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19 changes: 19 additions & 0 deletions CHANGELOG.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -4,6 +4,25 @@ This is the first documented entry — a snapshot of what SlothArchiver could
do as of this release, not a history of every change that got it here.
Future releases will log what actually changed from the previous one.

## [0.27.0] — 2026-09-03
- **Split your library into separate sublibraries.** Create as many as you
want from the Library tab, switch between them, and pick which one a new
download or bulk add lands in. Move any video — every saved version, its
clips, and its channel's icon if needed — to a different sublibrary at any
time, individually or several at once from the bulk-selection bar. This is
the feature the `DefaultLibrary` groundwork from 0.26.2 was preparing for.
- **Tag your videos, and filter the library by tag.** Add one or more tags to
a video from its detail view (next to its quality badge), or tag several
videos at once from the bulk-selection bar. A filter icon next to the sort
control lets you narrow the library down to videos carrying every tag you
select, layered on top of your current search and sort.
- **A video whose downloaded file goes missing — moved, renamed, or deleted
outside the app — now recovers automatically where possible.** Opening it
triggers a quick check that repairs the stored file link if a matching
file is found nearby; if nothing's found, a clear warning tells you to
re-download it or locate it yourself instead of the player just failing
silently.

## [0.26.2] — 2026-09-02
- **Library thumbnails and channel icons now scale with your window, not
just a fixed size.** Both grids used to cap out at a flat pixel size no
Expand Down
120 changes: 64 additions & 56 deletions README.md
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@@ -1,13 +1,18 @@
# SlothArchiver

[![Latest Release](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/lltrash94/Sloth-Archiver)](https://github.com/lltrash94/Sloth-Archiver/releases/latest)
[![CI](https://github.com/lltrash94/Sloth-Archiver/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg?event=pull_request)](https://github.com/lltrash94/Sloth-Archiver/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
[![Latest Release](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/SlothSoftworks/Sloth-Archiver)](https://github.com/SlothSoftworks/Sloth-Archiver/releases/latest)
[![CI](https://github.com/SlothSoftworks/Sloth-Archiver/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg?event=pull_request)](https://github.com/SlothSoftworks/Sloth-Archiver/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
[![License: GPL-3.0](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-GPL--3.0-blue)](LICENSE)
[![Platform](https://img.shields.io/badge/platform-Linux%20%7C%20macOS%20%7C%20Windows-informational)](#download)

**Your own personal, offline video archive — for people too lazy to fight with
**Your own personal, offline video archive — for people who like to keep their video archiving sweet and simple and not fight with
Docker, servers, or a complicated setup to get one.**

<p align="center">
<img src="assets/icon.png" alt="SlothArchiver" width="200">
</p>


*Free and open source — no subscriptions, no accounts, no server to run.*

SlothArchiver is a free desktop app for downloading and organizing videos and audio
Expand All @@ -20,22 +25,22 @@ itself.

## Download

<!-- Update the version in these 5 links on every release -- currently 0.26.2.
<!-- Update the version in these 5 links on every release -- currently 0.27.0.
Each filename must match exactly what GitHub actually named the asset on
the release page, NOT the local build's own filename -- GitHub's release
upload sanitizes spaces in asset names to dots, so the two Windows .exe
files differ from what "npm run dist" produces locally (e.g. the local
"SlothArchiver Setup 0.26.2.exe" becomes the asset
"SlothArchiver.Setup.0.26.2.exe"). Check the release's actual assets
"SlothArchiver Setup 0.27.0.exe" becomes the asset
"SlothArchiver.Setup.0.27.0.exe"). Check the release's actual assets
list if unsure, don't assume the local build's naming carries over. -->

| Platform | Link |
|---|---|
| Windows (installer) | [Download](https://github.com/lltrash94/Sloth-Archiver/releases/download/v0.26.2/SlothArchiver.Setup.0.26.2.exe) |
| Windows (portable, no install) | [Download](https://github.com/lltrash94/Sloth-Archiver/releases/download/v0.26.2/SlothArchiver.0.26.2.exe) |
| macOS (Apple Silicon) | [Download](https://github.com/lltrash94/Sloth-Archiver/releases/download/v0.26.2/SlothArchiver-0.26.2-arm64.dmg) |
| macOS (Intel) | [Download](https://github.com/lltrash94/Sloth-Archiver/releases/download/v0.26.2/SlothArchiver-0.26.2.dmg) |
| Linux (AppImage) | [Download](https://github.com/lltrash94/Sloth-Archiver/releases/download/v0.26.2/SlothArchiver-0.26.2.AppImage) |
| Windows (installer) | [Download](https://github.com/SlothSoftworks/Sloth-Archiver/releases/download/v0.27.0/SlothArchiver.Setup.0.27.0.exe) |
| Windows (portable, no install) | [Download](https://github.com/SlothSoftworks/Sloth-Archiver/releases/download/v0.27.0/SlothArchiver.0.27.0.exe) |
| macOS (Apple Silicon) | [Download](https://github.com/SlothSoftworks/Sloth-Archiver/releases/download/v0.27.0/SlothArchiver-0.27.0-arm64.dmg) |
| macOS (Intel) | [Download](https://github.com/SlothSoftworks/Sloth-Archiver/releases/download/v0.27.0/SlothArchiver-0.27.0.dmg) |
| Linux (AppImage) | [Download](https://github.com/SlothSoftworks/Sloth-Archiver/releases/download/v0.27.0/SlothArchiver-0.27.0.AppImage) |

All builds are unsigned, so your OS will show a first-run security warning —
see [Installing](#installing) below.
Expand All @@ -52,12 +57,12 @@ your own machine.

## Why SlothArchiver?

Most tools in this space make you work for a real archive. Self-hosted servers give
Most tools in this space seem make you work for a real archive. Self-hosted servers give
you one, but only if you're willing to run Docker, manage a server, and keep a
machine on around the clock. Lightweight desktop downloaders skip all of that
setup, but most of them just drop files in a folder and call it done — no real
organization, nothing actually archived, just a pile of files you have to manage
yourself — or eventually ask you to pay once you want more than that.
yourself and the ones that do have some sort of paywall. So I got tired of waiting for the solution and started to develop it myself.

SlothArchiver is built to be the lazy option in the best sense: a normal app you
install like any other, with zero server to babysit and zero config to get right.
Expand All @@ -82,46 +87,13 @@ that.
No other tool in this space currently checks every one of those boxes at once —
that combination is the whole point of SlothArchiver; A simple catalogued library, organized in one place and fully local.

## Installing

SlothArchiver's builds aren't code-signed (that requires a paid certificate
this project doesn't have set up) — so the first time you open one, your OS
will warn you it's from an unidentified/unrecognized developer. This is
expected for any unsigned app, not a sign anything's actually wrong.
Here's how to get past each OS's warning:

**Windows** — you'll see "Windows protected your PC" (SmartScreen). Click
**More info**, then **Run anyway**.

![Windows SmartScreen bypass](docs/media/install-windows-smartscreen.png)

**macOS** — you'll see a message that the app "cannot be opened because it is
from an unidentified developer," and just double-clicking won't offer a way
past it. Instead: right-click (or Control-click) the app → **Open** → confirm
**Open** in the dialog that appears. You only need to do this once — after
that, it opens normally. If macOS still blocks it, go to **System Settings →
Privacy & Security**, scroll down, and click **Open Anyway** next to the
message about SlothArchiver.

![macOS Gatekeeper bypass](docs/media/install-macos-gatekeeper.png)

**Linux (AppImage)** — make it executable first, then run it directly:
```
chmod +x SlothArchiver-<version>.AppImage
./SlothArchiver-<version>.AppImage
```
If it fails to launch at all with a FUSE-related error, your distro likely
needs `libfuse2` installed (common on newer distros that dropped FUSE2 by
default, e.g. recent Ubuntu/Fedora releases) — install it via your package
manager and try again.

## Features

- **No paywall, ever** — every feature below is free today and will stay free in
future updates. No tiers, no locked resolutions, no daily download caps.
- **Download video or audio** from YouTube and a growing list of other platforms
(SoundCloud, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Dailymotion, and more), in the quality
you choose.
- **Download video or audio** from YouTube and virtually any other site yt-dlp
supports — 1800+ platforms, including SoundCloud, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook,
Dailymotion, and more — in the quality you choose.
- **A real library, not just a downloads folder** — every video is organized by
channel, searchable, and keeps a history of versions if you ever re-fetch it.
Most downloaders stop at "file saved somewhere"; SlothArchiver actually keeps
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -197,13 +169,13 @@ all straight from the library view, no other software required.

![Demo: media utilities](docs/media/media-utilities.gif)

### Download from more than just YouTube
### Download from virtually any site yt-dlp supports

SoundCloud, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Dailymotion, and more — paste a link
from any of them and SlothArchiver figures out the platform automatically and
gets you a download, no separate tool needed for each site. This list keeps
growing as development continues, so expect more platforms to be supported
over time.
Not just YouTube — SlothArchiver works with virtually any of the
[1800+ sites yt-dlp itself supports](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/blob/master/supportedsites.md),
including SoundCloud, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Dailymotion, and more.
Paste a link from any of them and SlothArchiver figures out the platform
automatically and gets you a download, no separate tool needed for each site.

![Demo: multi-platform downloads](docs/media/multi-platform-downloads.gif)

Expand All @@ -215,6 +187,42 @@ per-item progress, retry, and skip, so one bad link never holds up the rest.

![Demo: bulk downloading](docs/media/bulk-downloading.gif)



## Installing

SlothArchiver's builds aren't code-signed (that requires a paid certificate
this project doesn't have set up) — so the first time you open one, your OS
will warn you it's from an unidentified/unrecognized developer. This is
expected for any unsigned app, not a sign anything's actually wrong.
Here's how to get past each OS's warning:

**Windows** — you'll see "Windows protected your PC" (SmartScreen). Click
**More info**, then **Run anyway**.

![Windows SmartScreen bypass](docs/media/install-windows-smartscreen.png)

**macOS** — you'll see a message that the app "cannot be opened because it is
from an unidentified developer," and just double-clicking won't offer a way
past it. Instead: right-click (or Control-click) the app → **Open** → confirm
**Open** in the dialog that appears. You only need to do this once — after
that, it opens normally. If macOS still blocks it, go to **System Settings →
Privacy & Security**, scroll down, and click **Open Anyway** next to the
message about SlothArchiver.

![macOS Gatekeeper bypass](docs/media/install-macos-gatekeeper.png)

**Linux (AppImage)** — make it executable first, then run it directly:
```
chmod +x SlothArchiver-<version>.AppImage
./SlothArchiver-<version>.AppImage
```
If it fails to launch at all with a FUSE-related error, your distro likely
needs `libfuse2` installed (common on newer distros that dropped FUSE2 by
default, e.g. recent Ubuntu/Fedora releases) — install it via your package
manager and try again.


## How it works

SlothArchiver runs everything locally on your computer — there's no server, no
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -246,7 +254,7 @@ SlothArchiver is a personal-use, local tool — everything it downloads stays in
>TL;DR: It's a gray area as far as YouTube is concerned but not illegal. This is a personal, local-only archiving tool — staying within your platform's ToS and your local copyright law is on you.

#### What platforms does SlothArchiver support downloading from?
At time of writing we support YouTube for downloads, library, and playlists. We support TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, SoundCloud, and Dailymotion for pure downloads.
At time of writing we support YouTube for downloads, library, and playlists. For pure downloads, we support virtually any site [yt-dlp itself supports](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/blob/master/supportedsites.md) — 1800+ platforms — including TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, SoundCloud, and Dailymotion, to name a few with dedicated recognition in the app's UI.

#### What operating systems does SlothArchiver run on?
Currently we support Mac, Linux, and Windows. This is a solo dev operation and I manually create the executables per system, so I expect there could be OS issues as more people try out the software on their systems. If you experience any issues, let me know by raising an issue and detailing it there.
Expand Down
5 changes: 3 additions & 2 deletions docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
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Expand Up @@ -2,8 +2,9 @@

sloth-archiver is a desktop application (built on Electron, with a React/TypeScript
interface) for downloading and archiving video and audio content — primarily from
YouTube, with support for several other platforms — into a personal, local library
on the user's own machine. It wraps the well-known `yt-dlp` tool for the actual
YouTube, with download support for virtually any other site yt-dlp itself
supports (1800+ platforms) — into a personal, local library on the user's own
machine. It wraps the well-known `yt-dlp` tool for the actual
extraction/download work and `ffmpeg` for local media processing, and adds a
persistent, browsable library on top: versioned entries, playlists, search, and a
built-in player.
Expand Down
4 changes: 2 additions & 2 deletions package-lock.json

Some generated files are not rendered by default. Learn more about how customized files appear on GitHub.

4 changes: 2 additions & 2 deletions package.json
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@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
{
"name": "sloth-archiver",
"private": true,
"version": "0.26.2",
"version": "0.27.0",
"description": "A desktop app for downloading and archiving videos, with a built-in library and playlist tracking.",
"author": "Sloth <sloth.software.dev@protonmail.com>",
"license": "GPL-3.0-or-later",
"type": "module",
"main": "dist/electron/main.mjs",
"build": {
"appId": "com.lltrash.slotharchiver.app",
"appId": "com.slothsoftworks.slotharchiver.app",
"productName": "SlothArchiver",
"files": [
"dist/electron/**/*",
Expand Down
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