202 lines
13 KiB
Markdown
202 lines
13 KiB
Markdown
# tubular
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A modal terminal YouTube browser built with Rust and [Ratatui](https://ratatui.rs/). Search for videos, organize subscribed channels with overlapping tags, browse their feeds, and open a selected video in Terebi.
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## Requirements
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- A recent stable Rust toolchain, including Cargo, to build and install.
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- [`yt-dlp`](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp) on `PATH` for searches, feeds, and full descriptions.
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- `curl` on `PATH` for thumbnails.
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- The **Terebi CLI** installed on `PATH`, together with its app bundle and streaming dependencies, for playback.
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The default playback setup requires **macOS 15+**, since Terebi is a native macOS player. Install Terebi separately and follow its dependency/setup instructions; installing Tubular does not install the player.
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A terminal with native image support can display thumbnails using its graphics protocol. Other terminals fall back to colored half-block characters.
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## Installation
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From a checkout of this repository:
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```sh
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cargo install --path . --locked
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```
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Make sure Cargo's install directory (normally `~/.cargo/bin`) is on your `PATH`.
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To run directly from source instead:
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```sh
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cargo run --locked -- "rust programming"
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```
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## Usage
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```sh
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tubular # Start without a query
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tubular "rust programming" # Search immediately
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tubular --player /path/to/terebi "japanese podcast"
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tubular --help
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```
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Tubular starts in **normal mode**, with or without a command-line query. Press `i` to type a search; Enter submits a changed query and returns to normal mode. Esc returns without submitting.
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Selecting a video launches:
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```sh
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terebi --new-instance --url 'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID'
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```
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Each selection opens an independent player instance without replacing existing playback. `--player` overrides the Terebi CLI executable; it is not a generic mpv/IINA adapter. Tubular reports launcher failures, while later streaming/playback errors appear in Terebi. Quitting Tubular leaves launched players running.
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## Controls
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These are the default bindings. Overrides in `[keys]` replace an action's bindings; the live hints and `?` reference show the configured keys.
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### Normal mode
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| Key | Action |
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| --- | --- |
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| `j` / `k`, ↓ / ↑ | Select the next / previous video |
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| Enter | Open the selected video in Terebi |
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| `g` / Home, `G` / End | Select the first / last loaded video |
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| `i` | Edit the search query |
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| `d` | Open video info; press again for the full description, again to return to info |
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| Esc | Close the preview; otherwise return to the previous view |
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| `-` | Return to the previous view |
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| `+` | Go forward after navigating back |
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| `c` | Browse saved categories |
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| `u` | Browse an individual saved channel |
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| `U` (Shift-U) | Open the selected video's channel |
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| `s` | Edit the selected channel's tags |
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| `S` | Edit tags for all saved channels in the current category |
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| Tab / Shift-Tab | Switch between visible views |
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| `r` | Reload configuration and refresh the current view |
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| `?` | Open / close the scrollable keybinding reference |
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| `q` | Quit |
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**Ctrl-C quits from any mode or popup.**
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The bottom bar shows essential actions for the current context. Press `?` in normal mode—including selectors and previews—for the full reference. Scroll help with `j` / `k`, arrows, Ctrl-J / Ctrl-K, or PageDown / PageUp; `?` or Esc closes it without changing the underlying view or dialog. In text fields, `?` remains ordinary input.
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The overview groups shortcut/action rows under bold section headers such as `VIEWS AND VIDEOS`, with an empty line beneath each header. Shortcuts and action descriptions remain normal weight; the rows reflect configured bindings rather than showing internal action paths.
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Back and forward navigation restore cached videos, selection, and pagination, including replaced temporary tabs. Removed views are skipped; empty history leaves the current view unchanged. Opening a different view after going back discards the old forward branch. Esc first closes a dialog or leaves insert mode without navigating. Minus and plus remain ordinary text inside input fields.
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The full-description view scrolls with ↓ / ↑, Ctrl-J / Ctrl-K, or PageDown / PageUp. Plain `j` / `k` still changes the selected video. The bold title, dimmed author/publication row, and description scroll together.
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### Text input
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These shortcuts work in search, category/channel-filter, and new-tag fields:
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| Key | Action |
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| --- | --- |
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| Enter | Submit the search, browse the selected category/channel, or stage the new tag |
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| Esc | Leave insert mode or abandon the new-tag name |
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| Backspace | Delete one character |
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| Option/Alt-Backspace or Ctrl-W | Delete the previous whitespace-delimited word |
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| Cmd/Super-Backspace or Ctrl-U | Clear the line |
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If the terminal intercepts modified Backspace rather than transmitting it, use Ctrl-W / Ctrl-U or configure equivalent terminal key mappings. Input fields show a block cursor.
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### Category browser (`c`)
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- **Normal:** `j` / `k` or arrow keys navigate; `i` enters filter mode; Enter browses the selected category; `p` toggles its persisted pin; Esc closes.
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- **Insert:** type a case-insensitive substring to filter; arrow keys or Ctrl-J / Ctrl-K navigate matches; Enter browses; Esc returns to normal mode without clearing the filter.
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- Reopening the browser clears its filter. No matches makes browsing and pinning a no-op.
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### Saved channels (`u`)
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- **Normal:** `j` / `k` or arrow keys navigate; `i` enters filter mode; Enter opens the selected channel's videos; Esc closes.
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- **Insert:** type a case-insensitive substring to filter; arrow keys or Ctrl-J / Ctrl-K navigate matches; Enter browses; Esc returns to normal mode without clearing the filter.
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- The list includes registered channels, including untagged ones, and channels saved only in categories. Aliases of the same channel appear once, using a mapped handle when available; otherwise the saved channel identity is shown.
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- Channels and unpinned categories share **one temporary browsing tab**. Choosing either replaces the previous temporary view; pinned category tabs stay visible. Revisiting or navigating back restores cached videos, selection, and pagination.
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- Channel selection is single-choice and does not pin channels or change subscriptions. `s` still edits the selected video's channel tags; bulk `S` remains category-only.
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Press **`U` (Shift-U)** on a video to browse its creator directly, including channels you have not saved. This replaces the current temporary browsing tab without adding a subscription. Channel IDs are preferred; a valid handle is used when an ID is unavailable. Missing channel metadata leaves the current view unchanged. Unsaved channel views survive configuration changes for the session; explicitly removing a saved subscription still removes its channel view.
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### Channel tags (`s`, or `S` for bulk editing)
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- `j` / `k` or arrow keys navigate; Space toggles a tag.
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- `n` prompts for a new tag name. Enter stages it checked and returns to the list.
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- Enter **in the main tag list** saves the staged memberships. Esc cancels without writing.
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Bulk editing applies the exact checked tag set to **every saved channel in the current category**, not only channels with loaded videos. Tags shared by every target start checked; mixed memberships start unchecked. Review the checked set before saving: unchecked tags are removed from all targets. Other channels, saved registrations, empty categories, pins, and comments are preserved.
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## Subscriptions and feeds
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Configuration lives at:
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```text
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$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/tubular/config.toml
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```
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If `XDG_CONFIG_HOME` is unset, empty, or relative, the fallback is `~/.config/tubular/config.toml`. Edit the file directly and press `r` to reload, or save memberships from the tag dialog.
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```toml
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[settings]
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pinned_categories = ["Favorites"]
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[categories]
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Creators = ["@jawed"]
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Favorites = ["@jawed"]
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[channels]
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"@jawed" = "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4QobU6STFB0P71PMvOGN5A"
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```
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`[categories]` contains **flat, overlapping tags**. A channel can belong to several categories; there is no hierarchy or inheritance. `[channels]` maps readable handles to stable channel URLs or IDs. Saving a channel through the UI records its handle and mapping when metadata is available.
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`[settings]` holds global options such as `pinned_categories`. The `[settings]`, `[channels]`, `[categories]`, and `[keys]` sections can appear in any order; pin/unpin and tag edits preserve the existing section order, key overrides, and other preferences. For older configs, add `[settings]` immediately above `pinned_categories`. A top-level declaration is no longer accepted.
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Category entries accept `@handles`, HTTPS YouTube channel URLs, or canonical `UC…` channel IDs. Mapped handles use their stable identity; unmapped handles work directly.
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- **Search** and **Feed** are permanent tabs. Feed combines all `[channels]` registrations, including untagged channels, plus channels entered directly in categories, without duplicates.
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- Browsing an unpinned category opens one temporary tab; choosing another replaces it. Pinned categories keep their own tabs, marked with a dimmed `p`.
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- Removing a channel from a category does **not** unsubscribe it from Feed. To unsubscribe, remove its `[channels]` mappings and category references, then press `r`.
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- Temporary tabs do not survive restarting; saved categories and pins do. Hidden views retain loaded rows, selection, and pagination during the session.
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Bulk editing refuses to clear all tags when a target has no `[channels]` registration, preventing accidental unsubscription of category-only channels. If source memberships change while a bulk dialog is open, close and reopen it before saving.
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## Configurable keybindings
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Print a complete default configuration, including every action and its default bindings:
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```sh
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tubular --default-config
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```
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This prints TOML to stdout and exits without reading or writing config, starting the TUI, or needing `yt-dlp`, Terebi, or a terminal. Copy the settings you want into your config; `r` reloads them.
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```toml
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[keys]
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video.info.overview = "I"
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video.info.description = "d"
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video.info.hide = ["escape", "backspace"]
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view.history.previous = ["-", "escape"]
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view.history.next = "+"
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video.play = ["enter", "ctrl+p"]
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```
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Each string or array **replaces** that action's default aliases; omitted actions keep their defaults, and `[]` disables an action. Dotted assignments, corresponding subtables such as `[keys.video.info]`, and quoted action names are supported. Unknown actions, invalid chords, duplicate action declarations, and ambiguous bindings in the same context are rejected before saving.
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Characters are case-sensitive (`i` differs from `I`). Named keys are case-insensitive: `escape`, `enter`, `tab`, `space`, arrows, `home`, `end`, `pageup`, `pagedown`, `backspace`, `delete`, and `f1`–`f24`. Combine modifiers with `+`, for example `ctrl+j`, `alt+backspace`, `cmd+backspace`, or `shift+tab`. `control`, `option`, and `super` are accepted aliases; `+` itself, or `ctrl++`, can be bound. The terminal must transmit the chord for it to work.
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Using the same binding for overview and description preserves the default cycle. Distinct bindings, as above, open either view directly. Preview close takes precedence over history back; description scrolling takes precedence over video selection for shared bindings. View commands do not run inside text inputs or selectors; those have their own actions listed by `--default-config`.
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## Loading and previews
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Search loads 20 results per page; Feed and category views request 20 uploads per channel per page. Individual channel views request only that channel's uploads, using the same pagination. Moving near the loaded end in normal mode fetches more asynchronously, preserving selection and existing rows. Insert mode and open popups pause automatic prefetch. Deep channel archives can get slower because yt-dlp offsets traverse earlier pages again.
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Feed views merge newest-first using available upload dates. Older uploads wait while newer channel pages catch up; undated uploads appear when the feed is exhausted. Publication labels use `YYYY-MM-DD`; `~` marks an estimated UTC date, and `Unknown` means unavailable metadata.
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Pane titles show animated spinners while content loads. Errors retain loaded rows and stop automatic retries; `r` refreshes the current view.
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Video info shows a thumbnail, title, author/publication details, and a clipped description excerpt. Press `d` again to read the full description in the same popup. Thumbnails and full descriptions are cached in memory across selections and views: 64 full descriptions and eight inactive decoded thumbnails, plus the selected image. Caches last for the session; a successful refresh clears them. Preview loading, decoding, and image resizing run asynchronously.
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## Development
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```sh
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cargo fmt --check
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cargo test --locked
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cargo clippy --locked --all-targets -- -D warnings
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```
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