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I prefer using Axel in Firefox through Flashgot but didn't yet make it the default, and keep it just for bigger files, because I cannot easily open the download folder as I can in the normal Firefox window with a right-click, and so using it for all files is cumbersome.

Can I have this option while using Axel, maybe using a GUI for Axel that would display a list of downloads?


As I am in Xfce and use Thunar, maybe the DE and the file manager are important variables to be considered.

2 Answers 2

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Yes, you just need to add a custom download script that invokes your file manager.

  1. The script (suppose it's saved to /home/USERNAME/axelopen):

    #!/bin/bash
    axel -o $2 -H Cookie:$4 -H Referer:$3 $1 xdg-open $2

    don't forget to chmod +x it.

  2. Add the custom DL manager to FlashGot:

    • Open Flashgot options, and Add the custom manager, setting the executable to /usr/bin/xterm and the arguments as shown below:

    enter image description here

    • xterm is only used because it is universal. You can also use, for example, gnome-terminal and change the -e to -x; this "run a command" option should be available for your other favorite terminal too, look at its man page.
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  • it worked for me rarely with x-terminal-emulator (gnome terminal) and -e. sometimes it would not budge, sometimes just opens and closes the terminal, or just opens the download folder - it depends on the links too: downloading fuduntu iso just to test this, on a download site with a normal link and an alternate one, Axel would work on both, while AxelOpen only on the second
    – user47206
    Sep 13, 2012 at 13:43
  • Sorry for the delay, can you try inserting the variables in the arguments field using the "Placeholders" button instead of typing them in? I mean URL, etc.
    – ish
    Sep 13, 2012 at 23:56
  • cannot make it work. the settings i made in flashgot options are as in your screenshot and i have inserted the arguments. but i had to type the spaces in between
    – user47206
    Sep 26, 2012 at 17:05
  • could xfce+thunar be the matter?
    – user47206
    Apr 10, 2013 at 18:00
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Building on izx's solution, I found the following to work for some websites.

FlashGot Command line arguments template:

[COOKIE] [REFERER] [FNAME] [URL]

With this script:

#!/bin/bash

# axel_flashgot.sh
# This is a script meant for the Firefox extension Flashgot to run Axel
# Author: Harish Mallipeddi

gnome-terminal --command="axel --alternate --num-connections=6 --max-speed=353600 -H Cookie:$1 -H Referer:$2 --output=/mnt/downloads-drive/$3 $4"
#--alternate is single line view
#--num-connections=  defines number of segments
#--max-speed= is throttled amount in bytes per second (100KB/s = 102400 bytes per second)
#--output= is the path and file name to output too, not necessary if you change directory before running the command.  Although you might want to retain --output=$3 to keep the file name.
#-H is the headers with the cookie and referer

If this fails I recommend trouble shooting with an echo redirect line that displays what is being sent to the terminal in the script above.

echo "axel --alternate --num-connections=6 --max-speed=353600 -H Cookie:$1 -H Referer:$2 --output=/mnt/downloads-drive/$3 $4" >> /home/my/Desktop/axel_flashgot-troubleshooting.txt
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  • cannot make it work, no more than i can use izx's solution: while axel in flashgot works perfectly the normal way, i was just asking for the output folder to be opened in the file browser; but i haven't specified the file browser or the DE. i'm in xfce and thunar. could this be the cause?
    – user47206
    Apr 9, 2013 at 15:42
  • also, the solution should work any time axel+flashgot works. why just for some websites?
    – user47206
    Apr 9, 2013 at 15:44

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