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wget is a command-line tool used to download files from the web, supporting HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP protocols.
Basic Usage
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| wget URL | Download a file from a URL. |
| wget -O filename URL | Download and save as a specific filename. |
| wget -P /path/to/dir URL | Download to a specific directory. |
| wget -q URL | Quiet mode (no output). |
| wget -nv URL | Minimal output (non-verbose). |
Example: Download a file and rename it
wget -O myfile.zip https://example.com/file.zip
Resume Interrupted Downloads
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| wget -c URL | Resume an interrupted download. |
Example: Resume a large download
wget -c https://example.com/largefile.zip
Download Multiple Files
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| wget -i file.txt | Download URLs listed in file.txt. |
Example: Download multiple files from a list
- Create a file with URLs (urls.txt):
https://example.com/file1.zip https://example.com/file2.zip https://example.com/file3.zip
- Run:
wget -i urls.txt
Mirroring a Website
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| wget -m URL | Mirror a full website. |
| wget –mirror –convert-links -P /path/to/dir URL | Download and fix links for offline browsing. |
Example: Download an entire website
wget -m https://example.com
Download with Authentication
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| wget –user=username –password=password URL | Download from password-protected sites. |
| wget –http-user=username –http-password=password URL | HTTP authentication. |
Example: Access a protected file
wget --user=admin --password=secret https://example.com/private.pdf
Limiting Download Speed & Retries
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| wget –limit-rate=200k URL | Limit speed to 200KB/s. |
| wget –tries=5 URL | Retry 5 times if the download fails. |
Example: Download with limited bandwidth
wget --limit-rate=500k https://example.com/bigfile.iso
Downloading in Background
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| wget -b URL | Run in background. |
| wget -o log.txt URL | Log output to a file. |
Example: Background download with logging
wget -b -o download.log https://example.com/large.iso
Checking File Integrity
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| wget URL && md5sum file | Verify file integrity. |
Example: Check MD5 checksum after download
wget https://example.com/file.iso md5sum file.iso
Downloading Specific File Types
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| wget -r -A “*.pdf” URL | Download only PDFs from a site. |
Example: Download all .jpg images from a site
wget -r -A "*.jpg" https://example.com/images/
Summary
| Feature | Command Example |
|---|---|
| Basic Download | wget URL |
| Resume Download | wget -c URL |
| Save with Custom Name | wget -O file.zip URL |
| Download Multiple URLs | wget -i urls.txt |
| Limit Download Speed | wget –limit-rate=500k URL |
| Mirror Website | wget -m https://example.com |
| Background Download | wget -b URL |
| Authentication | wget –user=admin –password=secret URL |
This Linux wget Cheat Sheet helps you download files efficiently using various options!