Ubuntu Precise - Install youtube-dl package using Quantal repo

Ubuntu Precise - Install youtube-dl package using Quantal repo

Ubuntu Precise 12.04 currently contains in repository youtube-dl version 2012.02.27-1. As of recent YouTube changes this package version is not usable anymore but there is an updated version in Ubuntu Quantal 12.10 repository. To use it you need to perform couple of steps described below.

Used Ubuntu release:

$ lsb_release -d -r -c
Description:    Ubuntu 12.04.1 LTS
Release:        12.04
Codename:       precise

Update system packages and perform standard system upgrade operation:

$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get upgrade

Verify that there is only youtube-dl 2012.02.27-1 version in repository:

$ apt-cache policy youtube-dl
youtube-dl:
  Installed: 2012.02.27-1
  Candidate: 2012.02.27-1
  Version table:
 *** 2012.02.27-1 0
        500 http://pl.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/universe amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Define default release as Precise (12.04) as for now you (very likely) don't want to upgrade whole system using Quantal (12.10) repository so create file /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/00release with contents:

APT::Default-Release "precise";

Add Quantal repository to /etc/apt/sources.list:

deb http://pl.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal universe

To upgrade youtube-dl package you need only universe component but if you plan to check out other packages later then you can add more components:

deb http://pl.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal main restricted universe multiverse

Update package list:

$ sudo apt-get update

As you defined default release as Precise - there should not be any packages to update:

# sudo apt-get upgrade --simulate
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

Verify that there is a new version of youtube-dl in package list:

$ sudo apt-cache policy youtube-dl
youtube-dl:
  Installed: 2012.02.27-1
  Candidate: 2012.02.27-1
  Version table:
     2012.09.27-1 0
        500 http://pl.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal/universe amd64 Packages
 *** 2012.02.27-1 0
        990 http://pl.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/universe amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Create a file /etc/apt/preferences.d/youtube-dl with contents:

Package: youtube-dl
Pin: release a=quantal
Pin-Priority: 990

APT will use youtube-dl package from Quantal repository unless the installed version is more recent.

$ apt-cache policy youtube-dl
youtube-dl:
  Installed: 2012.02.27-1
  Candidate: 2012.09.27-1
  Package pin: 2012.09.27-1
  Version table:
     2012.09.27-1 990
        500 http://pl.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ quantal/universe amd64 Packages
 *** 2012.02.27-1 990
        990 http://pl.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ precise/universe amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Now the package is selected to be updated using Quantal repository:

# sudo apt-get -y upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be upgraded:
  youtube-dl
1 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/50.2 kB of archives.
After this operation, 119 kB disk space will be freed.
(Reading database ... 347979 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace youtube-dl 2012.02.27-1 (using .../youtube-dl_2012.09.27-1_all.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement youtube-dl ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up youtube-dl (2012.09.27-1) ...

To learn about package priorities and preference control file for APT read manual page:

$ man apt_preferences

Update - easier solution - use youtube-dl self update

Perform self update to the latest stable version:

$ sudo youtube-dl -U

I overlooked this solution but the first one could be useful for other packages.

Milosz Galazka