http://www.techradar.com/pro/linux March 2020 LXF260 85HOTPICKS
VIDEO-HOSTING SERVICE
WEB APPS ORGANISER
hese days people tend to spend more time in
web browsers than in any other software. Many
webpages are more than just sites – they are
feature-rich (and heavy) enough to behave like
applications. Tangram is intended to improve web apps’
integration into a Linux desktop, and as it is based on
WebkitGtk, we assume that the main target audience is
Gnome users.
Tangram looks like a web browser, but it adds some
extra functionality on top. Specifically, the tabbed
browsing concept in Tangram has been changed in
such a way that each tab is a separate app container.
This approach isolates web apps from each other and
also enables a user to run several instances of the same
web app with different credentials.
From the start Tangram looks very similar to
Epiphany, the default web browser in Gnome. Navigate
to the webpage you wish to turn into an application and
press Done. A bookmark-like dialog will pop up, allowing
you to edit the title and the URL of the page. Hit Add and
notice the new item along the left side of the Tangramf you search for ‘nodetube’ on YouTube, you’ll
see some dated videos covering another
method of downloading video files from
YouTube to your computer. However, there is another
project with the same name, and it’s no wonder that it is
absent in the YouTube search results. NodeTube is an
open source video-hosting service that allows you to
run your own YouTube-like server and take full control of
everything. It’s hard to find anything else that better fits
into the Escape Google trend we covered in LXF221. If
you feel like your home or office LAN deserves its own
video-hosting service, NodeTube is the answer.
As the name suggests, NodeTube is a web
application powered by NodeJS. It also makes use of
Redis for data structuring, MongoDB for storage and
Ffmpeg for media playback and conversion.
Besides that, NodeTube is advertised as a media-
hosting platform that anyone with basic technical skills
can set up. We deliberately used ‘media’ because
NodeTube also allows users to upload images and audio
files (everything that Ffmpeg can chew). Setting it up isIt’s a good idea to
access all your web
applications using
a single organiser.I
T
Nodetube
Tangram
relatively simple, provided that you have the MongoDB
instance running and the rest of the dependencies
installed beforehand. Once that’s done, proceed with:
$ npm run installDeps && npm start
If everything goes well, you’ll be able to access the
running NodeTube server at http://localhost:3000.
The first user you’ll register will be the system’s
administrator, and once you are logged in you are ready
to roll with NodeTube.
The service supports the uploading of media content,
reacting to it with emotions (likes, dislikes...),
subscribing, Facebook and Twitter sharing, and also
some advanced browsing features. For instance, it is
possible to group videos into channels, view popular
and recent lists, search videos and other content, and
more. Everything you view via NodeTube can be
downloaded again without any obstacles.window. The placement of this panel is configurable via
the application’s menu, so that you can make Tangram
look even more like a web browser.
We really liked the efforts to maintain privacy and
security in this app. Tangram is featured on Flathub,
which is perhaps the quickest way to give it a try. The
Flatpak build of Tangram makes use of restricted
permissions – features that work are explicitly declared
in the re.sonny.Tangram.json file. The regular version
that you’re supposed to compile and install in the
traditional way utilises WebkitGtk sandboxing – a
feature available in WebkitGtk 2.26 and onward.
Filesystem, network and D-BUS sandboxing works
nicely in WebkitGTK and in Tangram. Being safe and
privacy-wise still lets Tangram store cookies and log you
into your web sites automatically upon start-up.Version: GIT Web: https://github.com/
mayeaux/nodetubeVersion: 1.2.0 Web: https://github.
com/sonnyp/TangramTired of YouTube
policies? Run your
own video-hosting
service and define
the rules!8882March 0 h2rTinthTnyusBz March 2020 LXF260 85HOTPICKS
VIDEO-HOSTINGSERVICE
WEBAPPSORGANISER
hesedayspeopletendtospendmoretimein
webbrowsersthaninanyothersoftware.Many
webpagesaremorethanjustsites–theyare
feature-rich(andheavy)enoughtobehavelike
applications.Tangramisintendedtoimprovewebapps’
integrationintoaLinuxdesktop,andasitisbasedon
WebkitGtk,weassumethatthemaintargetaudienceis
Gnomeusers.
Tangramlookslikeawebbrowser,butitaddssome
extrafunctionalityontop.Specifically,thetabbed
browsingconceptinTangramhasbeenchangedin
suchawaythateachtabisaseparateappcontainer.
Thisapproachisolateswebappsfromeachotherand
alsoenablesausertorunseveralinstancesofthesame
webappwithdifferentcredentials.
FromthestartTangramlooksverysimilarto
Epiphany,thedefaultwebbrowserinGnome.Navigate
tothewebpageyouwishtoturnintoanapplicationand
pressDone.Abookmark-likedialogwillpopup,allowing
youtoeditthetitleandtheURLofthepage.HitAddand
noticethenewitemalongtheleftsideoftheTangramfyousearchfor‘nodetube’onYouTube,you’ll
seesomedatedvideoscoveringanother
methodofdownloadingvideofilesfrom
YouTubetoyourcomputer.However,thereisanother
projectwiththesamename,andit’snowonderthatitis
absentintheYouTubesearchresults.NodeTubeisan
opensourcevideo-hostingservicethatallowsyouto
runyourownYouTube-likeserverandtakefullcontrolof
everything.It’shardtofindanythingelsethatbetterfits
intotheEscapeGoogletrendwecoveredinLXF221.If
youfeellikeyourhomeorofficeLANdeservesitsown
video-hostingservice,NodeTubeistheanswer.
Asthenamesuggests,NodeTubeisaweb
applicationpoweredbyNodeJS.Italsomakesuseof
Redisfordatastructuring,MongoDBforstorageand
Ffmpegformediaplaybackandconversion.
Besidesthat,NodeTubeisadvertisedasamedia-
hostingplatformthatanyonewithbasictechnicalskills
cansetup.Wedeliberatelyused‘media’because
NodeTubealsoallowsuserstouploadimagesandaudio
files(everythingthatFfmpegcanchew).SettingitupisIt’s a good idea to
access all your web
applications using
a single organiser.I
T
Nodetube
Tangram
relatively simple, provided that you have the MongoDB
instance running and the rest of the dependencies
installed beforehand. Once that’s done, proceed with:
$ npm run installDeps && npm start
If everything goes well, you’ll be able to access the
running NodeTube server at http://localhost:3000.
The first user you’ll register will be the system’s
administrator, and once you are logged in you are ready
to roll with NodeTube.
The service supports the uploading of media content,
reacting to it with emotions (likes, dislikes...),
subscribing, Facebook and Twitter sharing, and also
some advanced browsing features. For instance, it is
possible to group videos into channels, view popular
and recent lists, search videos and other content, and
more. Everything you view via NodeTube can be
downloaded again without any obstacles.window. The placement of this panel is configurable via
the application’s menu, so that you can make Tangram
look even more like a web browser.
We really liked the efforts to maintain privacy and
security in this app. Tangram is featured on Flathub,
which is perhaps the quickest way to give it a try. The
Flatpak build of Tangram makes use of restricted
permissions – features that work are explicitly declared
in the re.sonny.Tangram.json file. The regular version
that you’re supposed to compile and install in the
traditional way utilises WebkitGtk sandboxing – a
feature available in WebkitGtk 2.26 and onward.
Filesystem, network and D-BUS sandboxing works
nicely in WebkitGTK and in Tangram. Being safe and
privacy-wise still lets Tangram store cookies and log you
into your web sites automatically upon start-up.Version: GIT Web: https://github.com/
mayeaux/nodetubeVersion: 1.2.0 Web: https://github.
com/sonnyp/TangramTired of YouTube
policies? Run your
own video-hosting
service and define
the rules!