"What’s the best way to handle downloading files with curl?"
Alright, so I’ve been downloading files with curl for a while now, and lemme tell ya—there’s a right way and a *painfully slow* way.
First off, always use `-L` to follow redirects (so many broken downloads happen without it).
And if you’re downloading files with curl and wanna save it with the OG filename, throw in `-O`. No more guessing what `file.zip?version=3` actually is.
Oh, and for big files? `-C -` is a lifesaver. Resume those failed downloads like a boss.
Pro tip: Wanna go faster? Try `--parallel` if your curl version supports it. Game changer.
What’s your goto trick for downloading files with curl? Mine’s definitely the resume flag—saved me so much time.
(Also, why does curl sometimes just… give up? Drives me nuts.)
Nice tips! Another thing I always do when downloading files with curl is adding `--fail` to make sure curl actually errors out if the download fails.
Also, if you're dealing with sketchy connections, `--retry 3` helps auto-retry failed downloads.
For monitoring progress, `-#` gives you a sweet little bar instead of the default mess.
Ever tried aria2c? It’s like curl on steroids for parallel downloads.
Yo, the `-C -` flag is a godsend for large files. But heads up—it doesn’t always work if the server doesn’t support resuming.
Also, if you’re downloading files with curl and wanna speed things up, tweak `--limit-rate` to avoid hogging bandwidth.
And yeah, curl sometimes just quits for no reason. Drives me nuts too. Maybe check the error code with `-v`?
If you’re downloading files with curl and hate the default output, try `-s -S` for silent mode (but still shows errors).
For batch downloads, `-Z` with `--parallel` is a game-changer. Just make sure your curl version’s new enough.
Also, `wget` is a solid alternative if curl’s acting up. Less fancy but way more reliable sometimes.
Pro tip: Use `-J` to let curl handle the filename from headers. Saves so much hassle with weird URLs.
And if you’re scripting downloads, always wrap curl in a loop with `|| exit 1` to catch failures.
For debugging, `--trace-ascii` dumps everything. Overkill? Maybe. Helpful? Absolutely.
Ever tried `--compressed` for downloading files with curl? Saves bandwidth if the server supports gzip.
Also, `--connect-timeout` and `--max-time` are clutch for flaky connections.
And yeah, curl giving up randomly is the worst. Usually a timeout thing—try bumping `--max-time` higher.
For big downloads, I always pair curl with `pv` to get a progress bar with speed estimates.
Like: `curl -L [URL] | pv > file.zip`
Makes waiting less painful. Also, `-o /dev/null` is handy for testing speeds without saving.
If you’re downloading files with curl and need auth, `-u user:pass` is your friend.
But be careful—credentials in the command line? Not great. Use `-n` with `.netrc` instead.
And for rate-limiting, `--speed-limit` + `--speed-time` can auto-abort slow downloads.
Whoa, didn’t expect so many solid tips! The `--compressed` and `pv` tricks are gonna save me so much time.
Gotta try `-J` too—always hated renaming files manually.
One follow-up: Anyone know why `-C -` fails even when the server claims to support resumes? Is it a headers thing?
(Also, big thanks for the aria2c shout. That thing’s wild.)
Fun fact: `-O` works with multiple URLs if you’re downloading files with curl in bulk.
Just list ’em all, and curl handles the rest.
Also, `--remote-time` preserves the server’s timestamp. Small thing, but nice for backups.
