DTube is a decentralized platform for sharing and discovering video content, built on a blockchain. In this article, we’ll guide you through installing and starting the DTube application using Meteor, and we’ll provide some troubleshooting tips to ensure a seamless experience.

Preview

Check out the stunning DTube homepage preview below:

Installation Instructions

To get started with the DTube app, follow these steps:

1. Install Meteor

• For Linux and Mac: Run the command curl https://install.meteor.com | sh
• For Windows, you can find the installation details here.

2. Clone the Repository

Once Meteor is installed, you’ll need to clone the DTube repository and install the necessary dependencies. Run the following command in your terminal:

git clone https://github.com/dtube/dtube.git
cd dtube
meteor npm install

This will install all required npm dependencies, including those essential for development.

3. Start the App

To start the application in development mode, run:

meteor

You may run the app on a different port using the command meteor -p 3456, or deploy in production mode with --production for minification and merging of JavaScript and CSS files. Meteor will automatically push any code changes to your browser.

Going In-Depth

Now that the app is running, here’s how to customize and enhance your DTube experience:

Running Blockchain Locally

You can execute a blockchain locally on your computer to sidestep sending transactions to the live network. For instructions, check out the dtube-avalon. After setting it up, ensure you switch your API settings to localhost:3001.

Working with Uploads

To manage uploads, it is highly recommended to operate your own dtube-ipfs-uploader. Modify client/settings.js to set the localhost option to true, facilitating local uploads instead of using production servers.

Modifying the Player

The player is accessible through dtube-embed. Clone this repository and adjust client/views/commons/videos/player.js to link to your version of the player to customize it.

Pre-rendering for Bots

Use the dtube-minidtube repository for pre-rendering and serving optimized versions of DTube for bots.

Project Structure

The directory structure in the DTube app is organized as follows:

• .meteor – Contains Meteor files (handle with caution)
• .vscode – Configuration files for Visual Studio Code
• public – Houses all static files, including images and translations
• client – Comprises all application code
• client/collections – Minimize MongoDB collections that templates access
• client/css – CSS files for styling
• client/lib – Semantic UI related code
• client/views – Contains templates, categorized into commons, pages, as well as fixed menus

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

When using Windows, you may find that meteor npm can occasionally exhibit bugs. In such cases, try using npm directly if you have it installed. Remember that after updates to Meteor or package.json, you will need to run:

meteor npm install

If you need further assistance, feel free to join us in our Discord Channel.

For more insights, updates, or to collaborate on AI development projects, stay connected with fxis.ai.

Contributing to DTube

If you’re interested in contributing to the DTube project, please read the contribution guidelines here.

At fxis.ai, we believe that such advancements are crucial for the future of AI, as they enable more comprehensive and effective solutions. Our team is continually exploring new methodologies to push the envelope in artificial intelligence, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest technological innovations.