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VortexCLI

Lightning-Fast YouTube Browser for Terminal

Interactive Video Browser

A powerful, lightning-fast YouTube browser for your terminal. Browse, stream, and download YouTube content without leaving your command line with beautiful previews and fuzzy search.

InstallGitHub
Bash
Fuzzy Search
Stream & Download
YouTube

What is Vortex CLI?

Vortex CLI is a modern, feature-rich terminal-based YouTube browser that brings the power of YouTube to your command line. Built with performance and user experience in mind, it provides seamless access to YouTube's vast content library without leaving your terminal.

Navigate YouTube with fuzzy search, stream live videos, download content, manage playlists, and enjoy rich previews with thumbnail images. Fully extensible with custom extensions and highly configurable to match your workflow.

See Full Documentation

Key Features

Interactive Browser

Navigate YouTube with fuzzy search

Live Streaming

Watch live streams in terminal

Download Manager

Download videos and playlists

Playlist Support

Create and manage playlists

Favorites

Bookmark channels and videos

Rich Previews

Thumbnail previews in terminal

Highly Configurable

Customize everything to your liking

Extension System

Build custom functionality

Installation

Install Vortex CLI YouTube browser

Prerequisites

Required dependencies:

Required
bash jq curl yt-dlp fzf mpv ffmpeg

Optional dependencies:

Optional
gum rofi chafa icat kitty wezterm

Quick Install (Cross-platform)

Download and install
# One-liner install
curl -sL "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/codewithevilxd/vortex-cli/main/vortex-cli" -o ~/.local/bin/vortex-cli && chmod +x ~/.local/bin/vortex-cli

# Verify installation
vortex-cli --version

Linux Distributions

Arch Linux (AUR)

Install from AUR
# Using yay
yay -S vortex-cli-git

# Using paru
paru -S vortex-cli-git

NixOS / Home Manager

Install with Nix
# Imperative install
nix profile install github:codewithevilxd/vortex-cli

# Declarative (add to flake.nix)
{
  inputs.vortex-cli.url = "github:codewithevilxd/vortex-cli";
  # ... rest of your flake
}

Ubuntu/Debian

Install on Ubuntu/Debian
# Install dependencies
sudo apt update
sudo apt install jq curl yt-dlp fzf mpv ffmpeg

# Install Vortex CLI
curl -sL "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/codewithevilxd/vortex-cli/main/vortex-cli" -o /usr/local/bin/vortex-cli
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/vortex-cli

macOS

Install on macOS
# Using Homebrew
brew install jq yt-dlp fzf mpv ffmpeg
curl -sL "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/codewithevilxd/vortex-cli/main/vortex-cli" -o /usr/local/bin/vortex-cli
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/vortex-cli

Android (Termux)

Install on Termux
pkg install jq curl python yt-dlp fzf mpv ffmpeg
curl -sL "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/codewithevilxd/vortex-cli/main/vortex-cli" -o $PREFIX/bin/vortex-cli
chmod +x $PREFIX/bin/vortex-cli

Quick Start

Basic usage
# Launch the main interface
vortex-cli

# Search for videos
vortex-cli -S "your search query"

# Edit configuration
vortex-cli -e

# Get help
vortex-cli --help

Note:

Configuration is stored in ~/.config/vortex-cli/. Run vortex-cli -e to edit settings.

Usage Guide

Complete guide on how to use Vortex CLI YouTube browser

Basic Commands

Launch main interface

vortex-cli

Search for videos

vortex-cli -S "search query"

Edit configuration

vortex-cli -e

Show help

vortex-cli --help

Show version

vortex-cli --version

Search Filters

Live streams only

:live gaming

Uploaded today

:today news

This week

:week tutorials

HD quality

:hd movies

4K quality

:4k nature

Short videos (under 4 min)

:short comedy

Sorting Options

By view count

:views

By rating

:rating

By upload date

:newest

Configuration

Config File Location

~/.config/vortex-cli/vortex-cli.conf

Edit this INI file to customize player settings, UI preferences, download directory, and more.

Custom Playlists

~/.config/vortex-cli/custom_playlists.json

Create custom playlists by adding YouTube playlist URLs and watch URLs.

Extensions

Extension Directory

~/.config/vortex-cli/extensions/

Place custom bash scripts here to extend Vortex CLI functionality. Extensions are automatically loaded.

Pro Tips:

  • • Use fuzzy search to quickly find videos and channels
  • • Enable previews for thumbnail images in supported terminals
  • • Configure your preferred browser for cookie-based authentication
  • • Create custom extensions for specialized workflows
  • • Use search filters and sorting to refine results

Advanced Features

Powerful features that make Vortex CLI a complete YouTube browsing solution

Interactive Video Browser

Navigate YouTube with fuzzy search and intuitive keyboard controls

  • ▸Fuzzy search with fzf for instant video discovery
  • ▸Keyboard shortcuts for efficient navigation
  • ▸Real-time search results with video metadata
  • ▸Channel browsing and subscription management
  • ▸Trending videos and recommended content

Live Streaming Support

Watch live streams directly in your terminal with full playback control

  • ▸Real-time live stream playback with mpv
  • ▸Stream quality selection and adaptive bitrate
  • ▸Live chat integration (terminal compatible)
  • ▸Background streaming with process management
  • ▸Multi-platform live streaming support

Advanced Download Manager

Download videos, playlists, and audio with yt-dlp integration

  • ▸Batch download with playlist support
  • ▸Multiple format options (MP4, WebM, MP3, etc.)
  • ▸Quality selection (1080p, 4K, audio-only)
  • ▸Resume interrupted downloads
  • ▸Custom output directory and naming patterns

Smart Playlist Management

Create and manage custom playlists with full YouTube integration

  • ▸Import existing YouTube playlists
  • ▸Create custom local playlists
  • ▸Playlist search and filtering
  • ▸Shuffle and repeat playback modes
  • ▸Export playlists to various formats

Favorites & Bookmarks

Bookmark channels and videos for quick access and organization

  • ▸Save favorite channels and videos
  • ▸Organize bookmarks with custom categories
  • ▸Quick access to bookmarked content
  • ▸Import/export bookmark collections
  • ▸Sync bookmarks across devices

Rich Visual Previews

Thumbnail previews with chafa/icat support for visual browsing

  • ▸High-quality thumbnail display in terminal
  • ▸Multiple image renderer support (chafa, icat, kitty)
  • ▸Preview window integration with fuzzy finder
  • ▸Video duration and view count overlays
  • ▸Channel avatar and subscriber information

Powerful Search Filters

Filter by duration, quality, upload date with advanced search syntax

  • ▸Search filters: :live, :today, :week, :hd, :4k, :short
  • ▸Sorting options: :views, :rating, :newest
  • ▸Duration filtering (under 4 minutes, etc.)
  • ▸Quality-based filtering and sorting
  • ▸Date range and upload time filters

Extensible Architecture

Build custom functionality with bash scripts and modular extensions

  • ▸Plugin system for custom commands
  • ▸Bash script extensions in ~/.config/vortex-cli/extensions/
  • ▸API for third-party integrations
  • ▸Custom search providers and sources
  • ▸Modular design for easy customization

Universal Media Support

Beyond YouTube - works with Vimeo, Twitch, and all yt-dlp supported sites

  • ▸Vimeo, Twitch, Dailymotion support
  • ▸Over 1000 supported video platforms
  • ▸Universal media downloader capabilities
  • ▸Cross-platform video source compatibility
  • ▸International content and language support

Comprehensive Configuration

Fine-tune every aspect with extensive configuration options

  • ▸Player selection (mpv, vlc, custom)
  • ▸Video quality and format preferences
  • ▸Browser cookie integration for authentication
  • ▸Custom keybindings and shortcuts
  • ▸Theme and UI customization options

Smart History Tracking

Keep track of watched videos with configurable history management

  • ▸Automatic watch history recording
  • ▸Configurable history size limits
  • ▸Search through watch history
  • ▸Recently watched recommendations
  • ▸History export and backup features

Privacy & Performance

Optimized for speed with privacy-conscious design principles

  • ▸Minimal resource usage and fast startup
  • ▸No telemetry or data collection
  • ▸Local caching for improved performance
  • ▸Privacy-focused cookie handling
  • ▸Efficient memory management

Vortex CLI + Evilxd Music Player

Experience YouTube browsing + Evilxd music streaming in one powerful terminal interface

Interactive Demo

Complete terminal experience with Vortex CLI YouTube features + Evilxd music streaming integration. Search, play, and manage music with realistic API responses.

user@terminal:~$vortex-cli
🌪️ Vortex CLI v0.4.5 - Lightning-Fast YouTube Browser ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ 🎬 Main Menu │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ 1. 🎵 Search & Browse Videos │ │ 2. 📺 Watch Live Streams │ │ 3. ⬇️ Download Videos/Playlists │ │ 4. 📋 Manage Playlists │ │ 5. ⭐ Favorites & Bookmarks │ │ 6. 🔍 Advanced Search Filters │ │ 7. ⚙️ Configuration │ │ 8. 📖 Help & Documentation │ │ 9. 🚪 Exit │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ Choose an option (1-9):
user@terminal:~$

Quick Commands:

Ultimate terminal experience combining Vortex CLI YouTube features with Evilxd music streaming.

Try YouTube commands like 'vortex-cli -S "query"' or music commands like 'music "Shape of You"', 'lyrics', 'queue'.

Documentation

Complete documentation and resources for Vortex CLI

GitHub Repository

Source code, issues, and development updates

View on GitHub

README

Comprehensive installation and usage guide

Available in the GitHub repository

Quick Links

Full Documentation Report Issues Discussions Releases