this post was submitted on 07 May 2024

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is there a download manager for Linux that just works? (libreddit.oxymagnesium.com)

submitted 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Something as simple and as convenient to use as internet download manager

If you have ever used IDM before then you know what I mean, I'm yet to find an alternative that's on par with its ease of use and convenience

Here are my requirements:

I don't have to copy-paste any links or right click on any links (just like IDM)
it works on all sites, well except for mega.nz (just like IDM)
it can scan the website and show me a download button on top of the media if it detects media like a YouTube video or an audio file playing, etc... (just like IDM)
It works perfectly with Firefox (just like IDM)
it doesn't have to keep running in the background, starting a direct download link should initiate it and show me a pop download dialog/window (just like IDM)

I have tried:

Persepolis: it has failed me miserably, the download fails 99% of the time (like from GitHub) so I ended up disabling the browser extension because it was getting in my way.
Motrix: I have tried it on Windows with Firefox, but it doesn't auto-detect the downloads and I have to copy and paste the download links and in some cases this is very difficult as many websites don't show the direct download link to the user.
Varia: tried it quickly yesterday, and it failed to auto capture the download link and Firefox built in download manager started instead.
FDM: I have tried to download it off the package manager (a flatpak from Linux mint software manager) but it failed to install for some reason and now the download option doesn't load at all! But I have used FDM on Windows before, and it is not as good as IDM.

I just downloaded KGet, and it doesn't seem to be what I'm looking for, but we will see.

Some notes:

youtube-dl: I never used it before but from what I know about it, I'm pretty sure it doesn't fit my criteria
I'm using 1DM+ on my android phone, and it is so damn good, it's almost perfect, it is the golden standard for download managers on android, this app is another example of "it just works".

I think I'm losing hope, and I'm going to see if IDM can run perfectly using WINE

final update

Tested JDownloader2 with the Download with JDownloader Firefox extension vs FDM and the winner is FDM because it just worked out of the box no configuration was needed beyond just installing the browser extension, and it did a better job at meeting my requirements except for the 3rd one, but thankfully I found this great extension so it's alright

ah I almost forgot, yes I tested DownThemAll, and it didn't automatically capture downloads, so this was an instant no

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[+] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

[removed by mod]

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

XDM?

Ok I just ~~googled~~ startpaged it and oh boy it is FOSS but the UI man it looks like a smartphone app from android 4.4 era but the devs are working on a full overhaul so I'll wait and see

There is also FileCxx.

I will look into it, seems interesting

There is nothing that will work as simple as IDM

I strongly agree but from my experience FDM seems the closest to it and FDM is not as simple as IDM, I wish if there is a native linux version.

especially with that little floating button on top of videos it detects, with all available frame resolutions.

Damn right man, it is so damn good, can't anyone else copy it please???

For video sites, I use yt-dlp. For galleries, gallery-dl.

I know of yt-dl but never heard of dlp before well until yesterday and for gallery-dl the name alone is very intriguing, I will definitely take a look at it, thanks for mentioning it!

For anime sites, I just log into Windows and use IDM.

They called me a mad man

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

jdownloader seems pretty close to "internet download manager"

Also I prefer yt-dlp over youtube-dl

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

I tried it and unfortunately the browser integration is not good enough for me and for dl vs dlp well I don't know what's the difference between the 2 and I'm yet to use any of them

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago (1 children)

any website

I'm sorry to say this is not possible with any app.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

He meant to say, any website that isn't soydev cloudy garbaj. Also the answer is still DownThemAll

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 months ago

curl -c in a while loop

[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 months ago

(go old school, curl and wget)

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Out of my toolkit:

Audio and video? yt-dlp, hands down.
Files? The plugin DownThemAll for Firefox.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

yt-dlp

Hmm seems really interesting, will take a look at it when I have time

DownThemAll

Tested it unfortunately requires an extra step (right clicking on links), I'm looking for something that will auto start whenever I left click on a link instead of the browser built in download manager

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

uGet always worked great for me.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Does it auto capture download requests from the browser?
Do I need to copy-paste the direct download link to it?
Do I need to right click on links then select it?
does it work flawlessly with Firefox?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I simply copy the link, click in uGet and it gets it from the clipboard. But I believe there's a Firefox uGet add-on for complete integration.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

I will give it a shot if things don't go well with FDM

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I always use https://flathub.org/apps/org.freedownloadmanager.Manager

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I settled on it in the end but I installed the deb package instead from FDM website, the flatpak just refuses to install and I'm not willing to troubleshoot the issue

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

For me it was actually the other way around, I had issues with the normal package so I went with the flatpak.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

What kind of issues exactly?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

I don't really remember, that was a few years ago. I've been using the flatpak ever since.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

The only download software I used was the DownThemAll Firefox extension, which has always been real good. It works on all sites I've tried it with, it's a very customisable interface, I don't really know what you mean by not copy-pasting links but you don't gotta do that.

You're not likely to find an exact copy of the software for another OS, wine probably is your best bet if you just want IDM in Linux form.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

I don't really know what you mean by not copy-pasting links but you don't gotta do that.

Here is what I mean, in testing JDownloader and other download managers I did a simple test, I open a website like let's say https://www.freedownloadmanager.org/download-fdm-for-linux.htm and I left click on the download button if the download manager auto captures the download request and start downloading the file or prompt me to authorize the download then the download manager passes the test but if the browser built in download manager starts downloading instead then it is an instant failure; I put this extension to the test and unfortunately it failed.

wine probably is your best bet if you just want IDM in Linux form.

It installed successfully but unfortunately it seems that it won't work with the linux version of Firefox so I uninstalled.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Have you tried https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/downthemall/ ?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Tried it today and unfortunately it didn't pass the test

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Curious -- what made it not an option?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

I want something that will grap download requests automatically, I don't want to right click on any link, if I'm on particular website and I left click on the download button on that website the download manager that I have installed should automatically grap this download request

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