How to Download a File from Google Drive to a Linux Server using gdown (Python CLI)

Rahul Suryavamshi — Wed, 14 May 2025 09:44:47 +0000

What is gdown?

gdown is a Python package that allows you to download files from Google Drive via the command line. It's lightweight, supports resuming downloads, and is great for automation in scripts.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure you have:

Python 3.x installed.
pip installed (Python package manager).
The Google Drive file link you want to download.

Important:
The file must be shared with “Anyone with the link” access.
Private or restricted files cannot be downloaded using gdown unless they are publicly shared.

Install gdown

Install gdown using pip:

pip install gdown

To install it system-wide (if using sudo):

sudo pip install gdown

Or, if you prefer using pip3:

pip3 install gdown

Get the File ID from Google Drive Link

Get the file ID from your Google Drive share link.

Example link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a2b3c4D5eF6G7h8Ij9KLMnoPqRstuV/view?usp=sharing

The file ID here is:

1a2b3c4D5eF6G7h8Ij9KLMnoPqRstuV

Download the File Using gdown

Using the `--id` Flag

Download the file directly from your terminal:

gdown --id 1a2b3c4D5eF6G7h8Ij9KLMnoPqRstuV -O outputFileName

Replace outputFileName with the desired name for your downloaded file.

This command will fetch the file from Google Drive

Steps to Build Binary Executables for Python Code with GitHub Actions

Rahul Suryavamshi — Tue, 06 May 2025 07:43:20 +0000

If you want to convert a Python script into executable binaries for Linux, Windows, and macOS, and automate this process with GitHub Actions, this guide will walk you through the full setup.

Step 1: Add PyInstaller to Your Requirements

Make sure your requirements.txt includes PyInstaller:

pyinstaller

Also, include any other dependencies your Python app requires.

⚙️ Step 2: Create a GitHub Actions Workflow

Create the file .github/workflows/main.yml in your repo:

name: Build and Release Executables

on:
  workflow_dispatch:
    inputs:
      version:
        description: "Enter the version (e.g., v1.0.0)"
        required: true

jobs:
  build:
    strategy:
      matrix:
        os: [ubuntu-latest, windows-latest, macos-latest]

    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}

    steps:
      - name: Checkout repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Set up Python
        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
        with:
          python-version: "3.x"

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: pip install -r requirements.txt

      - name: Build executable
        run: pyinstaller --onefile app.py

      - name: Rename executable
        run: |
          if [[ "$RUNNER_OS" == "Windows" ]]; then
            mv dist/app.exe dist/app-windows.exe
          elif [[ "$RUNNER_OS" == "Linux" ]]; then
            mv dist/app dist/app-linux
          elif [[ "$RUNNER_OS" == "macOS" ]]; then
            mv dist/app dist/app-macos
          fi
        shell: bash

      - name: Upload artifact
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: app-${{ matrix.os }}
          path: dist/*

  release:
    needs: build
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
      - name: Checkout repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Download all build artifacts
        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
        with:
          merge-multiple: true

      - name: List downloaded files (Debugging)
        run: ls -R

      - name: Make files executable (Linux/Mac)
        run: chmod +x app-* || true

      - name: Create GitHub Release
        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
        with:
          tag_name: ${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
          name: Release ${{ github.event.inputs.version }}
          draft: false
          prerelease: false
          files: |
            app-linux
            app-windows.exe
            app-macos

Step 3: Trigger the Workflow

Go to the Actions tab in GitHub → Select the Build and Release Executables workflow → Click Run workflow → Enter your version (e.g., v1.0.0) → Click Run.

Step 4: Output

After the workflow completes:

Executables for all platforms are available as GitHub Actions artifacts.
A GitHub Release is created with downloadable binaries for each OS.

DEV Community: Rahul Suryavamshi