Axel is a download accelerator utility that enhances the download speed and efficiency of files from HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP sources. It is a command-line tool designed to improve the download experience by utilizing multiple connections to download segments of a file simultaneously.
Here’s an overview of the features and functionality provided by Axel:
- Faster Download Speed: Axel improves the download speed by dividing the file into multiple segments and downloading them simultaneously. This technique, known as parallel downloading, can significantly increase the download speed compared to traditional single-threaded downloads.
- Multiple Connection Support: Axel supports establishing multiple connections to the server hosting the file being downloaded. Each connection handles a specific segment of the file, allowing for concurrent downloads. This parallelization maximizes the utilization of available network bandwidth.
- Resumable Downloads: Axel supports resuming interrupted or paused downloads. If a download is interrupted due to network issues or other reasons, Axel can resume the download from where it left off, saving time and bandwidth.
- Bandwidth Limiting: Axel provides options to limit the download bandwidth, allowing you to control the amount of network resources allocated to the download process. This feature can be useful in situations where you want to manage and prioritize your network usage.
- Progress Monitoring: Axel displays real-time progress information during the download, including the current download speed, percentage completed, and estimated time remaining. This feedback allows you to track the download progress and estimate when it will be completed.
- Proxy Support: Axel can work with proxy servers, enabling downloads through HTTP, HTTPS, or FTP proxies. This flexibility is useful in environments where direct access to the internet is restricted, and proxy servers are used for network connectivity.
- User-Agent Customization: Axel allows you to customize the User-Agent header sent to the server during the download. This feature can be handy in situations where the server requires specific User-Agent values for authentication or compatibility purposes.
Axel is a versatile download accelerator that can greatly improve the speed and efficiency of file downloads from HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP sources. By leveraging parallel connections and segment-based downloading, it maximizes the use of available network resources and provides faster download times.
axel Command Examples
1. Download a URL to a file:
# axel url
2. Download and specify filename:
# axel url -o /path/to/file
3. Download with multiple connections:
# axel -n connections_num url
4. Search for mirrors:
# axel -S mirrors_num url
5. Limit download speed (bytes per second):
# axel -s speed url