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+# YouTube Backup
+
+A modern desktop application for archiving YouTube channels using [yt-dlp](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp). Browse your downloaded channels, manage downloads, and play videos with your preferred media player—all from a clean, user-friendly GUI.
+
+## Features
+
+- **Channel Browser**: Browse downloaded YouTube channels and videos with thumbnails
+- **Download Queue**: Queue new channels or videos for download with a simple interface
+- **Video Playback**: Play videos directly using your preferred video player (mpv, VLC, etc.)
+- **Live Chat Archives**: Identify and manage downloaded live chat archives
+- **Search**: Search across your entire video library
+- **System Tray**: Minimize to system tray for quick access
+- **Configurable**: Customize backup location and video player via `config.toml`
+- **SQLite Database**: Efficient metadata storage and retrieval
+
+## Requirements
+
+- **Rust** 1.70+ (for building from source)
+- **yt-dlp**: Required for downloading videos. Install via:
+  - `pip install yt-dlp` (Python)
+  - `apt install yt-dlp` (Debian/Ubuntu)
+  - `brew install yt-dlp` (macOS)
+  - Or [build from source](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp#installation)
+- **Video Player**: A command-line compatible player like:
+  - mpv (default)
+  - VLC
+  - ffplay
+  - Any player accepting a file path as argument
+
+## Installation
+
+### From Source
+
+```bash
+git clone https://codeberg.org/your-username/youtube-backup
+cd youtube-backup
+cargo build --release
+```
+
+The compiled binary will be at `target/release/youtube-backup`.
+
+### Linux Desktop Integration
+
+A `.desktop` file is included for easy launcher integration:
+
+```bash
+cp youtube-backup.desktop ~/.local/share/applications/
+```
+
+## Configuration
+
+Create a `config.toml` file in the same directory as the binary:
+
+```toml
+[backup]
+directory = "/path/to/your/video/library"
+
+[player]
+command = "mpv"  # or "vlc", "ffplay", etc.
+```
+
+### Configuration Options
+
+| Setting | Type | Default | Description |
+|---------|------|---------|-------------|
+| `backup.directory` | string | `./channels` | Where downloaded videos are stored |
+| `player.command` | string | `mpv` | Command to launch video player |
+
+## Usage
+
+### Running the Application
+
+```bash
+./youtube-backup
+```
+
+Or from your application launcher after installing the `.desktop` file.
+
+### Workflow
+
+1. **Add a Channel**: 
+   - Click the "Download" tab
+   - Enter the YouTube channel URL (e.g., `https://www.youtube.com/@channelname`)
+   - Optionally specify a custom directory
+   - Click "Queue Download"
+
+2. **Browse Downloads**:
+   - Videos are automatically organized by channel
+   - Browse channels in the left sidebar
+   - Click a channel to view its videos
+   - Videos display with thumbnails and metadata
+
+3. **Play a Video**:
+   - Click any video card
+   - Select "Play" to launch it in your configured player
+
+4. **Search**:
+   - Use the search bar to find videos by title
+   - Results update in real-time across your entire library
+
+5. **View Downloads**:
+   - Toggle the "Show Downloads" button to monitor active downloads
+   - Tracks download progress for queued jobs
+
+## Project Structure
+
+```
+youtube-backup/
+├── src/
+│   ├── main.rs          # Application entry point
+│   ├── app.rs           # Main GUI and event loop
+│   ├── downloader.rs    # yt-dlp integration
+│   ├── library.rs       # Channel and video scanning
+│   ├── config.rs        # Configuration loading
+│   ├── database.rs      # SQLite metadata storage
+│   └── tray.rs          # System tray integration
+├── config.toml          # Configuration template
+├── Cargo.toml           # Rust dependencies
+└── youtube-backup.desktop # Linux launcher entry
+```
+
+## Dependencies
+
+- **eframe/egui**: Fast, native GUI framework for Rust
+- **rusqlite**: SQLite database bindings (bundled)
+- **serde/toml**: Configuration file parsing
+- **image**: Thumbnail decoding (JPEG, PNG, WebP)
+- **tray-icon**: System tray integration
+
+## Building and Packaging
+
+### Release Build
+
+```bash
+cargo build --release
+```
+
+### AUR (Arch Linux)
+
+A `PKGBUILD` is included for Arch Linux:
+
+```bash
+makepkg -si
+```
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### yt-dlp Not Found
+Ensure `yt-dlp` is installed and in your `$PATH`:
+```bash
+which yt-dlp
+```
+
+### Videos Won't Play
+Check that your configured player command is correct in `config.toml` and installed on your system.
+
+### Thumbnails Not Loading
+Verify the image dependencies are compiled correctly. Supported formats: JPEG, PNG, WebP.
+
+### Database Issues
+Delete `backup.db` (in the parent directory of your video library) and rescan:
+```bash
+rm backup.db
+```
+Restart the application to rebuild the index.
+
+## License
+
+See [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
+
+## Contributing
+
+Contributions welcome! Feel free to open issues or submit pull requests.