5 Linux Command Line Based Tools for Downloading Files and Browsing Websites

Linux is a popular operating system among developers and tech enthusiasts. It offers a powerful command-line interface (CLI) that can be used to accomplish various tasks. One of essential tasks that most Linux users need to perform is downloading files and browsing websites. In this article, we will discuss five Linux command-line based tools for downloading files and browsing websites.

Wget

wget is a free utility for downloading files from web. It is a command-line tool that can be used to download files over HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP protocols. With wget, you can download files from a single URL or multiple URLs. You can also use it to mirror entire websites or parts of them. syntax for using wget is straightforward −

wget [options] [URL]

For example, to download a file from a website, you can use following command −

wget https://example.com/file.zip

You can also use wget to download multiple files at once. For example, to download all PDF files from a website, you can use following command −

wget -r -l1 -A.pdf https://example.com/

This command will download all PDF files from example.com website.

Curl

curl is another popular command-line tool for downloading files from web. It supports various protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and SFTP. You can use curl to download files from a single URL or multiple URLs. You can also use it to upload files to a server. syntax for using curl is as follows −

curl [options] [URL]

For example, to download a file from a website, you can use following command −

curl -O https://example.com/file.zip

This command will download file and save it with same name as on website. If you want to save it with a different name, you can use -o option, as shown below −

curl -o myfile.zip https://example.com/file.zip

Lynx

lynx is a text-based web browser that runs in terminal. It is a command-line tool that can be used to browse web, read news, and view HTML files. Lynx does not support graphics or JavaScript, so it is a fast and lightweight browser. It can be used to browse web even on slow internet connections. syntax for using lynx is as follows −

lynx [options] [URL]

For example, to browse example.com website, you can use following command −

lynx https://example.com/

Lynx supports various keyboard shortcuts for navigation, such as arrow keys for scrolling, Enter for following links, and Q for quitting browser.

Elinks

elinks is another text-based web browser that runs in terminal. It is an advanced web browser that supports graphics and JavaScript. Elinks is a feature-rich browser that supports tabbed browsing, mouse support, and bookmarks. It can be used to browse web, read news, and view HTML files. syntax for using elinks is as follows −

elinks [options] [URL]

For example, to browse example.com website, you can use following command −

elinks https://example.com/

Elinks supports various keyboard shortcuts for navigation, such as arrow keys for scrolling, Enter for following links, and Ctrl+T for opening a new tab.

W3m

w3m is a text-based web browser that runs in terminal. It is a simple and lightweight browser that supports basic web browsing features. W3m can be used to browse web, read news, and view HTML files. It supports mouse support and tabbed browsing. syntax for using w3m is as follows −

w3m [options] [URL]

For example, to browse example.com website, you can use following command −

w3m https://example.com/

W3m supports various keyboard shortcuts for navigation, such as arrow keys for scrolling, Enter for following links, and Ctrl+T for opening a new tab.

Aria2

aria2 is a lightweight and powerful command-line download manager that supports various protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and BitTorrent. It can download files from multiple sources simultaneously, which makes it a great tool for downloading large files. syntax for using aria2 is as follows −

aria2c [options] [URL]

For example, to download a file from a website using aria2, you can use following command −

aria2c https://example.com/file.zip

Youtube-dl

youtube-dl is a command-line utility that can be used to download videos from various websites, including YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion. It supports various formats, including MP4, WebM, and FLV. syntax for using youtube-dl is as follows −

youtube-dl [options] [URL]

For example, to download a YouTube video using youtube-dl, you can use following command −

youtube-dl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Httrack

httrack is a free and open-source website copier that can be used to download entire websites to your local machine. It supports various options, including mirror mode, update mode, and resume mode. syntax for using httrack is as follows −

httrack [options] [URL]

For example, to download a website using httrack, you can use following command −

httrack https://example.com/

These are some additional Linux command-line based tools that can be used for downloading files and browsing websites. Each tool has its own set of features and capabilities, and you should choose tool that best suits your needs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, these are five Linux command-line based tools that can be used for downloading files and browsing websites. Wget and curl are great tools for downloading files from web, while lynx, elinks, and w3m are text-based web browsers that can be used to browse web in terminal. These tools are lightweight and can be used even on slow internet connections. By using these tools, Linux users can accomplish various tasks in terminal, without need for a graphical user interface.