.py --output "YOUR_FOLDER" --port 8766

The service binds ONLY to 127.0.0.1, uses a private session token, rejects remote
origins/hosts and has no CORS access for the website. Do not change the binding or
share the private session URL. The session token is removed from the browser's
address bar after loading. Never put tokens, source cookies or credentials in a
public page. Close the launcher or press Ctrl+C to stop. Partial downloads may
remain in your output folder after interruptions; yt-dlp may resume them later.

Combined video: one source-provided file with sound, no FFmpeg required.
Audio: saves the original audio container (for example M4A/WebM), NOT MP3 conversion.
High quality: local FFmpeg merges separate source streams if it is on PATH.
Avoid repeated retries when a source denies or limits requests.

Dependency version is pinned to the version validated with this package. Review
and test newer yt-dlp releases before updating requirements.txt and rebuilding.
Source and package version: 2026-10-14.
