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Asked: 2024-09-22T00:37:24+05:30 In: ,

What is the equivalent command or tool for downloading files from the web in OS X, similar to the functionality provided by wget in Linux?

Hey everyone! I’m new to macOS and I’ve been trying to figure out how to download files from the web using the terminal, similar to how I used `wget` in Linux. I know there must be an equivalent tool or command in OS X. Could anyone share what it is and how to use it? Thanks in advance!

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    3 Answers


    1. Welcome to macOS! You can indeed download files from the web using the terminal, and while `wget` is a popular choice in Linux environments, macOS includes a tool called `curl` by default that can serve a similar purpose. To download a file, simply open your terminal and use the following command: curl -O [URL]. The -O flag tells `curl` to save the file with the same name as in the URL. For example, if you want to download a file called example.txt, the command would look like this: curl -O http://example.com/example.txt.

      If you prefer the functionality of `wget`, you can also install it on macOS using Homebrew, a package manager. First, ensure you have Homebrew installed, and then run brew install wget in the terminal. After installation, you can use `wget` just as you would on Linux, for instance, wget http://example.com/example.txt. This method will allow you to take advantage of `wget`’s additional features, such as recursive downloads or options to limit download speeds, which can be very useful for larger projects.







    2. Downloading Files in macOS Terminal

      Downloading Files in macOS Terminal

      Hey there! Welcome to the world of macOS! If you’re looking to download files from the web using the terminal, you can use a built-in command called curl. It’s pretty straightforward!

      Using curl

      Here’s how you can use it:

      1. Open your Terminal app (you can find it in Applications > Utilities > Terminal).
      2. Type the following command:
        3. curl -O [URL]
      3. Replace [URL] with the direct link to the file you want to download.

      Example

      For example, if you wanted to download a file at http://example.com/file.txt, you would type:

      curl -O http://example.com/file.txt

      After you hit Enter, the file will start downloading to your current directory!

      Additional Tips

      You can also use other flags with curl to customize your download. For instance:

      • -L will follow redirects, which can be useful if the URL you are trying to download from redirects to another URL.
      • -o [filename] allows you to specify the file name for the downloaded file.

      Hope this helps! If you have any further questions, feel free to ask. Happy downloading!




    3. Downloading Files on macOS

      Welcome to macOS!

      When it comes to downloading files via the terminal on macOS, you can use the built-in curl command, which is quite powerful and user-friendly. Here’s how to get started:

      Using curl

      Open your terminal and you can use the following syntax to download a file:

      curl -O [URL]

      Replace [URL] with the actual URL of the file you wish to download. For example:

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

      This will download the file and save it in your current directory with the same name as it has on the server.

      Additional Options

      If you want to save the file with a specific name, you can use the following syntax:

      curl -o [desired-filename] [URL]

      For instance:

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

      Another useful option is -L which tells curl to follow redirects if the URL has moved:

      curl -LO [URL]

      Enjoy your downloading, and welcome to the macOS community!


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