How to Download Files via FTP Using aria2c on Ubuntu

This article provides a concise guide on using the aria2c command-line utility to download files from FTP servers within the Ubuntu operating system. You will learn the exact syntax required for both anonymous access and authenticated connections, allowing for fast and reliable file transfers directly from your terminal.

To begin, ensure aria2 is installed on your system by running sudo apt install aria2. The basic syntax for downloading a file via FTP involves specifying the FTP URL directly after the aria2c command.

For an anonymous FTP connection, use the following command structure:

aria2c ftp://ftp.example.com/path/to/file.zip

If the FTP server requires a username and password, you must include your credentials in the URL using the format user:password@. Here is the syntax for an authenticated download:

aria2c ftp://username:[email protected]/path/to/file.zip

Replace username, password, ftp.example.com, and the file path with your actual server details. Once executed, aria2c will establish the connection and download the file to your current directory.