How to Use aria2c to Download and Rename Files on Ubuntu

This article provides a concise guide on managing downloads within the Ubuntu Linux environment using the aria2c utility. It outlines the installation steps and demonstrates how to save files with specific names instead of their original defaults. Readers will learn to apply custom naming conventions and shell patterns to organize data efficiently during the download process.

Install aria2 on Ubuntu

Before using the tool, ensure it is installed on your system. Open your terminal and run the following command to install aria2 from the default repositories:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install aria2

Rename a File During Download

To download a file and assign it a specific name immediately, use the --out flag followed by your desired filename. This overrides the original filename found in the URL.

aria2c --out="custom-name.zip" https://example.com/file.zip

Rename Using a Pattern

aria2c does not support internal regex patterns for renaming, but you can use shell variables to create dynamic patterns. By combining shell expansion with the --out flag, you can append dates or timestamps to your filenames automatically.

For example, to add the current date to the filename:

aria2c --out="backup-$(date +%F).zip" https://example.com/file.zip

This command will save the file as backup-YYYY-MM-DD.zip. You can modify the shell pattern inside $() to suit your specific naming requirements, such as adding timestamps or sequential numbers managed by a script.

Verify the Download

Once the command completes, list the files in your directory to confirm the new name was applied correctly:

ls -lh

Using the --out option combined with shell scripting provides a flexible way to maintain organized downloads without requiring post-download renaming tools.