Linux wget Command

Linux 命令大全Complete Guide to Linux Commands

What is the wget command?

wget is a powerful non-interactive network download tool in the Linux system. Its name comes from the combination of "World Wide Web" and "get". It supports downloading files via HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP protocols, and has practical features such as resumable downloads and recursive downloads.

Unlike browser downloads or the curl command, the main features of wget are:

  • Non-interactive: Can run in the background without user intervention
  • Strong stability: Can automatically retry when network fluctuates
  • Rich in features: Supports multiple download scenarios and advanced options

wget Basic Syntax

wget [选项] [URL]

Simplest Download Example

Example

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

This command downloads the file from the specified URL to the current directory.

Detailed Explanation of Common Options and Parameters

Download Control Options

Option Description Example
-O <文件名> Specify the saved file name wget -O myfile.zip https://example.com/file.zip
-P <目录> Specify the download directory wget -P ~/downloads https://example.com/file.zip
-c Resumable download wget -c https://example.com/bigfile.iso
-b Background download wget -b https://example.com/largefile.mp4

Connection Settings Options

Option Description Example
--limit-rate=<速度> Speed-limited download wget --limit-rate=200k https://example.com/file.iso
-t <次数> Set the number of retries wget -t 5 https://example.com/unstable.file
--timeout=<秒> Set the timeout duration wget --timeout=30 https://example.com/slow.file

Recursive Download Options

Option Description Example
-r Recursive download wget -r https://example.com/directory/
-l <深度> Set the recursion depth wget -r -l 2 https://example.com/
-np Do not go back to the parent directory wget -r -np https://example.com/path/

Practical Examples and Application Scenarios

Example 1: Download a Single File and Rename It

Example

wget -O linux_distro.iso https://example.com/ubuntu-22.04.iso

Description：

  • Download the Ubuntu 22.04 image from the specified URL
  • Use-Ooption to save the file as a custom namelinux_distro.iso

Example 2: Download Large Files with Speed Limit

Example

wget --limit-rate=500k -c https://example.com/large_video.mp4

Description：

  • --limit-rate=500kLimit the download speed to 500KB/s
  • -cSupports resumable downloads; you can continue downloading after a network interruption

Example 3: Recursively Download an Entire Website

Example

wget -r -l 5 --convert-links --wait=2 https://example-site.com

Description：

  • -rEnable recursive download
  • -l 5Set the maximum recursion depth to 5 levels
  • --convert-linksConvert links for local browsing
  • --wait=2Interval of 2 seconds between downloads to reduce server load

Advanced Tips and Precautions

1. Batch Download Files

Create a text file containing multiple URLsurls.txt, then use:

Example

wget -i urls.txt

2. Download FTP Resources

Example

wget ftp://username:password@ftp.example.com/file.zip

Note: The password will be displayed in the command history. It is recommended to use--ftp-userand--ftp-passwordoption to set it separately.

3. Common Problem Solutions

Problem 1: Certificate error

Example

wget --no-check-certificate https://example.com

Problem 2: Download denied (403 Forbidden)

Example

wget --user-agent="Mozilla/5.0" https://example.com

Visualization: wget Workflow

Practical Exercises

  1. Try downloading the Linux kernel source code:

    wget https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/linux-6.5.5.tar.xz

  2. Use the resumable download feature to download a large file. After interruption, reconnect and continue downloading.

  3. Create a text file containing multiple image URLs, and use the batch download feature to fetch all images.

Summary

wget is an indispensable download tool in the Linux system. Through this article, you have learned:

  • The basic syntax and common options of wget
  • Download methods for various practical application scenarios
  • Advanced tips and problem-solving solutions
  • Implementation of recursive downloads and batch downloads

Mastering the wget command will greatly improve your efficiency in handling network resources in the Linux environment.

Linux 命令大全Complete Guide to Linux Commands

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