How to Download a Single File Using Wget in Ubuntu

This article provides a step-by-step guide on downloading a single file using the wget command in the Ubuntu terminal. It covers the basic syntax, how to specify custom filenames, and essential tips for verifying your download without relying on a graphical web browser.

Prerequisites

Ensure that wget is installed on your system. Most Ubuntu installations include it by default. To verify, open your terminal and run:

wget --version

If the command is not found, install it using the Apt package manager:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install wget

Basic Download Command

To download a file, type wget followed by the direct URL of the file. Press Enter to start the download.

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

The file will be saved in your current directory with its original name. You will see a progress bar in the terminal indicating the download status.

Saving a File with a Different Name

If you want to save the file with a specific name instead of the default, use the -O flag followed by the desired filename.

wget -O my-archive.zip https://example.com/path/to/file.zip

This command downloads the content from the URL but saves it locally as my-archive.zip.

Verifying the Download

Once the process completes, confirm the file exists in your directory using the ls command.

ls -lh

You can also check the file type to ensure it downloaded correctly and is not an HTML error page.

file file.zip

Using wget allows for efficient downloading directly from the command line, making it ideal for servers or automated scripts in Ubuntu.