Summary

Poke is a privacy-centric front-end designed for anonymous video, gaming, and music consumption, built upon the Invidious API. It targets users seeking an alternative to mainstream platforms by offering enhanced privacy features, PWA support for mobile use, and integrated tools like YouTube dislike counts, aiming to provide a free and user-controlled media experience.

How It Works

The project functions as a web interface that communicates with a self-hosted or public Invidious instance to fetch and display content. It integrates the returnyoutubedislike dataset to show dislike counts and supports Progressive Web App (PWA) functionality for desktop and mobile installation. Poke emphasizes the use of Free Software codecs and avoids proprietary components, ensuring a privacy-respecting and open architecture.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Install: Clone the repository, navigate to the poke directory, run npm install, and start the server with node server.js.
• Prerequisites: Node.js, npm, git, make, gcc, g++, libcurl, and python are required. Specific package names vary by Linux distribution (e.g., nodejs, libcurl4-openssl-dev on Debian/Ubuntu).
• Crucial Dependency: A functional Invidious instance must be set up and configured with its API URL. Refer to https://docs.invidious.io/installation for Invidious setup.
• Runtime: The application typically runs on localhost:6003.

Highlighted Details

• Built-in display of YouTube dislike counts via the returnyoutubedislike dataset.
• Progressive Web App (PWA) support enables installation on various devices.
• Features include customizable themes, channel subscriptions, private weather checks (PokeWeather), ambient mode, and audio normalization.

Maintenance & Community

• Community channels include a Discord server and a Fediverse instance (PokeSocial).
• License information is available at https://poketube.fun/license.

Licensing & Compatibility

• License: GPL-3.0-OR-LATER. This is a strong copyleft license, requiring derivative works to be distributed under the same terms.
• Compatibility: The copyleft nature of GPL-3.0 may restrict its use in proprietary software. The project explicitly aligns with the Free Software Foundation's principles and distinguishes itself from the "open source" movement.

Limitations & Caveats

• Setup requires a separate Invidious instance, adding complexity.
• The project acknowledges the potential use of LLM-assisted code in its development, with no mechanism to verify contributor disclosure.
• The project's philosophical stance rejects the term "open source" in favor of "free software."