For developers and command-line enthusiasts, tools like curl and wget are staples for making HTTP requests and downloading files. However, a new player has emerged, offering a streamlined, modern, and Rust-powered alternative: uget by developer ararog.
This post focuses specifically on the project found at https://github.com/ararog/uget, a minimalist command-line HTTP utility.
What is ararog/uget?
ararog/uget is defined as a modern and straightforward HTTP client for the command line. It is a minimal CLI tool designed to simplify interactions with web services, downloads, and data transmission, built entirely using the Rust programming language.
It is crucial to note that this project is distinct from the long-standing, cross-platform uGet Download Manager (which often has a graphical user interface and is hosted under the ugetdm organization). The ararog/uget project is focused purely on lightweight, developer-centric command-line functionality.
Key Features for the Modern Developer
uget strips away complexity while retaining essential functionality, making it an excellent choice for scripting, debugging APIs, and simple file transfers. Its feature set is purpose-built for efficiency:
1. Simplified HTTP Interaction
uget makes common HTTP methods clean and easy to execute. It's built to handle basic GET requests, JSON payloads, and form submissions with minimal boilerplate.
2. File Download and Upload Support
As a robust HTTP client, uget excels at file operations. It allows you to:
- Download files and show a progress bar during the transfer.
- Resume a download from where it previously left off.
- Upload files using multipart form fields.
3. Comprehensive Request Configuration
It provides simple flags for setting up complex requests:
- Easily set custom headers (
--header "Content-Type: application/json"). - Specify request method (
-m POST,-m PUT). - Handle various request bodies, including JSON (via stdin) and standard form fields (
--field).
4. Robust Authentication and Security
uget simplifies the common task of securing API calls:
-
Bearer Auth: Easily pass a token for modern API authentication (
--bearer <token>). -
Basic Auth: Supports standard username and password credentials (
--basic <username>:<password>). - Mutual TLS: Allows the use of client certificates and private keys for mutual authentication.
- Custom CA: Supports custom CA certificates for verification, critical when dealing with enterprise or self-signed certificates.
Basic Usage Examples
The tool's command structure is designed for intuitive use, typically following the format: uget <url> <body> [OPTIONS].
| Action | Command Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Simple GET | uget https://api.example.com/status |
Downloads the resource and prints the response body to stdout. |
| JSON POST | `echo '{"data": "new"}' \ | uget https://api.example.com/data`{% endraw %} |
| Form POST | {% raw %}uget https://forms.example.com/submit --field "user=alice" --field "pass=secret"
|
Submits data as a standard URL-encoded form. |
| Bearer Auth | uget https://api.example.com/profile -m GET --bearer <YOUR_TOKEN> |
Performs a secure GET request using a Bearer token. |
| Download | uget https://cdn.example.com/file.zip > file.zip |
Downloads the file and redirects the output to save it locally. |
Why Choose ararog/uget?
- Rust Performance: Being built in Rust,
ugetoffers the benefits of memory safety and high performance, often outperforming utilities written in interpreted languages. - Modern Syntax: Its flags and usage patterns are streamlined for today's API-centric development workflows, making it a highly readable and easy-to-script tool.
- Minimalist Focus: It does one thing—handle HTTP—and does it well, avoiding bloat and unnecessary complexity.
If you are looking for a fast, simple, and reliable CLI tool to manage your HTTP requests, ararog/uget is definitely a repository worth starring and integrating into your workflow.
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