---
name: "axel"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "axel"
version: "2.17.14-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/axel"
---

# axel(1)

light command line download accelerator

## NAME

**axel** - light command line download accelerator

## SYNOPSIS

```
 axel [OPTIONS] url1 [url2] [url...]
```

## DESCRIPTION

**Axel is a program that downloads a file from a FTP or HTTP server through multiple connection.** **Each connection downloads its own part of the file.**

**Unlike most other programs, Axel downloads all the data directly to the destination file.** **It saves some time at the end because the program does not have to** **concatenate all the downloaded parts.**

**Axel supports HTTP, HTTPS, FTP and FTPS protocols.**

## OPTIONS

**One argument is required, the URL to the file you want to download. When downloading from FTP,** **the filename may contain wildcards and the program will try to resolve the full filename. Multiple** **mirror URLs to an identical file can be specified as well and the program will use all those URLs** **for the download.**

**Please note that the program does not check whether the files are equal.**

**Other options:**

- **--max-speed=x, -s x**

  **Specify a speed (bytes per second) to try to keep the average speed around this** **speed. This is useful if you do not want the program to suck up all of your** **bandwidth.**

- **--num-connections=x, -n x**

  **Specify an alternative number of connections.**

- **--max-redirect=x**

  **Specify an alternative number of redirections to follow when connecting to the** **server (default is 20).**

- **--output=x, -o x**

  **Downloaded data will be put in a local file with the same name, unless you specify** **a different name using this option. You can specify a directory as well, the program** **will append the filename.**

- **--search\[=x\], -S\[x\]**

  **Axel can do a search for mirrors using the filesearching.com search engine. This** **search will be done if you use this option. You can specify how many different** **mirrors should be used for the download as well. The search for mirrors can be** **time-consuming because the program tests every server's speed, and it checks** **whether the file's still available.**

- **--ipv6, -6**

  **Use the IPv6 protocol only when connecting to the host.**

- **--ipv4, -4**

  **Use the IPv4 protocol only when connecting to the host.**

- **--no-proxy, -N**

  **Do not use any proxy server to download the file. Not possible when a transparent proxy** **is active somewhere, of course.**

- **--insecure, -k**

  **Do not verify the SSL certificate. Only use this if you are getting certificate errors** **and you are sure of the sites authenticity.**

**--no-clobber, -c Skip download if a file with the same name already exists in the current folder and no state file is found.**

- **--verbose, -v**

  **Show more status messages. Use it more than once to see more details.**

- **--quiet, -q**

  **No output to stdout.**

- **--alternate, -a**

  **This will show an alternate progress indicator. A bar displays the progress and status** **of the different threads, along with current speed and an estimate for the remaining** **download time.**

- **--header=x, -H x**

  **Add an additional HTTP header. This option should be in the form "Header: Value". See** **RFC 2616 section 4.2 and 14 for details on the format and standardized headers.**

- **--user-agent=x, -U x**

  **Set the HTTP user agent to use. Some websites serve different content based upon** **this parameter. The default value will include "Axel", its version and the platform.**

- **--help, -h**

  **A brief summary of all the options.**

- **--timeout=x, -T x**

  **Set I/O and connection timeout**

- **--version, -V**

  **Get version information.**

## NOTE

**Long (double dash) options are supported only if your platform knows about the getopt\_long call. If it** **does not (like \*BSD), only the short options can be used.**

## RETURN VALUE

**The program returns 0 when the download was successful, 1 if something really went wrong and 2 if the** **download was interrupted. If something else comes back, it must be a bug.**

## EXAMPLES

**The trivial usage to download a file is similar to:**

```
    $ axel http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current/amd64/iso-cd/debian-9.1.0-amd64-netinst.iso
    $ axel ftp://ftp.nl.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.2/linux-2.2.20.tar.bz2
```

**This will use the Belgian, Dutch, English and German kernel.org mirrors to download a Linux 2.4.17** **kernel image.**

```
    $ axel ftp://ftp.{be,nl,uk,de}.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.4/linux-2.4.17.tar.bz2
```

**This will do a search for the linux-2.4.17.tar.bz2 file on filesearching.com and it'll use the four (if possible)** **fastest mirrors for the download (possibly including ftp.kernel.org).**

```
    $ axel -S4 ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.4/linux-2.4.17.tar.bz2
```

## FILES

- **/etc/axelrc**

  **System-wide configuration file.**

- **~/.axelrc**

  **Personal configuration file.**

**These files are not documented in a manpage, but the example file which comes with the program contains** **enough information. The position of the system-wide configuration file might be different. In source code this** **example file is at doc/ directory. It's generally installed under /usr/share/doc/axel/examples/, or the** **equivalent for your system.**

## COPYRIGHT

**Axel was originally written by Wilmer van der Gaast and other authors over time. Please, see the AUTHORS and CREDITS files.**

**The project homepage is \<https://github.com/axel-download-accelerator/axel\>**

## HELP THIS PROJECT

**If you intent to help, please, read the CONTRIBUTING.md file. On Debian systems, this file will be available at** **/usr/share/doc/axel/ directory.**