A TEMP Distribution Setup for My Ripper App
I’ve been working on a desktop utility called Ripper, a Python + CustomTkinter app that downloads video and audio from supported sites (starting with YouTube). The app itself has been a bit rough to build and maintain — but distributing it has been the annoying part. GitHub won’t host my repository, let alone the EXE, due to there size and I don’t want to rely on sketchy file hosts or temporary…
The developer has created a Python-based desktop application called Ripper, which enables users to download video and audio content from supported websites, starting with YouTube. Despite initial challenges in building and maintaining the app, the developer faced a more significant issue with distribution. Platforms such as GitHub did not accommodate the size of the application or its source code, nor did the developer wish to rely on unreliable file hosts or temporary mirrors.
To address these concerns, the developer set up a temporary distribution workflow. The EXE file and source code are hosted on a public Google Drive folder, providing users with a simple, reliable link to download the ZIP file directly. The developer emphasizes that there is no malicious intent associated with this approach, as Google Drive offers a clean public link, no ads, no expiration, no weird redirects, and instant updates when the file is replaced.
In addition to the Google Drive host, the developer has established a GitHub Pages site to host all static content related to the Ripper application. This page contains the official download link, feature list, tech stack, build instructions, and planned features. The GitHub Pages site serves as the central hub for the app, with version information and updates being added every time a new version is released.
The current version of the app, v1.0.3, was released on August 22, 2026. The site now hosts all future updates, development logs, and release notes. Ripper currently supports MP4 and MP3 downloads, MP3 extraction from local MP4 files, live progress tracking, custom save folder options, and bundled ffmpeg. The developer has a list of planned improvements, including more formats, additional sites, UI polish, batch downloads, metadata editing, and other enhancements.
The distribution workflow employed by the developer offers a dependable solution for sharing desktop tools without encountering hosting limitations. For those constructing small desktop applications and avoiding GitHub Releases, this approach may prove beneficial. The developer plans to continue posting updates on the GitHub Pages site as development progresses.
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