How to download from Google Drive with Free Software
Hi everyone,
Sometimes I need to download (usually video) files from google drive, as people upload a lot to those these days. That means I have to allow JS to run on my browser and download it. Is there any way to use Google Drive without proprietary software? Thanks!
I would say the most important thing with respect to Google is to only access their cloud properties and web properties through Tor Browser. Try to give Google as little ability to track you and steal your personal data as possible. Tor Browser allows js by default. The problem with accessing Google Drive via Tor Browser is that Google shuts down access from a lot of Tor nodes, so sometimes you have to refresh your Tor connection several times to find a node that Google is willing to allow.
Software freedom is somehow related to online privacy, but it's more than just a mean of achieving it. Is executing nonfree JS (or other nonfree code) OK as long as it can't track us? I think such claim would be somewhat contrary to what most of us believe here.
Also, has anyone tried using GNUnet instead of Tor? It is less-known, so - I am guessing - it might be less-blocked, too!
There's no doubt that the first response to a request to download something from google drive would be to refuse - on a freedom basis, a privacy basis, a security basis, all of it. But if someone were to access it, non-free js and all, privacy and security become paramount concerns. Google is attempting to build dossiers on everyone and sell them to police states and megacorporations for their own profit. That's a tremendous privacy concern which can quickly spill over into a security concern, as that same dossier can leave you open to phishing attacks and identity theft.
AFAIK you can't use Gdrive without executing their proprietary JS. If there is a way around that, I would be pleasantly surprised.
Okay, I'm pleasantly surprised. I was able to downloaded a file from Gdrive with a python program called `gdown`. It is has an MIT license, but I'm not certain about its dependencies. You might want to double-check all that. The file I tested with was publicly available to anyone with the link and it was an image. I had to do two runs. The first failed but suggested the right link to pass it as the argument (I guess by parsing the response from the first pull). Not the smoothest experience, but it did work.
Interesting, does Gdown also work with Google Drive folders? I used to manipulate links to download files, changing:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=FILE_ID
into:
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=FILE_ID
Unfortunately, it only works with links to single files and not with links to folders...
I've never tried. I just did that one test. But it's probably worth a shot!
I am a translator!
If it's a public file and not a folder you can download it without running JS (also via hypervideo/youtube-dl).
I am a translator!
I am using https://github.com/astrada/google-drive-ocamlfuse for read and write. It has an MIT license.
With the indicated PPA, the packages downloaded are:
$ grep ^Package: /var/lib/apt/lists/ppa.launchpad.net_*_Packages Package: google-drive-ocamlfuse Package: libfuse-ocaml Package: libfuse-ocaml-dev Package: libgapi-ocaml Package: libgapi-ocaml-dev
I am using that only for one specific Google drive repository. Access requires login as a specific user, once one is authenticated it seems some token is saved and permanently valid, no need to athenticate again, it persists even when session is closed or computer is rebooted (but ne needs to mount again).
Nice. It seems like I could use something like this for extra-storage by just encrypting everything I upload to it first. Would it also work for when other people share stuff with you?
I am a translator!
When you mount the Google drive of one Google account to /home/myslef/gdrive, there is a .shared directory in /home/myslef/gdrive that contains all the files shared with that account.
I am accessing Google drive only because, unfortunately, this is the preferred storage place of someone who does most work to handle documents and emails on behalf of a group of people that I am part of. He likes the online search, email, agenda functions and does not care about Google monitoring everything.
Would anyone be aware of server-side free software that can provide the same kind of integrated interface for agenda, email and storage?