megadl

View documentation for the original command

$ tldr megatools-dl

megadl [OPTIONS] { (-l | --link ) | (-f | --folder ) | (-u | --user -p | --password [--path ]) } [-o | --output ]

-h, --help
    Displays a help message and exits.

-v, --version
    Shows the program version information and exits.

-q, --quiet
    Suppresses all non-essential output, showing only critical errors or progress bars.

-u , --user
    Specifies the MEGA account email for authentication to access private files.

-p , --password
    Provides the MEGA account password for authentication. Use with caution or consider a configuration file.

-l , --link
    Specifies a public MEGA file link (e.g., https://mega.nz/file/ABCD#1234) for direct download.

-f , --folder
    Specifies a public MEGA folder link for recursive download of its contents.

-o , --output
    Defines the local file or directory where the downloaded content will be saved.

--path
    Used with -u and -p to specify the path to a file or folder within your authenticated MEGA cloud storage.

--disable-resume
    Prevents the tool from attempting to resume interrupted downloads, starting fresh instead.

--ignore-init-errors
    Instructs megadl to continue operations even if some initial errors are encountered.

--proxy
    Configures megadl to use a specified HTTP or SOCKS proxy for all network connections.

--config
    Specifies an alternative configuration file to load credentials or settings from, instead of the default.

megadl is a powerful command-line utility, integral to the megatools suite, designed for downloading files and entire directories from the MEGA.nz cloud storage service.

It offers versatile methods for accessing content, including downloading public files or folders via their respective MEGA links, or by authenticating with a user's MEGA account credentials to retrieve private content. This tool is invaluable for automating downloads, integrating MEGA.nz operations into scripts, or for users who prefer a robust terminal interface over a graphical one. Key features include support for resuming interrupted downloads, specifying custom output paths, and handling various authentication scenarios. megadl provides a reliable and efficient way to manage MEGA downloads programmatically in a Linux environment.

As megadl is part of the megatools suite, it relies on their ongoing compatibility with the evolving MEGA.nz API. Updates to MEGA's service may occasionally cause temporary disruptions or require updates to megatools. Providing passwords directly via command-line options (-p) can be insecure as they may be visible in process listings or shell history; using a configuration file (e.g., ~/.megarc) or environmental variables for credentials is generally more secure for automated tasks. Downloads of very large files or numerous items may consume significant local disk space and bandwidth.

megadl is not a built-in Linux command. It needs to be installed as part of the megatools package. On Debian/Ubuntu-based systems, you can install it using apt:
sudo apt install megatools

On Fedora/RHEL-based systems:
sudo dnf install megatools

For Arch Linux:
sudo pacman -S megatools

Source compilation is also an option for other distributions.

For persistent authentication or to avoid typing credentials repeatedly, megadl can utilize a configuration file, typically located at ~/.megarc. A sample .megarc might look like:

[Login]
Username = your_email@example.com
Password = your_mega_password

Ensure appropriate file permissions (e.g., chmod 600 ~/.megarc) to protect your credentials.

Download a public file link:
megadl --link 'https://mega.nz/file/ABCDEF#123456'

Download a public folder link:
megadl --folder 'https://mega.nz/folder/GHIJKL#789012'

Download a file from your private cloud storage:
megadl --user 'your_email@example.com' --password 'your_password' --path '/My Private Files/document.pdf'

Download to a specific output directory:
megadl --link 'https://mega.nz/file/ABCDEF#123456' --output './Downloads/my_file.zip'

The megadl command is a component of the megatools project, initiated by Martin Povišer (megous) as an open-source suite of command-line tools for MEGA.nz. Development began shortly after MEGA's relaunch in 2013, aiming to provide a programmatic interface to MEGA's encrypted cloud storage service, which lacked official Linux client support at the time. Its continuous development has focused on maintaining compatibility with MEGA's evolving API and expanding functionality, making it a staple for Linux users requiring terminal-based MEGA interactions.

megatools(1), megals(1), megacopy(1), megaput(1), wget(1), curl(1)