Curl: Essential File Transfer and Data Retrieval

Curl is a powerful command-line tool for transferring data with URLs. It supports various protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, FTPS, SCP, SFTP, LDAP, and more. This page provides a collection of practical Curl command examples to help you efficiently download files, make API requests, and manage data transfers.

Common Curl Download and Transfer Commands

# To download a file:
curl <url>

# To download and rename a file:
curl <url> -o <outfile>

# To download multiple files:
curl -O <url> -O <url>

# To download all sequentially numbered files (1-24):
curl http://example.com/pic[1-24].jpg

# To download a file and pass HTTP authentication:
curl -u <username>:<password> <url>

# To download a file with a proxy:
curl -x <proxy-host>:<port> <url>

# To download a file over FTP:
curl -u <username>:<password> -O ftp://example.com/pub/file.zip

# To get an FTP directory listing:
curl ftp://username:password@example.com

# To resume a previously failed download:
curl -C - -o <partial-file> <url>

# To fetch only the HTTP headers from a response:
curl -I <url>

# To fetch your external IP and network info as JSON:
curl http://ifconfig.me/all.json

# To limit the rate of a download:
curl --limit-rate 1000B -O <outfile>

# To get your global IP:
curl httpbin.org/ip 

# To get only the HTTP status code:
curl -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}\n' -s -I URL

Understanding Curl's Capabilities

Curl is indispensable for developers and system administrators. Its versatility allows for simple file downloads to complex API interactions. By mastering these commands, you can streamline your workflow and automate tasks involving web resources.

Further Resources for Curl

• Curl Manual - Official documentation for all Curl options.
• HTTP Methods - Learn about different HTTP request methods.
• File Transfer Protocol (FTP) - Understand the FTP protocol.