otinstaller · Social media

Install Yark on Linux in one command

Yark archives a YouTube channel: videos, titles, descriptions, thumbnails, and comments, and keeps a history so you can see what changed or was deleted between refreshes. It serves the archive as a local site.

Yark in three lines

pipx install otinstaller
ot install yark
ot run yark -- url:https://example.com

Runs Owez/yark (MIT, ★ 2.2k, otinstaller v0.0.4, registry updated Oct 13, 2026). otinstaller installs and runs it; it does not change or verify it.

What Yark is for

Preserving a channel before it is taken down.
Tracking title and description edits over time.

Typed inputs for Yark

otinstaller translates these prefixes into Yark's own flags. Anything else after -- is passed through unchanged, so every original flag still works.

url:: url · ot run yark -- url:https://example.com
u:: username · ot run yark -- u:jane_doe

It also takes name input through its own flags; there is no typed prefix for those yet.

Run every installed tool that takes the same input at once: ot run --all url:https://example.com

Where the results go

Every run lands under ./results/yark/<target>/ as a timestamped output file plus a .meta.json sidecar: the exact command, start and end time, exit code, and the SHA-256 of the output. Group runs with --case, compare the last two with ot diff yark <target>, and pull indicators out with ot extract.

Before you run it

Large channels take hours and disk space. Archive one channel per folder.

Update, remove, inspect

ot info yark      # inputs, flags, keys
ot example yark   # sample output
ot update yark    # move to the next tested version
ot remove yark    # delete its virtualenv

Full reference for this tool: docs for yark.

Pairs with

Instaloader

Instaloader downloads the public posts, stories, captions, and metadata of an Instagram profile into a folder.

Instagram Monitor

Instagram Monitor watches a public profile and records changes over time: new posts, follower count moves, bio edits, with optional notifications.

socid-extractor

socid-extractor takes a profile URL and returns the structured fields on the page: user ID, display name, bio, follower counts, linked accounts.

FAQ

Yark with otinstaller, answered

How do I install Yark on Kali or Ubuntu?

Install otinstaller once with pipx install otinstaller, run ot init, then ot install yark. The tool lands in its own virtualenv under ~/.otinstaller/, pinned to a version that was tested on Ubuntu, so nothing touches your system Python. ot doctor flags a missing git or venv module.

Which inputs does Yark take through otinstaller?

url: (url), u: (username). otinstaller maps each prefix to Yark's own flag. Everything after -- that is not a typed input is passed through unchanged, so the original flags still work.

Where does otinstaller save Yark results?

Under ./results/yark/<target>/ in the folder you run from, as a timestamped output file plus a .meta.json sidecar with the exact command, timing, exit code, and SHA-256. Add --case <name> to group runs, and ot diff yark <target> to compare the last two.

Does Yark need an API key or a login?

No key is required for the basic run. Optional keys, where the project supports them, go in ~/.otinstaller/.env and are passed only to tools that declare them.

Can I run Yark together with other tools?

Yes. ot run --all url:https://example.com runs every installed tool that accepts url input, in parallel, including Yark. Save the combination as a playbook to repeat it.