How to resume an interrupted download in Wget

Wget is a powerful command-line utility in Linux and other Unix-like operating systems, used to download files from the internet. There are situations where a download might get interrupted due to network glitches, system crashes, or accidental terminations. Starting the download again from scratch can be frustrating, especially if it was a large file.

Fortunately, Wget offers a feature to resume interrupted downloads seamlessly, saving both time and bandwidth. With the right command options, it can pick up from where it left off and continue downloading the file.

Whether the interruption was due to an accidental system shutdown, a dropped network connection, or any other reason, you can rely on Wget to retrieve your download without starting over.

1. Open the terminal.
2. Navigate to the directory where the incomplete file resides using the cd command.
3. Run Wget with the -c or –continue option followed by the download URL.

   $ wget -c https://example.com/large-file.zip

   The -c or –continue option tells Wget to continue downloading from the point it was interrupted. It checks the size of the partially downloaded file and downloads the remaining bytes.

4. Confirm the download is resumed by checking the file's increasing size or the progress indicator in the terminal.
5. Wait for the download to complete. It should finish downloading the remaining part of the file, without starting over.
6. Verify the integrity of the file if provided with a checksum or other verification method. This ensures the resumed download is not corrupted.