FFmpeg - select installation folder

[ltdeta]

Windows Version

For FFmpeg, I can only select "App Managed" or "System Path".
Why is it not possible to specify a manual/custom path to the FFmpeg executable?
There is also a portable version of FFmpeg available, so allowing users to select a custom path would provide additional flexibility and would not require FFmpeg to be installed system-wide.

[vanloctech]

Thanks for the suggestion. Youwee currently keeps the dependency options simple because many users are not familiar with yt-dlp or FFmpeg. The goal is to make the common setup work without asking users to understand executable paths, PATH variables, or portable tool layouts.

On Windows, when “System Path” is selected, Youwee already tries to detect FFmpeg automatically from several common locations:

• The app’s current PATH
• User PATH from the Windows registry
• Machine PATH from the Windows registry
• Scoop shims: %USERPROFILE%\scoop\shims
• User local bin: %USERPROFILE%.local\bin
• WinGet links: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\WinGet\Links
• Chocolatey bin: %ProgramData%\chocolatey\bin
• Python Scripts folders under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Python
• Python Scripts folders under %APPDATA%\Python

A manual/custom FFmpeg path is possible, and it would help users who use portable FFmpeg builds. The main reason it is not exposed yet is that it needs to be implemented carefully for security and reliability.

If Youwee allows a custom executable path, the app would run that file directly. That means users should only choose binaries they trust. A malicious or incorrect executable could run with the current user’s permissions and may receive download-related arguments or environment information.

If we add this feature, it should validate the selected file carefully:

• require an absolute executable file path
• not allow extra command-line arguments in the path field
• run the binary directly, not through a shell
• verify ffmpeg -version works before saving it
• clearly label it as an advanced option for trusted portable binaries

So the short answer is: custom FFmpeg paths make sense, especially for portable Windows setups, but Youwee currently prioritizes simple automatic detection for most users. I’ll consider adding a safe “custom path” advanced option.