Linux wget Command with Examples

wget is a popular Linux command-line utility used to download files from the Internet or other network locations. The name comes from “web get.” It supports protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP, making it useful for students, system administrators, developers, and testers. Unlike graphical download tools, wget works directly from the terminal and is especially useful for automated scripts.

Basic Syntax

The basic syntax of the command is:

$ wget [options] URL

For example, to download a file:

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

The downloaded file is normally saved in the current working directory using the filename provided by the server.

Download a File with a Different Name

The -O option allows you to specify the output filename:

$ wget -O linux-guide.zip https://example.com/file.zip

This downloads the file and saves it as linux-guide.zip.

Download to a Specific Directory

Use the -P option to choose where the downloaded file should be stored:

$ wget -P /home/student/downloads https://example.com/file.pdf

This is convenient when organizing downloaded resources into separate directories.

Resume an Interrupted Download

Large downloads can fail because of network interruptions. The -c option allows wget to continue an incomplete download instead of starting again:

$ wget -c https://example.com/large-file.iso

This feature is particularly useful when downloading operating-system images or other large files.

Download Multiple Files

You can provide multiple URLs in a single command:

$ wget https://example.com/file1.pdf https://example.com/file2.pdf

wget downloads each file sequentially.

Download an Entire Website

The --mirror option can be used to create a local copy of a website:

$ wget --mirror https://example.com/

For educational purposes, this can help students study website structure. However, always respect website terms, robots policies, copyright, and server resources.

Limit Download Speed

You can control bandwidth usage with --limit-rate:

$ wget --limit-rate=500k https://example.com/video.mp4

Here, the download speed is limited to approximately 500 KB per second.

wget is valuable because it combines simplicity with automation. It can be used in shell scripts, server administration, software testing, DevOps workflows, backups, and automated data collection. Since it runs without a graphical interface, it is also ideal for remote Linux servers.