YouTube_predownloader/PROXY_SETUP.md

Proxy Configuration for YouTube Predownloader

The YouTube Predownloader now supports SOCKS5, HTTP, and HTTPS proxies for all download operations, with special support for PIA (Private Internet Access) SOCKS5 proxies.

Supported Proxy Types

1. PIA SOCKS5 Proxy (Integrated configuration)
2. SOCKS5 Proxy (General)
3. HTTP Proxy
4. HTTPS Proxy

Configuration Methods

Method 1: PIA Configuration File (Recommended for PIA users)

1. Edit proxy_config.py and set your PIA credentials:

   # PIA SOCKS5 Proxy Server Details
   PROXY_ADDRESS = "proxy-nl.privateinternetaccess.com"  # Choose your server
   PROXY_PORT = 1080
   PROXY_USER = "your_pia_username"  # Your actual PIA username
   PROXY_PASS = "your_pia_password"  # Your actual PIA password
   

2. Available PIA servers:

   • Netherlands: proxy-nl.privateinternetaccess.com
   • US East: proxy-us-east.privateinternetaccess.com
   • US West: proxy-us-west.privateinternetaccess.com
   • UK: proxy-uk.privateinternetaccess.com
   • Germany: proxy-de.privateinternetaccess.com
   • Canada: proxy-ca.privateinternetaccess.com
   • Australia: proxy-au.privateinternetaccess.com

3. Test your configuration:

   python3 proxy_config.py
   python3 test_proxy.py
   

Method 2: Environment Variables

Set environment variables before running the script:

# SOCKS5 Proxy (highest priority)
export SOCKS5_PROXY="socks5://username:password@proxy.example.com:1080"

# HTTP Proxy (medium priority)
export HTTP_PROXY="http://proxy.example.com:8080"

# HTTPS Proxy (lowest priority)
export HTTPS_PROXY="https://proxy.example.com:8080"

# Then run the script
python3 main.py

Method 3: Direct Code Configuration

Edit the proxy configuration section in main.py:

# Override all other configurations
HTTP_PROXY = "http://proxy.example.com:8080"
HTTPS_PROXY = "https://proxy.example.com:8080"
SOCKS5_PROXY = "socks5://127.0.0.1:1080"

Priority Order

The script uses proxies in this priority order:

1. PIA Configuration (proxy_config.py if configured)
2. SOCKS5_PROXY (environment variable)
3. HTTP_PROXY (environment variable)
4. HTTPS_PROXY (environment variable)
5. Direct connection (no proxy)

Examples

Using PIA SOCKS5 Proxy

1. Edit proxy_config.py:

   PROXY_ADDRESS = "proxy-us-east.privateinternetaccess.com"
   PROXY_USER = "p1234567"
   PROXY_PASS = "your_password"
   

2. Run the downloader:

   python3 main.py
   

Using Tor SOCKS5 Proxy

export SOCKS5_PROXY="socks5://127.0.0.1:9050"
python3 main.py

Using SSH SOCKS5 Tunnel

# Create SSH SOCKS5 tunnel
ssh -D 1080 -C -N user@your-server.com &

# Configure and run
export SOCKS5_PROXY="socks5://127.0.0.1:1080"
python3 main.py

Using HTTP Proxy with Authentication

export HTTP_PROXY="http://username:password@proxy.example.com:8080"
python3 main.py

Testing Proxy Configuration

Test PIA Configuration

# Test PIA proxy settings
python3 proxy_config.py

# Comprehensive proxy test
python3 test_proxy.py

The script will log the active proxy configuration on startup:

2025-08-31 10:30:15 - INFO - PIA SOCKS5 Proxy: proxy-nl.privateinternetaccess.com:1080 (user: p1234567)

During downloads, you'll see:

2025-08-31 10:30:30 - INFO - 🌐 Using PIA SOCKS5 proxy: proxy-nl.privateinternetaccess.com:1080

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Proxy not working: Check if the proxy server is running and accessible
2. Authentication errors: Ensure username/password are correctly encoded in the URL
3. Slow downloads: SOCKS5 proxies may add latency depending on the route

Testing Proxy Connectivity

Test your proxy with yt-dlp directly:

# Test PIA proxy (replace with your credentials)
yt-dlp --proxy socks5://username:password@proxy-nl.privateinternetaccess.com:1080 --simulate "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"

# Test SOCKS5 proxy
yt-dlp --proxy socks5://127.0.0.1:1080 --simulate "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"

# Test HTTP proxy
yt-dlp --proxy http://proxy.example.com:8080 --simulate "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"

Disabling Proxy

To disable proxy usage:

# Remove environment variables
unset SOCKS5_PROXY
unset HTTP_PROXY
unset HTTPS_PROXY

# Disable PIA configuration in proxy_config.py
python3 main.py

Or rename/delete the proxy configuration file:

mv proxy_config.py proxy_config.py.disabled
python3 main.py

Security Notes

• Always use HTTPS URLs when possible
• Be cautious with proxy authentication credentials in environment variables
• Consider using encrypted proxy protocols like SOCKS5 over SSH tunnels
• Test proxy configuration before running long download sessions