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wtf is find-flv?

ac000/find-flv — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-07-18 · repo last pushed 2013-04-05

CAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5DormantSetup · moderate

TL;DR

A Linux command-line tool that recovers Flash video files your browser deleted while they were still streaming, so you can save a copy.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Finds deleted Flash videos
      Reads still open files
      Lets you save the stream
    Tech stack
      C
      Linux proc filesystem
    Use cases
      Recover crashed browser video
      Archive streaming video
      Capture undownloadable streams
    Audience
      Archivists
      Content creators

Code map

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filefunction / class

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Recover a Flash video that was deleted from disk but is still playing in your browser.

REASON 2

Scan running processes for deleted-but-open video file handles using the Linux /proc filesystem.

REASON 3

Copy a still-streaming video file to disk before the process closes it.

REASON 4

Archive streaming video that isn't offered through a normal download option.

What's in the stack?

CLinux

How it stacks up

ac000/find-flvacc4github/kdenlive-omnifadeaerosol/katipo
Stars0
LanguageCCC
Last pushed2013-04-052015-08-07
MaintenanceDormantDormant
Setup difficultymoderatemoderatehard
Complexity2/52/53/5
Audiencedevelopergeneraldeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Linux-only, works at the level of the /proc filesystem.

Wtf does this do

This is a tool for recovering streaming video files that your browser has deleted but is still playing. When you watch a video online through Flash (an older web technology), your browser temporarily stores it in a file on your computer, but sometimes that file gets deleted before the video finishes playing. This program finds those "deleted but still active" files and lets you access them so you can save a copy. Here's how it works: Every running process on Linux has a folder at /proc/[process-id]/fd that lists all the files it's currently using, including deleted ones. This tool scans that folder to find Flash video files that are marked as deleted but are still being streamed. Once it finds them, it opens a handle to the file that lets you read its contents, even though the file technically no longer exists on disk. You can then copy that stream to your computer while it's still playing. In practical terms, imagine you're watching a video online and your browser crashes or the video file accidentally gets removed from the temporary folder, but the playback keeps going. This program would hunt down that orphaned video file and give you a way to grab it before it's gone forever. It's useful for archivists, content creators, or anyone who needs to capture streaming video that isn't being served through normal download channels. The program works at a fairly low level with the Linux operating system's file tracking system, which is why it's written in C (a language that gives you direct access to these system-level features). It's a straightforward command-line tool, you just run it and it prints out the deleted Flash files it finds, telling you which process owns them and where to grab them from.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Explain how to read the contents of a deleted-but-still-open file on Linux using the /proc/[pid]/fd directory.
Prompt 2
Write a C program that scans /proc for open file descriptors pointing to deleted video files.
Prompt 3
Show me how to copy the contents of an open file handle to a new file on disk in Linux using C.
Prompt 4
Help me run this command-line tool to find and save a streaming Flash video before it disappears.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is find-flv?

A Linux command-line tool that recovers Flash video files your browser deleted while they were still streaming, so you can save a copy.

What language is find-flv written in?

Mainly C. The stack also includes C, Linux.

Is find-flv actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2013-04-05).

How hard is find-flv to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is find-flv for?

Mainly developer.

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