Day 15 Learnings: Downloading and Transferring Data in Linux

Today's Linux exploration focused on two powerful commands for network-based data handling: wget and curl. Both commands are essential for downloading files and interacting with web servers, offering flexible options for automating tasks and handling web content.

What I Learned This Week

wget Command in Linux/Unix:
Automate file downloads and retrieve content from the web.
curl Command in Linux:
Transfer data to and from servers with various protocols.

Steps I Followed

Downloading Files with `wget`

Basic File Download:
Downloaded a file from a URL:
```
 wget https://example.com/file.txt
```
Resume Interrupted Downloads:
Resumed a download after interruption:
```
 wget -c https://example.com/largefile.zip
```
Download Multiple Files:
Downloaded multiple files using a list:
```
 wget -i file_list.txt
```
Recursive Download:
Downloaded an entire website for offline use:
```
 wget -r -np -k https://example.com
```

Transferring Data with `curl`

Fetch a Web Page:
Retrieved the content of a web page:
```
 curl https://example.com
```
Save Content to a File:
Saved the output of a web page to a file:
```
 curl -o page.html https://example.com
```
Follow Redirects:
Automatically followed HTTP redirects:
```
 curl -L https://short.url
```

Send POST Requests:
Sent a POST request with form data:

 curl -X POST -d "key1=value1&key2=value2" https://example.com/api

Download a File with Progress Bar:
Downloaded a file while displaying a progress bar:
```
 curl -# -O https://example.com/file.zip
```

Problems I Encountered

Certificate Errors with HTTPS in wget:
Encountered issues downloading from secure websites due to missing certificates.
Handling API Authentication with curl:
Struggled to pass authentication headers in API requests.

How I Solved These Problems

Fixing HTTPS Certificate Errors:
Installed missing certificates and used the --no-check-certificate flag temporarily:
```
 wget --no-check-certificate https://example.com
```
Using Authentication in curl:
Included authentication credentials in the request:
```
 curl -u username:password https://example.com/api
```

Resources I Used

GNU Wget Manual
Curl Command Examples on Linuxize
Stack Overflow is used to troubleshoot API requests and SSL issues.

Conclusion

The wget and curl commands are versatile tools for handling network tasks, from downloading files to interacting with APIs. Today’s learnings added valuable skills for managing web-based operations effectively.

Looking forward to diving deeper into Linux capabilities in the upcoming lessons!