How To - Install JDownloader2 Natively On Ubuntu
A dear friend told me about JDownloader2 a few years ago. I have always dreaded installing Java Runtime Environment (JRE) on any machine, but unfortunately, this single app is worth it.
What is JDownloader2?
This app can download almost any video online, extra audio from videos, and more in a simple-to-use interface.
Install Prerequisites
Go to your terminal and run this command to install the Java JDK:
sudo apt install openjdk-8-jreDownload JDownloader2
Go to this website and download the Linux version of the Shell script. The link at the time of writing is hosted on MEGA, which is normally a spammy-looking site. Don’t worry.
https://jdownloader.org/jdownloader2
Click on the Installer and download it.
In your Terminal, go to your “Downloads” directory, make the “sh” file executable, and run it with these commands:
cd Downloads
chmod +x JDownloader2Setup_unix_nojre.sh
./JDownloader2Setup_unix_nojre.shYou will be presented with the install Wizard, a NEXT, NEXT, and Finish installer.
By default, it will install itself in your user’s home folder and take around 18MB of disk space. In my case, the default location is:
/home/jared/jd2Once Installed, you might notice the icon on the desktop is “greyed out.” Ubuntu does not trust Java apps, so you must allow them by right-clicking the icon and selecting “Allow Launching.”
Once you do this, the app will always be able to be loaded. The icon will also change from grey and a red “X” to a colour icon, signifying that it can be run without issues.
Go to the Link Grabber tab and paste a link to the video. In my example, I pasted a YouTube music mix. The tool allows you to download videos locally without ads or just the music from the video.
Each line has an icon representing what the program will do. Since I am clicking on the first line, which is the music notes, I will right-click it and select “Start Downloads.”
Once you start downloading, click the “Downloads” link on the left to verify that the file has been downloaded.
NOTE: The first time you do this, JDownloader2 will most likely tell you to download FFmpeg.
Click “Install FFmpeg,” and the audio will download from the Video File. To finish the download, you must close JDownloader2 completely and re-open it.
The link you previously downloaded will need to be restarted again. Right-click it and force the download.
Once you have completed these steps, you should only need to paste Video links into the program for all new video or audio links.
I hope this helps and that you enjoy this application as much as I do!