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screenshotDownload Tools  |  Download Multi-threaded download utility with aria2 engine for your browser!

Some of the important features of the Download Tools addon are listed below. This is followed by an overview of this addon. This summary contains few words about the addon, its function, and its features. Next is FAQ, this section is useful to get information about how this addon works in your browser. If you couldn't find a specific answer, please fill the bug report form on this page or the contact form on the homepage to let us know about your question. Following the FAQ, is the bug report form. It is designed to collect user feedbacks and bugs about this addon. Users can suggest improvements or feature requests through this form too. The next section is for submitting comments about this addon which uses the Facebook comments plugin. The last section is dedicated to reports submitted through the GitHub website. We hope the information provided on this page, could help you get all the basics you need about this addon and enable you to have a better experience with Download Tools.

In short, Download Tools is an addon that let you download files with multi threaded technique via arai2 downloader engine. Please check the YouTube tutorial below to get an idea of how this addon works in your browser. If you want to contribute to the developement of this addon, please fork it on GitHub, and push your changes to a named branch. Moreover, you can review all the comments made on GitHub commits.

4 Reasons to Use Download Tools

  • Allows you to download files with a multi-threaded technique in your browser via aria2 commands.

  • Has a stand-alone UI window with no background activities.

  • Accepts single or multiple file downloads in parallel.

  • Available for all browsers and platforms (windows, linux and mac).

YouTube Tutorial

This video gives you an idea of how the extension works in your browser.

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Overview

  • Downloading files from the internet has always been a hassle. Although there are many download managers but not all of them are reliable. Not all of them can download all types of files and come with certain limitations. The developers of Multi-Threaded Download Manager aim to make downloading files an easy feat for you. Multi-Threaded Download Manager is a lightweight and simple extension that is easy to use. You can download not one but multiple files from the internet simultaneously. This means that there will be no requirement to wait for one download to finish before you can start downloading other. This extension uses the multi-threaded technique for downloading files. It uses an open-source software called aria2 to split the file into multiple sections and supports numerous formats.

    aria2 is a free and open-source command-line based download manager for Linux, BSD, MacOS, and Windows. It is designed to be lightweight, fast, and efficient, and can handle download tasks of any size and complexity. aria2 is particularly well-suited for downloading large files, such as videos or ISO images, as well as files from multiple sources simultaneously. aria2 is a command-line tool, which means that it can be run from the terminal or command prompt. It is highly configurable, and offers a wide range of options and settings that allow users to customize their download tasks. For example, users can specify the maximum number of connections, the download speed, the maximum number of retries, and more. aria2 also supports a variety of protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, BitTorrent, and Metalink. One of the key features of aria2 is its support for parallel downloads. This means that aria2 can split a single download into multiple parts and download them simultaneously, allowing for faster download speeds. aria2 also supports paused and resumed downloads, allowing users to pause a download and resume it later, even if the connection was lost. Another advantage of aria2 is its ability to download files from multiple sources simultaneously. This is particularly useful for downloading large files, as it allows aria2 to make use of all available bandwidth and download the file more quickly. aria2 can also download files from multiple mirrors, which can improve the reliability and speed of downloads. In addition to its core download manager capabilities, aria2 also offers a range of other useful features. For example, it can automatically retry failed downloads, it can download files over an encrypted connection, and it can download files to a specific directory or with a specific file name. aria2 also supports a range of plugin extensions that can add additional functionality, such as support for additional protocols or authentication methods.

    The process to download files using this extension is quite simple. After you are done installing this extension, all you have to do is to click on its icon on the browser toolbar. There you will see the - Enter URLs - option. You can enter multiple URLs at once; however, make a point to separate them with space. The next step is to select the command/action and also the folder where the file will be downloaded. After that, you will have to click on the - Save & Run - button and your file will start downloading. For the convenience of users, this extension also offers a stop (terminate) process option. Therefore, if you have entered the wrong link by mistake or given a wrong command, you can cancel the downloading process at any time to save your time and bandwidth. Another beneficial feature of this extension is that it can be installed on any operating system and any browser. Hence, whether you use Google Chrome, Safari or Firefox, you can get it installed and use its exceptional features. This extension doesnt cause the browser to act slow as it has a stand-alone UI window. No activities or processes run in the background when this extension is not being used. Multi-Threaded Download Manager requires the user to have aria2 executable installed on your system along with the native-client. Please note that, this is just a one-time process. Without these two utilities, the extension will not work on your system. In a nutshell, Multi-Threaded Download Manager is a useful utility provided you have installed it correctly. Its salient features such as splitting the file into multiple sections, multiple downloads simultaneously, easy process to use etc. make it a must-have for every internet user. Once the initial processes (i.e. downloading the aria2 executable and native client) is done, using this extension will be an easy task.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • 1. What is Multi-threaded Download Manager?

    Multi-threaded Download Manager, is a simple and yet powerful add-on which allows you to easily download files with a multi-threaded technique right from your browser to your machine (windows, linux or mac). It uses an open-source software called aria2. According to aria2 website, it is a lite multi-protocol and multi-source command-line download utility. It supports HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, SFTP, BitTorrent and Metalink. This addon uses nativeMessaging technology to communicate with aria2 engine on your machine. Before using this addon, you need to have aria2 executable on your machine. You also need the native client patch in order to build the communication between aria2 and your browser. Please read the following FAQs to get more info about this addon.

  • 2. How can I operate with this addon?

    In order to operate with this addon, please click on the toolbar button. The app UI will be open in a small and stand-alone window. Within the app, there are six sections. From top to bottom, section 1 is for adding download URL(s). You can add one or multiple URLs to this field. Please note that URLs should be separated by space. Section 2 is for the aria2 path on your machine. For example if you put aria2 folder in windows 10 => 64bit machine => Program Files, the path is: "C:\Program Files\aria2\aria2.exe". If you have a different OS, please make sure to write the correct path in the filed. In section 3, you can write your desired commands. There are some sample commands available in the UI to choose from. There is also a history list which contains the list of previously used commands. If you are not familiar with aria2 commands, please read this page to get more info. In section 4, please write the destination folder for the results. By default, "C:\Users\Public" is set as the default folder for storing the results. In section 5 you will find run and stop buttons. Once you press on "Save & Run" button, the commands and URLs are sent to the aria2 engine and files are downloaded to your machine. The last section is for the console logs. All logs in the app are written in this section. If the app encounters any errors, you will see the message in the console area.

  • 3. How can I download the source code for Download Tools?

    To download the source code for this extension from Chrome Web Store, it is recommended to use Extension Source Downloader. With this addon, you can download the source code as a ZIP or CRX format to your machine. If you want to download the source code from the Firefox addons store, please open the firefox download link (if available) in the Firefox browser and then right-click on the - Add to Firefox - button and select - Save Link As... - item. Choose the destination folder on your machine and then save the file in XPI format. You can then rename the XPI format to a RAR or ZIP file. Some extensions may have a GitHub repo address, which you can use to download the source code as well. But, it may not be the latest version of the addon. Therefore, downloading the source code from the official web stores is the best option as it always gives you the latest version of the addon.

  • 4. What do I need to do before using the addon?

    When you first install the addon, please open the app UI and adjust the path for the aria2 client (aria2 command-line downloader). Depending on your operating system, the path for aria2 could be different. For example, if you put aria2 folder in windows 10 => 64bit machine => Program Files, the path is: "C:\Program Files\aria2\aria2.exe". If you choose a different folder for installation, please make sure to adjust the path accordingly. Once you set the correct path, please install the native-client patch. This patch is used to make the communication between the addon and aria2 (native app). Please read the following to get more info about installing the native-client patch on your machine.

  • 5. What is native-client?

    Native client patch is used for connecting your browser (Firefox, Chrome, and Opera) with native applications on your machine (Windows, Linux, and Mac). If you have an add-on in your browser that needs to communicate with an external application on your computer, this native client patch can be used to easily make this connection.

  • 6. How can I install the native-client patch?

    After installing the addon, you need to connect it with native applications (i.e. aria2) on your machine. In order to make this connection, a separate patch is provided in GitHub. Please download and install this patch from here. Follow the instruction in the GitHub page to download and install the related patch to your system. After installing, the "Multi-threaded Download Manager" addon your browser can communicate with aria2 on your machine (Window, Linux or Mac). In order to get aria2 software, please head to this page and find the right package for your operating system.

  • 7. Can I use a different software other than aria2 to manipulate media files?

    This addon only works with aria2 software. In fact, currently, the best engine to download multiple files in parallel and with multi-threaded technique is aria2.

  • 8. How can I add commands for aria2?

    If you are not familiar with aria2 commands, please head to this page and read the instructions on how to write aria2 commands. Some sample commands and options are as following. Please note that, in order to get the full list of commands, please visit this page.

    1) Download Single File: http://www.example.com/
    2) Save the file with different name: -o output.abc http://www.example.com/
    3) Limit download speed: --max-download-limit=500k http://www.example.com/
    4) Download Multiple Files: --force-sequential=true http://www.example-1.com/ http://www.example-2.com/
    5) Resume Incomplete download: --continue=true http://www.example.com/
    6) Get the input URL(s) from a text file: -i input.txt
    7) Download using 2 connections per URL: --max-connection-per-server=2 http://www.example.com/
    8) Download Torrent Files: http://www.torrent-example.com/
    9) Download BitTorrent Magnet URI: magnet:?xt=urn:btih:abcd...
    10) Download BitTorrent Metalink: https://torrent-example.com/metalink.cgi?curl=tar.bz2
    11) Download a file from password protected site: --http-user=abc --http-password=abc http://www.example.com/
     >> Basic options:
       - The directory to store the downloaded file: -d, --dir=DIR
       - Downloads the URIs listed in FILE: -i, --input-file=FILE
       - The file name of the log file: -l, --log=LOG
       - Set the maximum number of parallel downloads for every queue item: -j, --max-concurrent-downloads=N
       - Check file integrity by validating piece hashes or a hash of entire file: -V, --check-integrity [true|false]
       - Continue downloading a partially downloaded file: -c, --continue [true|false]
       - The help messages are classified with tags: -h, --help[=TAG|KEYWORD]
     >> Advanced Options:
       - The help messages are classified with tags: -h, --help[=TAG|KEYWORD]
       - Restart download from scratch if the corresponding control file doesn’t exist: --allow-overwrite [true|false]
       - Try to resume download and if resume is not possible, aborts download: --always-resume [true|false]
       - Comma separated list of DNS server address used in asynchronous DNS resolver: --async-dns-server=IPADDRESS [,...]
       - Rename file name if the same file already exists: --auto-file-renaming [true|false]
       - Save a control file(*.aria2) every SEC seconds: --auto-save-interval=SEC
       - Set log level to output to console: --console-log-level=LEVEL
       - Run as daemon: -D, --daemon [true|false]
       - Disable IPv6: --disable-ipv6 [true|false]
       - Enable disk cache: --disk-cache=SIZE
       - This option changes the way Download Results is formatted: --download-result=OPT
       - Specify file allocation method: --file-allocation=METHOD
       - Keep unfinished download results: --keep-unfinished-download-result [true|false]
       - Set maximum number of download result kept in memory: --max-download-result=NUM
       - Set log level to output: --log-level=LEVEL
       - Fetch URIs in the command-line sequentially and download each URI in a separate session: -Z, --force-sequential [true|false]
       - Set max overall download speed in bytes/sec: --max-overall-download-limit=SPEED
       - Set max download speed per each download in bytes/sec: --max-download-limit=SPEED
       - Disable loading aria2.conf file: --no-conf [true|false]
       - Make aria2 quiet (no console output): -q, --quiet [true|false]
       - Save error/unfinished downloads to FILE on exit: --save-session=FILE
     >> HTTP/FTP/SFTP Options:
       - Use a proxy server for all protocols: --all-proxy=PROXY
       - Set password for --all-proxy option: --all-proxy-passwd=PASSWD
       - Set user for --all-proxy option: --all-proxy-user=USER
       - Set the connect timeout in seconds to establish connection to HTTP/FTP/proxy server: --connect-timeout=SEC
       - Check whether the remote file is available and does not download data: --dry-run [true|false]
       - Close connection if download speed is lower than or equal to this value(bytes per sec): --lowest-speed-limit=SPEED
       - The maximum number of connections to one server for each download: -x, --max-connection-per-server=NUM
       - Set number of tries: -m, --max-tries=N
       - The file name of the downloaded file: -o, --out=FILE
       - Set the method to use in proxy request: --proxy-method=METHOD
       - Retrieve timestamp of the remote file from the remote HTTP/FTP server and if it is available: -R, --remote-time [true|false]
       - Reuse already used URIs if no unused URIs are left: --reuse-uri [true|false]
       - Download a file using N connections: -s, --split=N
     >> BitTorrent Specific Options:
       - The path to the .torrent file: -T, --torrent-file=TORRENT_FILE
       - Exclude seed only downloads when counting concurrent active downloads: --bt-detach-seed-only [true|false]
       - Allow hook command invocation after hash check: --bt-enable-hook-after-hash-check [true|false]
       - Enable Local Peer Discovery: --bt-enable-lpd [true|false]
       - Comma separated list of BitTorrent tracker’s announce URI to remove: --bt-exclude-tracker=URI [,...]
       - Specify the external IP address to use in BitTorrent download and DHT: --bt-external-ip=IPADDRESS
       - Specify the maximum number of peers per torrent: --bt-max-peers=NUM
       - Download meta data only: --bt-metadata-only [true|false]
       - Removes the unselected files when download is completed in BitTorrent: --bt-remove-unselected-file [true|false]
       - Comma separated list of additional BitTorrent tracker’s announce URI: --bt-tracker=URI [,...]
       - Set max overall upload speed in bytes/sec: --max-overall-upload-limit=SPEED
       - Set max upload speed per each torrent in bytes/sec: -u, --max-upload-limit=SPEED
       - Specify share ratio: --seed-ratio=RATIO

  • 9. Can I open the addon in toolbar popup?

    No, this addon only opens in a stand-alone popup window. Simply press on the toolbar icon to open the UI.

  • 10. How can I stop the active download?

    In order to stop the ongoing download process, please open the app UI and then click on the - Stop Process - button in the UI.

  • 11. Is this addon available for mobile browsers?

    Yes, this addon is available for all browsers and platforms including mobile browsers. Please note that, in mobile view, the app UI may not look good since the mobile screen is not large enough to render the whole UI.

  • 12. How can I reset the addon?

    In order to reset the addon, please open the app UI and press on the - Reset - button. Please note that pressing on this button will reset all settings to default values. There is also a reload button on the top left corner of the UI. You can press on this button to simply reload the UI.

  • 13. Where can I find the privacy policy for Download Tools?

    Please read the privacy policy for this extension here.

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