When downloading large files in Linux, wget gets the job done but isn’t very fast. When speed is of the issue, a multi-connection tool is needed. That is where axel, a simple command-line based download accelerator, comes in. Axel is as easy to use as wget, it may not have the advanced features such as logging and timeout variables. But gets the job done, quickly.
Usage:
~$ axel [DOWNLOAD-LINK]
The default download progress-indicator looks a bit like the older releases of wget. So I recommend using the -a or –alternate flag for a prettier output. Example:
~$ axel -a [DOWNLOAD-LINK]
If you want to use the alternate output by default, set it as an alias in bash with ~$ alias axel=’axel -a’. For a more permanent solution, add the alias to .bashrc in your home-dir or /etc/bashrc for the entire system.
Happy Accelerating!
2 responses to “Axel, the Accelerated Wget”
this thing does not support pause and resume downloads function. WTH?
this thing does not support pause and resume downloads function. WTH?