Initial commit: YouTube Sync Docker container

- Alpine-based Docker image with yt-dlp
- Configurable channel sync script
- Unraid template for Community Applications
- Automatic scheduling via cron
- Emby/Plex/Jellyfin compatible output structure

.gitignore

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Docker
+*.log
+
+# Testing
+test/
+downloads/
+config/
+
+# Editor
+.vscode/
+.idea/
+*.swp
+*.swo
+*~
+
+# OS
+.DS_Store
+Thumbs.db

Dockerfile

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+FROM alpine:3.19
+
+# Install dependencies
+RUN apk add --no-cache \
+    python3 \
+    py3-pip \
+    ffmpeg \
+    bash \
+    curl \
+    tzdata \
+    dcron \
+    && pip3 install --no-cache-dir yt-dlp --break-system-packages
+
+# Create directories
+RUN mkdir -p /downloads /config /app
+
+# Copy scripts
+COPY sync.sh /app/sync.sh
+COPY entrypoint.sh /app/entrypoint.sh
+RUN chmod +x /app/sync.sh /app/entrypoint.sh
+
+# Set working directory
+WORKDIR /app
+
+# Environment defaults
+ENV DOWNLOAD_DIR=/downloads \
+    CONFIG_DIR=/config \
+    SYNC_SCHEDULE="0 2 * * *" \
+    MAX_QUALITY=1080 \
+    SLEEP_INTERVAL=2 \
+    TZ=America/Phoenix
+
+# Expose volume mount points
+VOLUME ["/downloads", "/config"]
+
+# Run entrypoint
+ENTRYPOINT ["/app/entrypoint.sh"]

LICENSE

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+MIT License
+
+Copyright (c) 2026 Arizona Computer Guru LLC
+
+Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+
+The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+
+THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+SOFTWARE.

README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+# YouTube Channel Sync Docker
+
+Automatically download and organize YouTube channel videos for Emby, Plex, or Jellyfin media servers.
+
+## Features
+
+- Downloads videos in best quality up to 1080p (configurable)
+- Organizes videos by season folders (year-based)
+- Proper episode naming for media servers: `S2026E001 - Video Title - [VideoID].mp4`
+- Embeds thumbnails and metadata
+- Creates `tvshow.nfo` files for Emby/Plex
+- Tracks downloaded videos to avoid re-downloading
+- Supports YouTube cookies for authentication (bypasses bot detection)
+- Scheduled automatic syncs via cron
+- Lightweight Alpine Linux base (~200MB)
+
+## Quick Start (Unraid)
+
+1. Install from Community Applications: Search for "YouTube Sync"
+2. Configure paths:
+   - Download Directory: `/mnt/user/media/YouTube` (or your media location)
+   - Config Directory: `/mnt/user/appdata/youtube-sync`
+3. Edit `/mnt/user/appdata/youtube-sync/channels.txt` and add your channels
+4. (Optional) Add YouTube cookies to `/mnt/user/appdata/youtube-sync/cookies.txt`
+5. Start the container
+
+## Configuration
+
+### channels.txt Format
+
+```
+# Format: CHANNEL_ID|Channel Name
+UCfDNi1aEljAQ17mUrfUjkvg|Alton Brown
+UCoq2qlWgvvKJzW_hBkLIE8w|Flavour Trip
+```
+
+**Finding Channel IDs:**
+1. Go to the channel's main page on YouTube
+2. View page source (Ctrl+U or Cmd+U)
+3. Search for "channelId" or check the URL structure
+
+### YouTube Cookies (Optional but Recommended)
+
+YouTube may block downloads without authentication. To fix this:
+
+**Method 1: Browser Extension**
+1. Install "Get cookies.txt LOCALLY" extension for Firefox/Chrome
+2. Go to YouTube.com while logged in
+3. Click the extension icon and export cookies
+4. Save as `/mnt/user/appdata/youtube-sync/cookies.txt`
+
+**Method 2: yt-dlp command**
+```bash
+yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser firefox --cookies cookies.txt --skip-download "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"
+```
+
+## Environment Variables
+
+| Variable | Default | Description |
+|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `SYNC_SCHEDULE` | `0 2 * * *` | Cron schedule (2 AM daily). Use `manual` to disable. |
+| `MAX_QUALITY` | `1080` | Maximum video quality (480, 720, 1080, 1440, 2160) |
+| `SLEEP_INTERVAL` | `2` | Seconds between downloads (helps avoid rate limiting) |
+| `TZ` | `America/Phoenix` | Timezone for scheduling |
+| `PUID` | `99` | User ID for file ownership |
+| `PGID` | `100` | Group ID for file ownership |
+
+## Docker Compose
+
+```yaml
+version: '3'
+services:
+  youtube-sync:
+    image: azcomputerguru/youtube-sync:latest
+    container_name: youtube-sync
+    environment:
+      - SYNC_SCHEDULE=0 2 * * *
+      - MAX_QUALITY=1080
+      - SLEEP_INTERVAL=2
+      - TZ=America/Phoenix
+      - PUID=99
+      - PGID=100
+    volumes:
+      - /mnt/user/media/YouTube:/downloads
+      - /mnt/user/appdata/youtube-sync:/config
+    restart: unless-stopped
+```
+
+## Docker CLI
+
+```bash
+docker run -d \
+  --name youtube-sync \
+  -e SYNC_SCHEDULE="0 2 * * *" \
+  -e MAX_QUALITY=1080 \
+  -e TZ=America/Phoenix \
+  -v /mnt/user/media/YouTube:/downloads \
+  -v /mnt/user/appdata/youtube-sync:/config \
+  azcomputerguru/youtube-sync:latest
+```
+
+## Manual Sync
+
+To run a sync immediately:
+
+```bash
+docker exec youtube-sync /app/sync.sh
+```
+
+## Output Structure
+
+```
+/downloads/
+├── Alton Brown/
+│   ├── tvshow.nfo
+│   ├── .downloaded.txt (tracking file)
+│   ├── Season 2024/
+│   │   ├── S2024E001 - Title - [VideoID].mp4
+│   │   ├── S2024E001 - Title - [VideoID].info.json
+│   │   └── ...
+│   └── Season 2025/
+│       └── ...
+└── Flavour Trip/
+    ├── tvshow.nfo
+    └── Season 2026/
+        └── ...
+```
+
+## Emby/Plex Setup
+
+1. Add the download directory as a TV Shows library
+2. Use "Local Media Assets (TV)" scanner
+3. Episodes will appear organized by channel name and year
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### "Sign in to confirm you're not a bot" Error
+
+YouTube is blocking downloads. Solution: Add cookies.txt (see Configuration section)
+
+### Videos Not Downloading
+
+1. Check `channels.txt` format (must be `CHANNEL_ID|Name`, no spaces around `|`)
+2. Verify channel IDs are correct
+3. Check container logs: `docker logs youtube-sync`
+4. Ensure `/downloads` directory is writable
+
+### Scheduling Not Working
+
+1. Verify cron schedule format is correct
+2. Check timezone is set properly
+3. Set `SYNC_SCHEDULE=manual` and run manually to test
+4. Check logs: `docker logs youtube-sync`
+
+## Building From Source
+
+```bash
+git clone https://github.com/azcomputerguru/youtube-sync-docker
+cd youtube-sync-docker
+docker build -t youtube-sync .
+```
+
+## Support
+
+Issues and pull requests: https://github.com/azcomputerguru/youtube-sync-docker
+
+## License
+
+MIT License - See LICENSE file for details
+
+## Credits
+
+Built by Arizona Computer Guru LLC using [yt-dlp](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp)

entrypoint.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Entrypoint script for YouTube Sync Docker container
+
+set -e
+
+echo "=========================================="
+echo "YouTube Channel Sync Docker"
+echo "=========================================="
+echo "Download Directory: $DOWNLOAD_DIR"
+echo "Config Directory: $CONFIG_DIR"
+echo "Sync Schedule: $SYNC_SCHEDULE"
+echo "Max Quality: ${MAX_QUALITY}p"
+echo "Sleep Interval: ${SLEEP_INTERVAL}s"
+echo "Timezone: $TZ"
+echo "=========================================="
+
+# Create example channels file if it doesn't exist
+if [ ! -f "$CONFIG_DIR/channels.txt" ]; then
+    echo "[INFO] Creating example channels.txt..."
+    cat > "$CONFIG_DIR/channels.txt" << 'EOF'
+# YouTube Channel Configuration
+# Format: CHANNEL_ID|Channel Name
+# One channel per line. Lines starting with # are ignored.
+#
+# Examples:
+# UCfDNi1aEljAQ17mUrfUjkvg|Alton Brown
+# UCoq2qlWgvvKJzW_hBkLIE8w|Flavour Trip
+#
+# To find a channel ID:
+# 1. Go to the channel's main page
+# 2. View page source (Ctrl+U or Cmd+U)
+# 3. Search for "channelId" or look in the URL
+EOF
+fi
+
+# Set up cron job if SYNC_SCHEDULE is provided
+if [ "$SYNC_SCHEDULE" != "manual" ]; then
+    echo "[INFO] Setting up cron schedule: $SYNC_SCHEDULE"
+    echo "$SYNC_SCHEDULE /app/sync.sh >> /var/log/youtube-sync.log 2>&1" > /etc/crontabs/root
+
+    # Start crond in the background
+    crond -f -l 2 &
+    CRON_PID=$!
+    echo "[INFO] Cron daemon started (PID: $CRON_PID)"
+
+    # Run initial sync
+    echo "[INFO] Running initial sync..."
+    /app/sync.sh || true
+
+    # Keep container running and monitor cron
+    echo "[INFO] Container ready. Watching for scheduled syncs..."
+    wait $CRON_PID
+else
+    echo "[INFO] Manual mode enabled. Running sync once..."
+    /app/sync.sh
+fi

sync.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# YouTube Channel Sync Script
+# Reads channel configuration from /config/channels.txt
+
+set -e
+
+DOWNLOAD_DIR="${DOWNLOAD_DIR:-/downloads}"
+CONFIG_DIR="${CONFIG_DIR:-/config}"
+COOKIES_FILE="${CONFIG_DIR}/cookies.txt"
+CHANNELS_FILE="${CONFIG_DIR}/channels.txt"
+MAX_QUALITY="${MAX_QUALITY:-1080}"
+SLEEP_INTERVAL="${SLEEP_INTERVAL:-2}"
+
+# Check if channels file exists
+if [ ! -f "$CHANNELS_FILE" ]; then
+    echo "[ERROR] Channels file not found: $CHANNELS_FILE"
+    echo "[INFO] Creating example channels.txt file..."
+    cat > "$CHANNELS_FILE" << 'EOF'
+# YouTube Channel Configuration
+# Format: CHANNEL_ID|Channel Name
+# One channel per line. Lines starting with # are ignored.
+#
+# Example:
+# UCfDNi1aEljAQ17mUrfUjkvg|Alton Brown
+# UCoq2qlWgvvKJzW_hBkLIE8w|Flavour Trip
+EOF
+    echo "[INFO] Please edit $CHANNELS_FILE and add your channels"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Check if cookies file exists
+COOKIES_PARAM=""
+if [ -f "$COOKIES_FILE" ]; then
+    echo "[INFO] Using cookies from: $COOKIES_FILE"
+    COOKIES_PARAM="--cookies $COOKIES_FILE"
+else
+    echo "[WARNING] No cookies file found at: $COOKIES_FILE"
+    echo "[WARNING] Some videos may fail to download without authentication"
+fi
+
+# Parse and sync channels
+echo "=========================================="
+echo "YouTube Channel Sync - $(date)"
+echo "=========================================="
+
+while IFS='|' read -r CHANNEL_ID CHANNEL_NAME || [ -n "$CHANNEL_ID" ]; do
+    # Skip empty lines and comments
+    [[ -z "$CHANNEL_ID" || "$CHANNEL_ID" =~ ^[[:space:]]*# ]] && continue
+
+    # Trim whitespace
+    CHANNEL_ID=$(echo "$CHANNEL_ID" | xargs)
+    CHANNEL_NAME=$(echo "$CHANNEL_NAME" | xargs)
+
+    echo ""
+    echo "=========================================="
+    echo "Syncing: $CHANNEL_NAME"
+    echo "Channel ID: $CHANNEL_ID"
+    echo "=========================================="
+
+    yt-dlp \
+        $COOKIES_PARAM \
+        --format "bestvideo[ext=mp4][height<=${MAX_QUALITY}]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4]/best" \
+        --merge-output-format mp4 \
+        --output "$DOWNLOAD_DIR/$CHANNEL_NAME/Season %(upload_date>%Y)s/S%(upload_date>%Y)sE%(playlist_index)03d - %(title).100B - [%(id)s].%(ext)s" \
+        --write-info-json \
+        --embed-thumbnail \
+        --embed-metadata \
+        --write-subs \
+        --sub-langs "en.*" \
+        --embed-subs \
+        --download-archive "$DOWNLOAD_DIR/$CHANNEL_NAME/.downloaded.txt" \
+        --no-overwrites \
+        --ignore-errors \
+        --sleep-interval "$SLEEP_INTERVAL" \
+        --max-sleep-interval 5 \
+        "https://www.youtube.com/channel/$CHANNEL_ID/videos"
+
+    # Create tvshow.nfo for Emby/Plex
+    echo ""
+    echo "Creating tvshow.nfo for $CHANNEL_NAME..."
+    cat > "$DOWNLOAD_DIR/$CHANNEL_NAME/tvshow.nfo" << EOFNFO
+<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
+<tvshow>
+  <title>$CHANNEL_NAME</title>
+  <showtitle>$CHANNEL_NAME</showtitle>
+  <plot>YouTube channel: $CHANNEL_NAME</plot>
+  <genre>YouTube</genre>
+  <studio>YouTube</studio>
+  <premiered></premiered>
+  <uniqueid type="youtube" default="true">$CHANNEL_ID</uniqueid>
+</tvshow>
+EOFNFO
+
+    echo "Done with $CHANNEL_NAME"
+    echo ""
+
+done < "$CHANNELS_FILE"
+
+echo "=========================================="
+echo "All channels synced successfully!"
+echo "Completed: $(date)"
+echo "=========================================="

youtube-sync.xml

@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<Container version="2">
+  <Name>youtube-sync</Name>
+  <Repository>azcomputerguru/youtube-sync</Repository>
+  <Registry>https://hub.docker.com/r/azcomputerguru/youtube-sync</Registry>
+  <Network>bridge</Network>
+  <MyIP/>
+  <Shell>bash</Shell>
+  <Privileged>false</Privileged>
+  <Support>https://github.com/azcomputerguru/youtube-sync-docker</Support>
+  <Project>https://github.com/azcomputerguru/youtube-sync-docker</Project>
+  <Overview>
+    Automatically download and organize YouTube channel videos for Emby/Plex/Jellyfin.
+
+    Features:
+    - Downloads videos in best quality up to 1080p (configurable)
+    - Organizes by season folders (by year)
+    - Creates proper episode naming for media servers
+    - Embeds thumbnails and metadata
+    - Creates tvshow.nfo files for Emby/Plex
+    - Tracks downloaded videos to avoid duplicates
+    - Supports YouTube cookies for authentication
+    - Scheduled automatic syncs via cron
+
+    Configuration:
+    1. Edit /mnt/user/appdata/youtube-sync/channels.txt
+    2. Add your channels in format: CHANNEL_ID|Channel Name
+    3. (Optional) Add YouTube cookies to /mnt/user/appdata/youtube-sync/cookies.txt
+  </Overview>
+  <Category>MediaApp:Video MediaServer:Video</Category>
+  <WebUI/>
+  <TemplateURL>https://raw.githubusercontent.com/azcomputerguru/youtube-sync-docker/main/youtube-sync.xml</TemplateURL>
+  <Icon>https://raw.githubusercontent.com/azcomputerguru/youtube-sync-docker/main/icon.png</Icon>
+  <ExtraParams/>
+  <PostArgs/>
+  <CPUset/>
+  <DateInstalled/>
+  <DonateText/>
+  <DonateLink/>
+  <Requires/>
+  <Config Name="Download Directory" Target="/downloads" Default="/mnt/user/media/YouTube" Mode="rw" Description="Where downloaded videos will be stored" Type="Path" Display="always" Required="true" Mask="false">/mnt/user/media/YouTube</Config>
+  <Config Name="Config Directory" Target="/config" Default="/mnt/user/appdata/youtube-sync" Mode="rw" Description="Configuration files (channels.txt, cookies.txt)" Type="Path" Display="always" Required="true" Mask="false">/mnt/user/appdata/youtube-sync</Config>
+  <Config Name="Sync Schedule" Target="SYNC_SCHEDULE" Default="0 2 * * *" Mode="" Description="Cron schedule for automatic syncs (default: 2 AM daily). Use 'manual' to disable scheduling." Type="Variable" Display="always" Required="false" Mask="false">0 2 * * *</Config>
+  <Config Name="Max Quality" Target="MAX_QUALITY" Default="1080" Mode="" Description="Maximum video quality (480, 720, 1080, 1440, 2160)" Type="Variable" Display="always" Required="false" Mask="false">1080</Config>
+  <Config Name="Sleep Interval" Target="SLEEP_INTERVAL" Default="2" Mode="" Description="Seconds to wait between downloads (helps avoid rate limiting)" Type="Variable" Display="advanced" Required="false" Mask="false">2</Config>
+  <Config Name="Timezone" Target="TZ" Default="America/Phoenix" Mode="" Description="Timezone for scheduling (TZ database name)" Type="Variable" Display="advanced" Required="false" Mask="false">America/Phoenix</Config>
+  <Config Name="PUID" Target="PUID" Default="99" Mode="" Description="User ID for file ownership" Type="Variable" Display="advanced" Required="false" Mask="false">99</Config>
+  <Config Name="PGID" Target="PGID" Default="100" Mode="" Description="Group ID for file ownership" Type="Variable" Display="advanced" Required="false" Mask="false">100</Config>
+</Container>