wget2
Next-generation recursive metalink/file/website downloader
TLDR
SYNOPSIS
wget2 [options] [urls]
DESCRIPTION
wget2 is the next-generation version of GNU Wget, rebuilt to support modern protocols and parallel downloading. It adds native HTTP/2 support with multiplexed streams, enabling more efficient communication with servers that support the protocol.Parallel downloading fetches multiple files simultaneously over reused connections, significantly speeding up batch downloads compared to the sequential approach of the original wget. The --chunk-size option splits large single-file downloads into parallel chunks. Recursive downloading and website mirroring are supported with the same familiar -r and -m flags.wget2 also supports Metalink files for mirror-aware downloads with automatic integrity checking, compression negotiation, and modern TLS. The tool maintains command-line compatibility with wget for basic operations while improving performance through its modernized network stack.
PARAMETERS
-O FILE
Save to specified output filename.-c, --continue
Resume a partially downloaded file.-r, --recursive
Recursive download.-m, --mirror
Mirror a website (shortcut for -r -N -l inf --no-remove-listing).--chunk-size SIZE
Download large files in multithreaded chunks of the given size.--limit-rate RATE
Limit bandwidth to the specified rate (e.g., 1M).--http2
Force HTTP/2 protocol.--http2-request-window NUM
Set max number of parallel streams per HTTP/2 connection (default: 30).--compression TYPE
Set accepted compression types (identity, gzip, deflate, br, zstd, lzip, etc.).-q, --quiet
Quiet mode, suppress output.-P DIR
Save files to specified directory prefix.--no-clobber
Do not overwrite existing files or truncate partial files.-d, --debug
Print debug output.
CAVEATS
Not all original wget options are supported. Some behavioral differences exist compared to wget. The --chunk-size feature works best with servers that support HTTP range requests.
HISTORY
wget2 was developed by Tim Ruehsen as a modern rewrite of GNU Wget. Development began around 2012, with version 2.0.0 released in 2021. It adds HTTP/2, parallel downloading, and Metalink support while maintaining backward compatibility.
