Companion app refuses to open

[HCG]

I have this curious problem. On my 32 bit laptop, running W7 and FF 57, I can download fine. But on my 64 bit desktop, runing the latest verslons of the DownloadHelper and the companion app (1-19-18), the companion does not open and so I can download nothing. Is there some program interfering with the companion? 

[mig]

Can you give more details on "the companion does not open" ?

[z. ixazaluoh]

hi,
i also cannot open that companion app!

i verified via the VDH interface that indeed it is correctly installed onto my iMac desktop.

But i cannot open it by trying to open it from my computer.
I tried to do this because i cannot download any videos.

(FYI, i can download videos fine using other apps such as youtube downloader.)

The failed videos bring up this error message:
 failed aggregating "sample video" - YouTube.
What does that mean?

And, since i dont see the companion button thats supposed to be to the right of the VDH toolbar icon,
i tried following the manual's instructions which say:
"This button is not visible by default. To display it in your toolbar, go to the add-on settings > Appearance and set Toolbar button mode to Main and companion buttons.

However, there is no such option anywhere in my settings!

Please help?

[mig]

There is no way to actually "open" the companion app. This is done in background by the extension.

The "companion button" mention is for VDH6 only and does not apply to version 7.

Can you share details about the error you get: some URLs you are trying to download from, the exact error messages you get from the add-on interface ?

[z. ixazaluoh]

hi,
thanks mig for your reply!
so am i supposed to hit reply in my gmail to reply to you,
or re-visit the VDH forum directly?
(i am brand new to VDH.)
Since i am not yet sure, i will reply here:

I do have version 7.1.2. (Just in case you didn’t know.)

I have been unable to download any video as of yet, at least from my iMac desktop.
Failed videos brings up this message when i click the color red button at bottom of the VDH:
failed aggregation "(such-and-such) -- YouTube"

A few questions, pleae:

—do i need  not only the Video Download Helper app, and the companion app,
but  also the converter app, plus therefore the Homebrew app too?

--I read this info in YDH help pages, and it has me confused,
since the technical jargon is a bit over my head:

“Since your local video player is likely to require a single file, aggregating audio and video files is necessary once those files have been downloaded. This cannot be done reliably from an add-on, this is why DownloadHelper requires the installation of an external converter application that it will use in the background. On all operating systems, the conversion feature of Video DownloadHelper relies on Libav.

  The converter can run on Windows, Mac OS X and … Check this link for installation details.
Once installed, Video DownloadHelper should automatically recognize and use the converter…

On Mac OS X:
An easy method for installing Libav consists of using Homebrew from a terminal:
* Start the Terminal application from Applications → Utilities → Terminal
* Type brew install libav --with-fdk-aac --with-ffplay --with-freetype --with-libass --with-libquvi --with-libvorbis --with-libvpx --with-opus --with-x265

If Homebrew is not installed on your Mac:
* Start the Terminal application from Applications → Utilities → Terminal
* Type ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"
For more details about installing Homebrew, check their homepage.

—so i did try using those “If Homebrew is not installed on your Mac:” instructions in terminal, by entering as it states above:
ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"

hoping that that might fix the problem.

But,
after doing that and closing out of terminal,
i visited the Homebrew homepage, and i was alarmed to see that its instructions for installing were different!!!

This Homebrew homepage says to enter this terminal command instead:
/usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"

ie., same only it adds that /usr/bin at the beginning, see?

so which one is correct?
If the first one, the one i did enter is correct, then i am relieved!
But, if the second one from the Homebrew page is, then maybe i am in trouble!?
Because i dont know if its possible to undo terminal commands like that, but it seems everyone says you cant undo them!
Please let me know!

—also wondering, do i need to keep the video playing during the entire download process?
and, do i need to keep my computer awake?
—and a little side question: what is that “Analyze page” button supposed to do?

—okay, as for show the past error messages, it is too late to show you what it was showing, since those windows i have closed already, except i tried this random one, and have added the attached screenshot of the failed aggregating error.

Now, i just tried downloading the  “Fragile” song by Sting, and it seemed to download fine to my macbbook computer, which i am now on.
But now how do i open and play it?

I see it has the file extension mkv, but i cannot find an application that will open it:

thanks for your help!

[mig]

Replying to the forum is the way to go.

Forget about the older documentation, VDH 7 and its companion app are the only things you need.

Since you get a .mkv file, you just need an application that is able to play it. I suggest VLC from http://videolan.org/

[z. ixazaluoh]

hi , thanks mig for your reply!

alas, i am still having trouble:
when i follow the instructs from the VDH manual for "How to verify Video DownloadHelper is working", which i have pasted here:

also see:
How to verify Video DownloadHelper is working
Go to this page. (it leads to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDm8zTlP-mw )
You should see in the Firefox browser toolbar an colored 3-balls icon.

The fact the icon is colored indicates there are videos to be downloaded.
Click on the icon to open the main panel.

As everywhere else in Firefox, clicking outside the panel will close it.
Click on the first Jocly presentation item in the list. A File Save dialog opens to give you an opportunity to change the name of the file and/or the target folder. Confirm and your file will be soon be on your disk.

So i again tried this to verify, and no file showed up on my imac desktop computer!
What could be the problem?

Also, how do you decide which item in the list to click on? The instructs say the first, but should i always click on the first if i am unsure which to choose?

And when you say that all we need is the VDH and its companion app, do you mean that VDH 7 and its companion now take care of all those actions like "aggregating" that in former VDH versions used to rely on "Libav"?

As i mentioned, i followed the instructs and did that Terminal command:

ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"

and now i don’t know what i should do about that— can you tell me? Since the Homebrew page lists a different command i was to enter, which was the same only it added that /usr/bin at the beginning:

/usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"

Which terminal command was correct? And what should i do?

also still wondering:
—do i need to keep the video playing during the entire download process?
—do i need to keep my computer awake?
—what is that “Analyze page” button supposed to do?

Also, you mention that i can install VLC to play the .mkv file. So, do i always get a .mkv file when downloading the videos using VDH?
Is there a way to have it download as a .MOV file or .mp4 or .mpg, something that can be played in iTunes or quicktime?
Since i have mac computers, i already have iTunes and Quicktime on both.

Sorry for so many questions, but please answer them all for me—
i very much appreciate it!!

[mig]

If you are using the latest Video DownloadHelper (v7.1.2), you are reading an obsolete documentation. Sorry it has not yet been updated.

You do not have to install the converter (libav) via the "ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL..." method. Just go to https://www.downloadhelper.net/install-coapp , download and install the .pkg file.

The format of the video you download depends on the server, not VDH. It can be .mkv, .webm, .mp4 or a few others. If you want a different format like .mov, use the Download & Convert operation, or download the original format then use "Convert local files" from the add-on interface.

—do i need to keep the video playing during the entire download process?

No

—do i need to keep my computer awake?

Yes

—what is that “Analyze page” button supposed to do?

It checks the current page to find "aligned" images or links to images, then it offers to download all of them in a single operation.

[z. ixazaluoh]

Wow mig, thank you ever so much for all your helpful answers! :)

One question remains, please:
do i actually need libav?
ie, Did i misunderstand when i thought that libav was only needed for the past versions of VDH?
Are you saying the v7.1.2 does not now include the innate ability to take care of all the actions like "aggregating" that  in former versions did to rely on libav?

Will installing libav solve any potential "failed aggregating" errors that might arise?

Since as you know i already followed the instructions from the obsolete documentation, entering that Terminal command:

ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"

which was i guess supposed to install Homebrew(?)
Did i actually install Homebrew, or was the VDH manual’s instructions incorrect? Since as you know, the actual Homebrew site gives a different command, same only with that first part added:
/usr/bin/

What should i do about it? I hate to leave that hanging, in case it might cause problems in my system, you know?

[mig]

You don't need to install libav with VDH7 because the companion includes ffmpeg which does the same job as libav.

You can remove libav from your machine unless you need it for something else than VDH. Homebrew is good to have but not used for VDH7.

[z. ixazaluoh]

great, thanks mig! :)