youtube-dl was working, now I get a python error message I don't understand

[Jim river]

$ youtube-dl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYfQ1I-VV7M
[youtube] wYfQ1I-VV7M: Downloading webpage
[youtube] wYfQ1I-VV7M: Downloading player 3804dce2
ERROR: unable to download video data: <urlopen error [SSL: SSLV3_ALERT_HANDSHAKE_FAILURE] sslv3 alert handshake failure (_ssl.c:1131)>

$ inxi -Fxxxrz
System:
Kernel: 5.4.0-77-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0
Desktop: Cinnamon 4.6.7 wm: muffin 4.6.3 dm: LightDM 1.30.0
Distro: Linux Mint 20 Ulyana base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal
Machine:
Type: Desktop System: LENOVO product: 10ST008NUS v: ThinkCentre M720s
serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 3 serial: <filter>
Mobo: LENOVO model: 312A v: SDK0J40697 WIN 3305313746389 serial: <filter>
UEFI: LENOVO v: M1UKT59A date: 07/07/2020
CPU:
Topology: 6-Core model: Intel Core i5-9400 bits: 64 type: MCP
arch: Kaby Lake rev: A L2 cache: 9216 KiB
flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
bogomips: 34798
Speed: 4011 MHz min/max: 800/4100 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 4086 2: 4001
3: 4000 4: 4000 5: 4000 6: 4001
Graphics:
Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics 630 vendor: Lenovo driver: i915 v: kernel
bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:3e92
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.9 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa
resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz, 1920x1080~60Hz
OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 630 (CFL GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 20.2.6
direct render: Yes
Audio:
Device-1: Intel Cannon Lake PCH cAVS vendor: Lenovo driver: sof-audio-pci
bus ID: 00:1f.3 chip ID: 8086:a348
Device-2: Microsoft LifeCam Cinema type: USB
driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo bus ID: 1-6:3 chip ID: 045e:075d
Device-3: XMOS EDIFIER S3000 Pro type: USB
driver: hid-generic,snd-usb-audio,usbhid bus ID: 1-3:2 chip ID: 20b1:30a0
Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-77-generic
Network:
Device-1: Intel Ethernet I219-V vendor: Lenovo driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k
port: efa0 bus ID: 00:1f.6 chip ID: 8086:15bc
IF: eno1 state: down mac: <filter>
Device-2: Intel Wireless 7265 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: efa0
bus ID: 02:00.0 chip ID: 8086:095a
IF: wlp2s0 state: up mac: <filter>
IF-ID-1: tun0 state: unknown speed: 10 Mbps duplex: full mac: N/A
Drives:
Local Storage: total: 119.24 GiB used: 60.40 GiB (50.7%)
ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Plextor model: PX-128M8PeG size: 119.24 GiB
speed: 31.6 Gb/s lanes: 4 serial: <filter> rev: 1.01 scheme: GPT
Partition:
ID-1: / size: 116.38 GiB used: 60.39 GiB (51.9%) fs: ext4
dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2
Sensors:
System Temperatures: cpu: 31.0 C mobo: N/A
Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Repos:
No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/additional-repositories.list
1: deb https://deb.opera.com/opera-stable/ stable non-free
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/apandada1-brightness-controller-focal.list
1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/apandada1/brig ... ler/ubuntu focal main
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/deadsnakes-ppa-focal.list
1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/deadsnakes/ppa/ubuntu focal main
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nilarimogard-webupd8-focal.list
1: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/nilarimogard/webupd8/ubuntu focal main
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list
1: deb http://packages.linuxmint.com ulyana main upstream import backport #id:linuxmint_main
2: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal main restricted universe multiverse
3: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
4: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse
6: deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ focal partner
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/opera-stable.list
1: deb https://deb.opera.com/opera-stable/ stable non-free #Opera Browser (final releases)
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/riot-im.list
1: deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/riot-im-archive-keyring.gpg] https://packages.riot.im/debian/ default main
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/teamviewer.list
1: deb https://linux.teamviewer.com/deb stable main
Info:
Processes: 239 Uptime: 8h 01m Memory: 7.65 GiB used: 3.36 GiB (44.0%)
Init: systemd v: 245 runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 alt: 9 Shell: bash
v: 5.0.17 running in: gnome-terminal inxi: 3.0.38

[donten]

Jim, I just tried it and it downloaded without a hitch...I recently installed youtube-dl-gui, after a recent opsystem install: is yours a new install or an older version?

[Jim river]

I just installed it recently
$ youtube-dl -U
youtube-dl is up-to-date (2021.06.06)
It was working fine but must have been effected by an update in the interim. At least, that's my guess.

[ajgringo619]

Did you just recently add the deadsnakes PPA? How did you install youtube-dl?

[Jim river]

Yes, I installed deadsnakes ppa and used it to install youtube-dl

[ajgringo619]

Deadsnakes is a python PPA; it has nothing to do with youtube-dl. How did you install youtube-dl - by package or by pip? Do you have any other versions of python installed besides the (default) 3.8 release?

[Reddog1]

I'm not sure why you went outside the standard method of installing youtube-dl. When installing via the standard method you have to link the installed python3 to where youtube-dl expects it to be, so you might try it. No guarantees it will work with an install from ppa (I have no idea where the ppa installs youtube-dl or what it installs with it)

#make a symlink to python 3 so youtube-dl can find it

$sudo ln -s /usr/bin/python3 /usr/bin/python

There is no reason I can see that the ubuntu repos don't offer an updated version of youtube-dl. The Debian repos keep youtube-dl up-to-date, so either ubuntu should drop youtube-dl from it's repos or follow suit. It's infuriating.

[Moonstone Man]

Deadsnakes is a python PPA; it has nothing to do with youtube-dl

Oh, dear. A restore from a timeshift snapshot or a clean reinstall is rampaging over the horizon. Excellent pickup on your part, btw.

[Jim river]

OK I have copied my personal files to an external drive and, as whatever I have messed up is causing other problems, I can see what you are saying. If you will bear with me through a bit of history you will understand my reservations at this point.

I first tried Linux by setting up a dual boot in a desktop with Windows pre-installed. I used that system for years until Windows began to disregard my partitions with their updates. So, I did a “clean” reinstall of Linux alone. I believe it was Cinnamon 18.

I was duly informed that the hard drive would be completely wiped clean which is exactly what I wanted. The problem was the machine would often try to boot into windows. I was rather surprised that a “clean” disk had any notion of what windows was, let alone want to boot into it!

After untold hours of attempting to get it to work I threw it out. I wanted a machine that had not been infected with the windows virus. The only machine I could find of that ilk was south of the border and on the other side of the continent. Needless to say shipping from California to Nova Scotia after being robbed at the border was not easy or cheap.

Hence, I get a chill down my spine when I read “clean” reinstall. My question is, if I revert back to a snapshot with timeshift will that save me from worrying about “ghosts” on my hard drive or whatever the experts call the viral residue?