📦 Build Recipe: YouTube Downloader Standalone on Linux Mint

1. Install prerequisites (system-wide, once only)

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install -y python3-venv python3-pip

2. Set up a clean build environment

   python3 -m venv buildenv
   source buildenv/bin/activate
   pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
   pip install pyinstaller pillow

3. Save the .spec file

   Save this as youtube-downloader.spec in the same folder as youtube-downloader.py:

   # youtube-downloader.spec
   from PyInstaller.utils.hooks import collect_submodules
   import os, PIL
   
   pillow_path = os.path.dirname(PIL.__file__)
   datas = [(os.path.join(pillow_path, "..", "PIL"), "PIL")]
   
   a = Analysis(
       ['youtube-downloader.py'],
       pathex=[],
       binaries=[],
       datas=datas,
       hiddenimports=collect_submodules("PIL"),
       hookspath=[],
       hooksconfig={},
       runtime_hooks=[],
       excludes=[],
       noarchive=False,
   )
   
   # Exclude PyInstaller’s bundled zlib to avoid relocation errors
   a.binaries = [x for x in a.binaries if 'libz.so' not in x[0]]
   
   pyz = PYZ(a.pure)
   
   exe = EXE(
       pyz,
       a.scripts,
       a.binaries,
       a.zipfiles,
       a.datas,
       [],
       name='youtube-downloader',
       debug=False,
       bootloader_ignore_signals=False,
       strip=False,
       upx=True,
       console=False,
       icon='/usr/share/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/ytdlp.png'
   )

4. Build the standalone

   pyinstaller youtube-downloader.spec

5. Find your binary

   The built executable will be here:

   dist/youtube-downloader

   Copy it wherever you like (e.g. /usr/local/bin/ if you want it system-wide).