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Retrieve the size of a file on a server

Terminal - Retrieve the size of a file on a server
wget --spider $URL 2>&1 | awk '/Length/ {print $2}'
2011-07-03 00:14:58
User: d3Xt3r
Functions: awk wget
5
Up
Down
Retrieve the size of a file on a server

- Where $URL is the URL of the file.

- Replace the $2 by $3 at the end to get a human-readable size.

Credits to svanberg @ ArchLinux forums for original idea.

Edit: Replaced command with better version by FRUiT. (removed unnecessary grep)

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Alternatives

There are 4 alternatives - vote for the best!

Terminal - Alternatives
curl -s "$URL" |wc -c
2011-07-18 15:47:57
User: Mozai
Functions: wc
Tags: size curl http
2
Up
Down
Retrieve the size of a file on a server

Downloads the entire file, but http servers don't always provide the optional 'Content-Length:' header, and ftp/gopher/dict/etc servers don't provide a filesize header at all.

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Know a better way?

If you can do better, submit your command here.

What others think

Useless use of grep.......

Useless use of pipe........

wget --spider $URL 2>&1 | awk '/Length/ {print $2}'

Comment by FRUiT 97 weeks and 5 days ago

Useful use of wget...

Comment by zlemini 97 weeks and 4 days ago

Useless use of 2>&1 ;)

Use |&

Comment by ioggstream 93 weeks and 3 days ago

@ioggstream: Doesn't work for me on bash v4.2.10

Comment by d3Xt3r 92 weeks and 5 days ago

only works if $URL is an http or https protocol, and only if the server sends a Content-Length header.

Comment by Mozai 48 weeks ago

Your point of view

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