Bash wget Command - Non-Interactive Network Downloader

Using the wget Command

The wget command is used to download files from the web.

It's a powerful tool for downloading single files, entire websites, or even batch downloads.

Basic Usage

To download a file, use wget url:

wget http://example.com/file.txt

Options

The wget command has options to change how it works:

• -b - Run in the background
• -q - Quiet mode (no output)
• -r - Download directories recursively
• -c - Continue getting a partially-downloaded file
• --limit-rate - Limit download speed

Run in the Background

The -b option allows you to run wget in the background.

This is useful for long downloads that you don't want to monitor continuously.

wget -b http://example.com/file.txt

Quiet Mode

The -q option allows you to run wget in quiet mode.

This is useful for scripts or automated tasks where output is not needed.

wget -q http://example.com/file.txt

Recursive Downloads

The -r option allows you to download directories recursively.

This is useful for downloading entire websites or directories.

wget -r http://example.com/directory/

Continue Getting a Partially-Downloaded File

The -c option allows you to continue downloading a file that was partially downloaded. This is useful for resuming interrupted downloads.

wget -c http://example.com/largefile.zip

Limit Download Speed

The --limit-rate option allows you to limit the download speed. This is useful for managing bandwidth usage.

wget --limit-rate=200k http://example.com/file.txt

Understanding Wget Output

The output of the wget command can vary depending on the options used. Here are some common elements:

• Download Progress: Shows the progress of the download.
• File Size: The size of the file being downloaded.
• Download Speed: The speed at which the file is being downloaded.
• Time Remaining: Estimated time remaining for the download to complete.

Batch Downloads

Wget can be used for batch downloads. For example, wget -r http://example.com/directory/ downloads all files in a directory.

wget -r http://example.com/directory/