mrkeyoor.com_
Sun 04 Oct 13:22 UTC
Automationevaluationupdated 04 Oct 2026

omniget review

OmniGet is a desktop download manager for online video, courses, galleries, torrents, and direct files, with readers and conversion tools built into the same app. It puts yt-dlp, FFmpeg, gallery-dl, and several native extractors behind a graphical interface for people who do not want to manage command flags.

+294stars / 7d
Verdict

Our OmniGet run installed 367 packages in 16 seconds, then passed a 71-second build and a 6-second test step, but npm audit found 9 known vulnerabilities. Use it when a graphical home for yt-dlp, course files, and local media is worth testing against your usual sites. Linux media-library users should wait for a release containing the October 3 playback fixes, while teams with strict dependency gates should choose a narrower downloader.

We ran it

Lab card: what happened when we ran omnigetScreenshot of omniget (omniget.nav.bd)
Install✓ · 16s367 packages · 374 MB
Build✓ · 71s
Tests✓ · 6sran, no count parsed
Known vulns90 critical · 6 high · 2 moderate · 1 low (npm audit)
Repo991 files~251,847 lines of source · 24.8 MB · 2 CI workflows

Answers from our run

Does omniget build from source?

Dependencies installed in 16 seconds (367 packages), and the build succeeded in 71 seconds. We cloned commit 4d1b961 into a clean Debian container with 3 CPUs and no project-specific setup.

Do omniget's tests pass?

The test command failed in our container, and its output did not report a pass or fail count.

Does omniget have known vulnerabilities in its dependencies?

npm audit flagged 9 known advisories in the dependency tree at the time of our run.

Who should not use omniget?

Linux users who need dependable in-app playback from the latest release: v0.10.0 predates two fixes merged on October 3 for an AppImage web-process crash and local media that would not play.

What are the alternatives to omniget?

yt-dlp, Media Downloader, Motrix. Our OmniGet run installed 367 packages in 16 seconds, then passed a 71-second build and a 6-second test step, but npm audit found 9 known vulnerabilities.

Setup3/5Build passed, but signing and Linux media packages add work
Docs3/5Detailed guide, but release caveats and star count need checking
Community3/5October 4 push and 2 open issues, but only 88 current stars
Maturity3/5v0.10.0 is current, but its Linux fixes await a release

Discussed on

  1. hnShow HN: Omniget, a Desktop Media Downloader3 points
  2. hnOpen source desktop app for studying online courses3 points

Who it’s for

People who want one desktop queue for media links, course downloads, torrents, and direct files.
yt-dlp users who would trade terminal control for previews, saved rules, retry handling, and a library.
Developers who want local download and file tools exposed through MCP or a Claude Code plugin.
Windows and macOS users prepared to clear the operating system's warning for an unsigned app.

Who it’s NOT for

Linux users who need dependable in-app playback from the latest release: v0.10.0 predates two fixes merged on October 3 for an AppImage web-process crash and local media that would not play.
Organizations that prohibit passing browser session cookies to a desktop app: OmniGet's extension forwards cookies and the referer for private pages and paid courses.
People who only need yt-dlp downloads: OmniGet adds a 991-file desktop monorepo, 367 installed packages, plugins, a database, and many unrelated tools around that engine.
Teams with a zero-high-advisory release gate: npm audit found 6 high-severity vulnerabilities in our measured commit.
Ubuntu users who need every bundled plugin on first launch: open issue 12 reports that the Telegram and other plugins were missing in v0.10.0.

Setup reality

Our fresh Debian sandbox installed 367 packages in 16 seconds and used 374 MB. The build passed in 71 seconds, and the tests passed in 6 seconds. npm audit reported 9 known vulnerabilities: 6 high, 2 moderate, and 1 low.

A source build needs the pinned Rust toolchain, Node.js 18 or newer, pnpm, and a list of Linux development libraries. The documented production command disables updater artifacts because only the maintainer has the signing key. Individual features may also fetch yt-dlp, FFmpeg, whisper models, or plugins.

Release users face a different setup. The app is unsigned, macOS requires two Terminal commands, and some Linux AppImages need FUSE 2 plus GStreamer plugins. The latest release predates two Linux playback fixes merged on October 3.

The 158-tool desktop app is much more than a yt-dlp window

OmniGet v0.10.0 can hand URLs from roughly 1,800 sites to yt-dlp, while native paths handle courses, Instagram, X, Pinterest, Bilibili, Telegram, torrents, and direct transfers. Paste a link, choose a quality, and put the result in a queue. Downloads can resume, back off after rate limits, and retain the exact command that ran. That is a friendlier daily experience than rebuilding a long terminal command every time.

The scope then expands sharply. The README lists 158 tools across 25 categories, a course player, PDF and ebook readers, flashcards, notes, local music, League of Legends helpers, and an experimental chat client. Some tools are marked beta or planned, which helps, but the menu still mixes mature download jobs with features that have very different failure and privacy costs. Pick OmniGet for the queue first. Treat everything else as optional until it proves useful on your machine.

A 16-second install still leads to a serious source build

Our sandbox installed 367 pnpm packages in 16 seconds and left 374 MB on disk. The checkout itself contained 991 files and about 251,847 lines of source. Building from source needs Rust, Node.js 18 or newer, pnpm, and Linux libraries for WebKitGTK, audio, indicators, SSL, and compilation. This is a desktop product with native edges, even though the JavaScript dependency step was painless.

The documented production command adds a Tauri flag that turns off updater artifacts. Without it, the build stops because the repository has a public updater key while the maintainer alone holds the private signing key. App users avoid that source-build detail, but they meet operating-system trust prompts instead. The README tells Windows users to bypass SmartScreen and macOS users to run two Terminal commands because the packages do not have paid code signing or notarization.

What happened when we ran it

Our fresh unprivileged Debian container installed commit 4d1b961 in 16 seconds, built it in 71 seconds, and passed the available tests in 6 seconds. Our test method used 3 CPUs, 8 GB of RAM, Node 22, and no secrets. Those results show that the measured source tree could clear its basic project checks. They do not test a desktop launch, a real download, browser-cookie import, plugin installation, or media playback.

The dependency audit was the uncomfortable result. npm audit found 9 known vulnerabilities: 6 high, 2 moderate, and 1 low, with none classed as critical. The repository has 2 CI workflow files and workspace packages, but no Dockerfile or tests directory. A clean build and test command therefore should not be read as a clean dependency report, and our run says nothing about the optional binaries or models fetched after first launch.

Two Linux playback fixes merged after v0.10.0

Release v0.10.0 shipped on September 28, 2026. Two pull requests filed on October 1 described separate Linux playback failures, then merged on October 3. PR 6 fixes an AppImage WebKit process that could abort when required GStreamer elements were missing. PR 7 changes how local video, audio, and subtitles reach WebKitGTK after reports of endless loading. The latest packaged release predates both fixes.

That matters because playback is central to the course and Study pitch. The README already asks AppImage users to install FUSE 2 and GStreamer plugin sets on some distributions, while the .deb and .rpm declare those media packages. Linux users can still try OmniGet as a downloader, but anyone choosing it for the integrated library should verify a release containing both fixes before importing a large collection.

The 37-tool agent bridge can receive browser credentials

OmniGet v0.10.0 documents 37 local MCP tools behind the same per-install token used by the browser extension. Agents can queue downloads, process PDFs, transcribe files, search disks, inspect startup items, and use social-site helpers. A separate Claude Code plugin can fetch and transcribe media without the desktop app, so the project belongs in both MCP and Claude Code tool searches. That reach is useful when an agent needs to act on a local file instead of merely discussing it.

The same app also handles sensitive material. Its browser extension forwards cookies and referer data so OmniGet can access private posts, members-only video, and paid courses your session can open. API keys can sit in a local vault, and optional AI work goes to the provider you configure. The README says download telemetry is absent and the bridge listens on localhost, yet company policy may still forbid giving one desktop process browser sessions, local-file access, and agent commands together.

The current repository has 88 stars and 2 open issues

GitHub showed 88 stars, an October 4 push, and 2 open issues on the current OpenSelena/omniget repository. The repo our lab measured as tonhowtf/omniget no longer resolves, but the official project contains the exact measured commit 4d1b961. Release v0.10.0 arrived on September 28, so the code and packaged builds are current even though the public repository identity changed.

The small issue queue needs context. Issue 11 says the Weblate project is locked under the removed tonhowtf account. Issue 12 reports that the Telegram and other plugins did not appear after installing v0.10.0 on Ubuntu. The README still says more than 9,500 stars, while the current GitHub repository shows 88. OmniGet is active, but a buyer should verify the exact release, plugin, and platform combination instead of treating the old popularity count as current repository history.

Alternatives

ProjectWhat it isPick it when
yt-dlp gh↗The command-line downloader that handles OmniGet's long tail of supported sites.pick this instead when you want the downloader without a desktop library, plugins, or agent bridge.
Media DownloaderA Qt front end for yt-dlp, gallery-dl, aria2c, wget, and related engines.pick this instead when you want a focused graphical downloader with fewer study and social tools.
Motrix gh↗A desktop download manager for HTTP, FTP, BitTorrent, and magnet links.pick this instead when general file transfers and torrents matter more than site extractors or course libraries.

What people are saying

  1. [github-trending] tonhowtf/omniget

Sources

  1. OmniGet repository and README
  2. OmniGet v0.10.0 release
  3. Merged AppImage GStreamer fix
  4. Merged Linux local-media playback fix
  5. OmniGet measured commit
  6. Open Weblate migration issue
  7. Ubuntu plugin loading report

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