The youtube-dl tool makes it very easy to download both webm and mp4 files on Linux systems. You just need the tool and the right URLs. Credit: Alvarez / Getty Images Who would have imagined that there’s a Linux tool available for downloading YouTube videos? Well, there is and it works for Linux as well as for other operating systems. So, if you need to watch some of the available videos even when your internet connection is flaky or you need to be offline for a while, this tool can be especially handy. The tool for downloading videos is called youtube-dl. (The “dl” portion undoubtedly means “download”.) It’s very easy to use and drops webm or mp4 files onto your system. Both formats provide compressed, high-quality video files that you can watch whenever you like. The youtube-dl tool is a Python-based command-line tool. On Linux, it requires Python (2.6, 2.7, or 3.2+). The command to install it on Ubuntu and related systems is: $ sudo apt-get install youtube-dl Once installed, you can use a command like this to download a video after selecting the URL from YouTube or some other source: $ youtube-dl Related content how-to Getting started on the Linux (or Unix) command line, Part 4 Pipes, aliases and scripts make Linux so much easier to use. By Sandra Henry-Stocker Nov 27, 2023 4 mins Linux how-to Getting started on the Linux (or Unix) command line, Part 3 Our Linux cheat sheet includes some of the most commonly used commands along with brief explanations and examples of what the commands can do. By Sandra Henry Stocker Nov 21, 2023 6 mins Linux how-to Getting started on the Linux (or Unix) command line, Part 2 Commands that provide help are essential. Here's a look at some of the help you can get from the Linux system itself. By Sandra Henry Stocker Nov 20, 2023 5 mins Linux how-to Getting started on the Linux (or Unix) command line, Part 1 This series of posts will help Linux/Unix newbies to feel comfortable on the command line. By Sandra Henry Stocker Nov 16, 2023 8 mins Linux Podcasts Videos Resources Events NEWSLETTERS Newsletter Promo Module Test Description for newsletter promo module. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe