VRKA

A modern, lightweight desktop media downloader for Windows.

Download VRKA 4.5.3 • User Guide • Architecture • Report Issue • Security

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Download VRKA 4.5.3

Get the official Windows release from GitHub Releases (v4.5.3):

Package	Filename	Recommended For	Description
Windows Installer	VRKA-4.5.3-Build-021-Setup.exe	Most Users	Standard setup wizard with Start Menu and Desktop shortcuts.
Portable ZIP	VRKA-4.5.3-Build-021-Portable.zip	USB / Portable	Standalone directory — extract anywhere and run VRKA.exe.
Single-File Portable EXE	VRKA-4.5.3-Build-021-Portable.exe	Lightweight Run	Single-file executable. Provisions managed runtime on first use.
Complete Source Archive	VRKA-4.5.3-Build-021-Source.zip	Developers	Complete buildable source distribution snapshot.

No Manual FFmpeg Installation Required: VRKA is strictly PATH-independent. The application automatically provisions and verifies required media processing components in %LOCALAPPDATA%\VRKA\runtime\ upon first video merge or audio extraction, and reuses them offline on subsequent runs.

Verifying Checksums

Every release provides a SHA256SUMS.txt manifest and detached OpenPGP signatures (SHA256SUMS.txt.asc). Verify your download in PowerShell:

Get-FileHash .\VRKA-4.5.3-Build-021-Setup.exe -Algorithm SHA256

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What is VRKA?

VRKA is a clean, modern desktop media downloader designed for single-stream and batch downloads on Windows 10 and 11. Built with a native Qt 6 QML interface and a resilient Python backend, VRKA combines multi-factor quality selection powered by yt-dlp with an automated, passive Browser Fallback subsystem for sites that require browser-assisted stream observation.

VRKA is entirely self-contained, ad-free, and respects your privacy with zero background services and zero telemetry.

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Features

• Custom Windows Title Bar: Native window controls, snap layout compatibility, edge resizing, and smooth dragging.
• Multi-Factor Quality Ranking: Evaluates resolution, frame rate (up to 60 FPS), bitrate, container, and codec efficiency to select the highest-fidelity stream.
• Responsive Qt 6 QML Interface: Hardware-accelerated UI with refined dark and light themes, and typography selection between Monospace and System Default.
• Audio Extraction & Transcoding: Extract audio in MP3 (320, 256, 192, 128 kbps), Opus, or uncompressed WAV formats.
• Flexible Destination Modes: Choose between Remember Location (persists chosen folder) or Ask Every Time (prompts for each download).
• Advanced Network & Custom Headers: Strict RFC 7230 header validation, CRLF injection rejection, and automatic secret scrubbing from logs.
• Secure In-App & Component Updates: Direct in-app application and independent component updates (yt-dlp, uBlock Origin Lite MV3, Puemos MV3) with OpenPGP release signing, SHA-256 package verification, 24-hour rate limiting, combined update prompts, and rollback support.
• Durable Task Queue: Sequential single-worker FIFO queue with persistent state storage across application restarts.
• Intelligent Browser Fallback: When direct yt-dlp extraction cannot resolve media but indicates that browser execution may recover it, VRKA continues via an isolated WebView2 session with uBlock Origin Lite protection. Fallback is attempted at most once per task; network, cancellation, local system, FFmpeg, DRM, and post-transfer failures remain terminal.
• Sanitized Diagnostics: Export redacted diagnostic reports for troubleshooting without leaking credentials or private session data.

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User Interface Tour

Task Queue & Execution Pipeline

Real-time task monitoring with multi-line activity logging, progress metrics, and state management.

Completed Downloads History

Archived transfer history with direct file reveal, instant re-download prefill, and search.

Engine Runtime & Configuration

In-app engine updates with rollback protection, authentication session management, and proxy configuration.

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Installation

Using the Setup Installer (Recommended)

1. Download VRKA-4.5.3-Build-021-Setup.exe from Releases.
2. Run the installer and follow the setup steps.
3. Launch VRKA from the Start Menu or Desktop shortcut.

Using Portable Mode

1. Download VRKA-4.5.3-Build-021-Portable.zip.
2. Extract the archive to any folder or USB drive.
3. Run VRKA.exe. All settings are stored locally, and no administrative privileges are required.

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Building from Source

Prerequisites

• Windows 10 / 11 x64
• Python 3.10, 3.11, or 3.12
• Git

Setup & Run

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/MaverickRox/VRKA.git
cd VRKA

# Set up an isolated virtual environment
python -m venv .venv
.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

# Install project dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Run the application
python vrka_qml_app.py

Running Tests

# Run the test suite
python -m unittest discover -s tests -v

Compiling Standalone Binary

# Build standalone VRKA.exe with PyInstaller
pip install pyinstaller
pyinstaller VRKA-Windows.spec

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Privacy & Security

VRKA is built on principles of user privacy and transparency:

• Zero Telemetry: VRKA does not collect, transmit, or monetize any analytics, metrics, or personal data.
• Local Operation: All task databases, settings, and temporary files remain strictly on your local machine (%USERPROFILE%\.vrka).
• Redacted Logging: Authentication cookies, session tokens, and sensitive URL query parameters are automatically redacted from activity logs.
• DRM Non-Circumvention: VRKA does not bypass Widevine, FairPlay, PlayReady, or any Digital Rights Management systems.

For full details, read PRIVACY.md and SECURITY.md.

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Responsible Use

VRKA is intended for downloading user-authorized content, creative commons media, personal recordings, and openly accessible streams. Users are responsible for complying with applicable copyright laws and the terms of service of the content platforms they access.

For more information, see DISCLAIMER.md.

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Documentation

• User Guide — Comprehensive guide to downloading, formats, and settings.
• Architecture Overview — Overview of the Qt Quick frontend and Python backend design.
• Building from Source — In-depth guide for building and packaging VRKA on Windows.
• Troubleshooting — Solutions to common issues and network configuration questions.
• FFmpeg Compliance — Notes on media toolchain integration.

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Support & Contributing

• Questions & Troubleshooting: Check the User Guide or open a discussion in Support.
• Bug Reports & Feature Requests: Submit an issue via GitHub Issues.
• Contributing: Contributions and code improvements are welcome. Please read CONTRIBUTING.md and our Code of Conduct.

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License

VRKA is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later (GPL-3.0-or-later).

Third-party dependencies and their respective licenses are documented in THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md and the LICENSES/ directory.