About axel
Axel is a lightweight, console-based download accelerator that improves download speeds by using multiple HTTP/FTP connections simultaneously. Unlike other accelerators, it writes data directly to the file in the correct order, avoiding the need to merge separate files later. It supports various platforms including Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, and Windows (via Cygwin), and offers features like mirror support, progress tracking, and bandwidth limiting.
FAQ
Axel is a download accelerator that opens multiple HTTP/FTP connections per download, with each connection transferring a separate part of the file. This can multiply the allowable bandwidth, especially on FTP sites that limit the speed of each connection.
Yes, Axel is supported on Linux, Mac OS X, FreeBSD, other BSDs, Win32 (using Cygwin), and Sun Solaris. It can also be compiled for AtheOS using the non-threaded 0.96 version.
Yes, Axel >=0.97 supports downloading from multiple mirrors at the same time. You can either specify a list of mirrors or tell the program to search for mirrors.
No, unlike other accelerators, Axel writes all data directly into the correct file in the right order during download time. This is possible because most Unix file systems allow writing data after the end-of-file.
Version 1.0b includes a security fix and minor improvements. Version 1.0a added support for multiple local interfaces, an alternative progress indicator, and improved HTTP URL handling.
Yes, the 0.96b version is available for systems that do not support pthreads. However, it is no longer actively supported.
Axel can bypass speed limits by opening multiple connections, effectively multiplying the allowable bandwidth. However, some FTP operators may not appreciate this method.
Axel is a console-based program that uses few system resources, making it efficient for download acceleration.
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