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(port) > Thunderbird + YouTube + RSS
This topic entirely obsolete. YouTube doesn't do RSS any more.
RSS was tested with YouTube subscriptions. While it can do it, it's atrocious. It doesn't get everything, and doesn't get new items even a week later, and it keeps showing duplicates. It's horrifically slow.
See also:
- Exporting YouTube subscriptions as Thunderbird RSS feeds
- coming later: Exporting YouTube subscriptions as Google Reader RSS feeds
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coming later: Exporting YouTube subscriptions as an RSS OPML file
Preparations and local notes ∞
- prep a local account
-
prep a youtube account
--
-
universal settings for FFmpeg
SETTINGS="-y -ac 1 -ar 44100 -r 30 -sameq"
Making image movies ∞
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make your image. I used kolourpaint:
\kolourpaint ~/01a-kolourpaint1.png
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control-e
and change the canvas size to 640x360.
--
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Convert it to a video, and append an empty sound track using FFmpeg:
# (from above) SETTINGS="-y -ac 1 -ar 44100 -r 30 -sameq" \ffmpeg $SETTINGS \ -loop_input \ -vframes 200 \ -i ~/01a-kolourpaint1.png \ -f s16le \ -i <(dd if=/dev/zero bs=19200 count=1) \ ~/01a-kolourpaint2.avi \ ` # `
2017-07-30 - Note that the use of dd might have had a formatting issue and may actually be:
-i < $( \dd if=/dev/zero bs=19200 count= 1) \
01 - Intro ∞
This video will show you how to import your YouTube subscriptions as Thunderbird RSS feeds.
These instructions are made for Linux, but the ideas are fairly universal, and can be adapted to your situation.
(Cheese)
\cheese # Click 'video'. Press space to begin and space to end. Then exit. \mv ~/.gnome2/cheese/media/0001.ogg ~/01b-cheese1.ogg
- convert the video to an editable format
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Resize from 320x240 to 640x360.
- The closest is 480x360, with a pad of 80 on the left and right.
# (from above) SETTINGS="-y -ac 1 -ar 44100 -r 30 -sameq" SIZE=480x360 TOP=0 BOTTOM=0 LEFT=80 RIGHT=80 \ffmpeg \ -i ~/01b-cheese1.ogg \ $SETTINGS \ -s $SIZE \ -padtop $TOP \ -padbottom $BOTTOM \ -padleft $LEFT \ -padright $RIGHT \ ~/01b-cheese2.avi \ ` # `
--
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chop the ending off with Avidemux (instructions are not included here):
\avidemux2_gtk ~/01b-cheese2.avi
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Save it as
~/01b-cheese3.avi
02 - Export your YouTube subscriptions list ∞
Next I'll show you how to create a text list of your subscriptions. There are several ways to do it, but this is the most straightforward way I've found.
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Email Options > Subscription & YouTube Updates > Show Subscriptions
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paste it into a text file (I used mousepad):
\mousepad ~/subs.txt
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Using recordmydesktop:
\gtk-recordMyDesktop
- Click "Select Window" and click the window you want.
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Click "Record" to begin and left-click the tray icon to stop. Then exit.
\mv ~/out.ogv ~/02b-recordmydesktop1.ogv
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Determine the dimensions of your video with FFmpeg:
\ffmpeg -i ~/02b-recordmydesktop1.ogv
NOTE: If you have issues with FFmpeg, try MPlayer:
mplayer ~/02b-recordmydesktop1.ogv
- Convert the video
-
Calculate the resize and the padding needed.
- Example: 1008x672 becomes 540x360 with a left and right of 50
# (from above) SETTINGS="-y -ac 1 -ar 44100 -r 30 -sameq" SIZE=540x360 TOP=0 BOTTOM=0 LEFT=50 RIGHT=50 \ffmpeg \ -i ~/02b-recordmydesktop1.ogv \ $SETTINGS \ -s $SIZE \ -padtop $TOP \ -padbottom $BOTTOM \ -padleft $LEFT \ -padright $RIGHT \ ~/02b-recordmydesktop2.avi \ ` # `
03 - Process your YouTube subscriptions list ∞
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Create a 640x360 window.
\wmctrl \ -F \ -r "user@localhost: /home/user" \ -e 1,0,0,640,360 \ ` # `
- use gtk-recordMyDesktop as with 02 - Export your YouTube subscriptions list.
-
656x384 becomes 614x360 with a left/right of 12 and 14
\mv ~/out.ogv ~/03b-recordmydesktop1.ogv # (from above) SETTINGS="-y -ac 1 -ar 44100 -r 30 -sameq" SIZE=614x360 TOP=0 BOTTOM=0 LEFT=12 RIGHT=14 \ffmpeg \ -i ~/03b-recordmydesktop1.ogv \ $SETTINGS \ -s $SIZE \ -padtop $TOP \ -padbottom $BOTTOM \ -padleft $LEFT \ -padright $RIGHT \ ~/03b-recordmydesktop2.avi \ ` # `
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If necessary, edit it:
\avidemux2_gtk 03b-recordmydesktop2.avi
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saved as
03b-recordmydesktop3.avi
04 - Preparing and using Thunderbird ∞
- use gtk-recordMyDesktop as with 02 - Export your YouTube subscriptions list.
-
688x608 becomes 406x360 with a left/right of 116 and 118
\mv ~/out.ogv ~/05b-recordmydesktop1.ogv # (from above) SETTINGS="-y -ac 1 -ar 44100 -r 30 -sameq" SIZE=406x360 TOP=0 BOTTOM=0 LEFT=116 RIGHT=118 \ffmpeg \ -i ~/05b-recordmydesktop1.ogv \ $SETTINGS \ -s $SIZE \ -padtop $TOP \ -padbottom $BOTTOM \ -padleft $LEFT \ -padright $RIGHT \ ~/05b-recordmydesktop2.avi \ ` # `
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If necessary, edit it:
avidemux2_gtk 05b-recordmydesktop2.avi
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saved as
05b-recordmydesktop3.avi
--
- download and install it
- set up an empty RSS account
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manage subscriptions, import the OPML textfile
- NOTE: Thunderbird is completely unforgiving of issues with your
.opml
file! - NOTE: Cannot re-import duplicates!
- NOTE: Thunderbird is completely unforgiving of issues with your
- prep the list of unread items
- prep the list of starred items
- get mail, and wait patiently
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Manually mark each folder as unread (
right-click
k
)- is there a better way?
tutorial creation - Combine files ∞
Using Avidemux, open the first video and then append each subsequent video to it.
settings:
- video: MPEG-4 ASP (Xvid4)
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audio: MP3 (LAME) - and with an audio filter:
- Resampling: 44100
- format: MP4
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save it as
~/final.mp4
Things to improve ∞
- Include a "New this week" search folder, and sort by date.
- How can I subscribe to someone's favourites with RSS?
- Replace the use of the search-and-replace in kwrite with some commandline voodoo.
- How do I easily all the items in mark multiple folders as read?
- Include JavaScript
- How do I enable Flash?
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How do I block ads?