tags/2.1/axel.1

.\"
.\"man-page for Axel
.\"
.\"Derived from the man-page example in the wonderful book called Beginning
.\"Linux Programming, written by Richard Stone and Neil Matthew.
.\"
.TH AXEL 1

.SH NAME
\fBAxel\fP \- A light download accelerator for Linux.

.SH SYNOPSIS
.B axel
[\fIOPTIONS\fP] \fIurl1\fP [\fIurl2\fP] [\fIurl...\fP]

.SH DESCRIPTION
Axel is a program that downloads a file from a FTP or HTTP server through
multiple connection, each connection downloads its own part of the file.

Unlike most other programs, Axel downloads all the data directly to the
destination file, using one single thread. It just saves some time at the
end because the program doesn't have to concatenate all the downloaded
parts.

.SH OPTIONS
.PP
One argument is required, the URL to the file you want to download. When
downloading from FTP, the filename may contain wildcards and the program
will try to resolve the full filename. Multiple URL's can be specified
as well and the program will use all those URL's for the download. Please
note that the program does not check whether the files are equal.

.PP
Other options:

.TP
\fB\-\-max\-speed=x\fP, \fB\-s\ x\fP
You can specify a speed (bytes per second) here and Axel will try
to keep the average speed around this speed. Useful if you don't want
the program to suck up all of your bandwidth.

.TP
\fB\-\-num\-connections=x\fP, \fB\-n\ x\fP
You can specify an alternative number of connections here.

.TP
\fB\-\-output=x\fP, \fB\-o\ x\fP
Downloaded data will be put in a local file with the same name,
unless you specify a different name using this option. You can
specify a directory as well, the program will append the filename.

.TP
\fB\-\-search[=x]\fP, \fB-S[x]\fP
Axel can do a search for mirrors using the filesearching.com search
engine. This search will be done if you use this option. You can specify how
many different mirrors should be used for the download as well.

The search for mirrors can be time\-consuming because the program tests
every server's speed, and it checks whether the file's still available.

.TP
\fB\-\-no\-proxy\fP, \fB\-N\fP
Don't use any proxy server to download the file. Not possible when a
transparent proxy is active somewhere, of course.

.TP
\fB\-\-verbose\fP
If you want to see more status messages, you can use this option. Use it
more than once if you want to see more.

.TP
\fB\-\-quiet\fP, \fB-q\fP
No output to stdout.

.TP
\fB\-\-alternate\fP, \fB-a\fP
This will show an alternate progress indicator. A bar displays the progress
and status of the different threads, along with current speed and an
estimate for the remaining download time.

.TP
\fB\-\-help\fP, \fB\-h\fP
A brief summary of all the options.

.TP
\fB\-\-version\fP, \fB\-V\fP
Get version information.

.SH NOTE
Long (double dash) options are supported only if your platform knows about
the getopt_long call. If it does not (like *BSD), only the short options can
be used.

.SH RETURN VALUE
The program returns 0 when the download was succesful, 1 if something really
went wrong and 2 if the download was interrupted. If something else comes back,
it must be a bug..

.SH EXAMPLES
.nf
axel ftp://ftp.{be,nl,uk,de}.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.4/linux-2.4.17.tar.bz2
.fi

This will use the Belgian, Dutch, English and German kernel.org mirrors to
download a Linux 2.4.17 kernel image.

.nf
axel \-S4 ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.4/linux-2.4.17.tar.bz2
.fi

This will do a search for the linux-2.4.17.tar.bz2 file on filesearching.com
and it'll use the four (if possible) fastest mirrors for the download.
(Possibly including ftp.kernel.org)

(Of course, the commands are a single line, but they're too long to fit on
one line in this page.)

.SH FILES
.PP
\fI/etc/axelrc\fP System-wide configuration file
.PP
\fI~/.axelrc\fP Personal configuration file
.PP
These files are not documented in a man\-page, but the example file which
comes with the program contains enough information, I hope. The position
of the system-wide configuration file might be different.

.SH COPYRIGHT
Axel is Copyright 2001-2002 Wilmer van der Gaast.

.SH BUGS
.PP
I'm sure there are some bugs left somewhere, please tell me about them and
I will try to fix them.

A known bug is that the program does weird things when downloading using
hundreds of connections. Well, just don't do that.

.SH AUTHORS
Wilmer van der Gaast. <wilmer@gaast.net>
1	appaji-guest	2	.\"
2			.\"man-page for Axel
3			.\"
4			.\"Derived from the man-page example in the wonderful book called Beginning
5			.\"Linux Programming, written by Richard Stone and Neil Matthew.
6			.\"
7			.TH AXEL 1
8
9			.SH NAME
10			\fBAxel\fP \- A light download accelerator for Linux.
11
12			.SH SYNOPSIS
13			.B axel
14			[\fIOPTIONS\fP] \fIurl1\fP [\fIurl2\fP] [\fIurl...\fP]
15
16			.SH DESCRIPTION
17			Axel is a program that downloads a file from a FTP or HTTP server through
18			multiple connection, each connection downloads its own part of the file.
19
20			Unlike most other programs, Axel downloads all the data directly to the
21			destination file, using one single thread. It just saves some time at the
22			end because the program doesn't have to concatenate all the downloaded
23			parts.
24
25			.SH OPTIONS
26			.PP
27			One argument is required, the URL to the file you want to download. When
28			downloading from FTP, the filename may contain wildcards and the program
29			will try to resolve the full filename. Multiple URL's can be specified
30			as well and the program will use all those URL's for the download. Please
31			note that the program does not check whether the files are equal.
32
33			.PP
34			Other options:
35
36			.TP
37			\fB\-\-max\-speed=x\fP, \fB\-s\ x\fP
38			You can specify a speed (bytes per second) here and Axel will try
39			to keep the average speed around this speed. Useful if you don't want
40			the program to suck up all of your bandwidth.
41
42			.TP
43			\fB\-\-num\-connections=x\fP, \fB\-n\ x\fP
44			You can specify an alternative number of connections here.
45
46			.TP
47			\fB\-\-output=x\fP, \fB\-o\ x\fP
48			Downloaded data will be put in a local file with the same name,
49			unless you specify a different name using this option. You can
50			specify a directory as well, the program will append the filename.
51
52			.TP
53	appaji-guest	4	\fB\-\-search[=x]\fP, \fB-S[x]\fP
54	appaji-guest	2	Axel can do a search for mirrors using the filesearching.com search
55			engine. This search will be done if you use this option. You can specify how
56			many different mirrors should be used for the download as well.
57
58			The search for mirrors can be time\-consuming because the program tests
59			every server's speed, and it checks whether the file's still available.
60
61			.TP
62			\fB\-\-no\-proxy\fP, \fB\-N\fP
63			Don't use any proxy server to download the file. Not possible when a
64			transparent proxy is active somewhere, of course.
65
66			.TP
67			\fB\-\-verbose\fP
68			If you want to see more status messages, you can use this option. Use it
69			more than once if you want to see more.
70
71			.TP
72			\fB\-\-quiet\fP, \fB-q\fP
73			No output to stdout.
74
75			.TP
76			\fB\-\-alternate\fP, \fB-a\fP
77			This will show an alternate progress indicator. A bar displays the progress
78			and status of the different threads, along with current speed and an
79			estimate for the remaining download time.
80
81			.TP
82			\fB\-\-help\fP, \fB\-h\fP
83			A brief summary of all the options.
84
85			.TP
86			\fB\-\-version\fP, \fB\-V\fP
87			Get version information.
88
89			.SH NOTE
90			Long (double dash) options are supported only if your platform knows about
91			the getopt_long call. If it does not (like *BSD), only the short options can
92			be used.
93
94			.SH RETURN VALUE
95			The program returns 0 when the download was succesful, 1 if something really
96			went wrong and 2 if the download was interrupted. If something else comes back,
97			it must be a bug..
98
99			.SH EXAMPLES
100			.nf
101	appaji-guest	11	axel ftp://ftp.{be,nl,uk,de}.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.4/linux-2.4.17.tar.bz2
102	appaji-guest	2	.fi
103
104			This will use the Belgian, Dutch, English and German kernel.org mirrors to
105			download a Linux 2.4.17 kernel image.
106
107			.nf
108	appaji-guest	11	axel \-S4 ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.4/linux-2.4.17.tar.bz2
109	appaji-guest	2	.fi
110
111			This will do a search for the linux-2.4.17.tar.bz2 file on filesearching.com
112			and it'll use the four (if possible) fastest mirrors for the download.
113			(Possibly including ftp.kernel.org)
114
115			(Of course, the commands are a single line, but they're too long to fit on
116			one line in this page.)
117
118			.SH FILES
119			.PP
120			\fI/etc/axelrc\fP System-wide configuration file
121			.PP
122			\fI~/.axelrc\fP Personal configuration file
123			.PP
124	appaji-guest	11	These files are not documented in a man\-page, but the example file which
125	appaji-guest	2	comes with the program contains enough information, I hope. The position
126			of the system-wide configuration file might be different.
127
128			.SH COPYRIGHT
129			Axel is Copyright 2001-2002 Wilmer van der Gaast.
130
131			.SH BUGS
132			.PP
133			I'm sure there are some bugs left somewhere, please tell me about them and
134			I will try to fix them.
135
136			A known bug is that the program does weird things when downloading using
137			hundreds of connections. Well, just don't do that.
138
139			.SH AUTHORS
140	appaji-guest	20	Wilmer van der Gaast. <wilmer@gaast.net>