How to debug wget connections

Troubleshooting failed downloads or unexpected behavior requires deeper insight into request and response details. The –debug option in wget provides verbose output, revealing DNS lookups, headers, and protocol exchanges.

By analyzing debug output, you can pinpoint issues like SSL handshake failures, incorrect headers, or unexpected redirects. This knowledge guides adjustments to options or environment settings for successful downloads.

Debugging with wget helps isolate network problems, confirm configuration correctness, and improve reliability and performance in complex environments.

1. Add the –debug option to your wget command.

   $ wget --debug https://www.example.com/data

   Verbose output details each step of the request process.

2. Examine DNS resolution, connection attempts, and header exchanges in the output.
3. Identify and fix issues like missing headers, incorrect URLs, or invalid certificates.
4. Use grep or less to filter and navigate large debug outputs.
5. Retry with adjusted options once the cause is understood.