Using curl to download NeoOffice

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	# If the download "finishes" early (compare the .dmg size on disk—select the file and choose '''Get Info''' from the Finder's '''File''' menu—with the size listed on the [http://www.planamesa.com/neojava/download.php#download NeoOffice download page]) or was interrupted for any reason, just repeat the full command (if the Terminal window is still open, pressing the '''up''' arrow key will usually redisplay the last command so you won't have to retype it; just press '''return'''.		# If the download "finishes" early (compare the .dmg size on disk—select the file and choose '''Get Info''' from the Finder's '''File''' menu—with the size listed on the [http://www.planamesa.com/neojava/download.php#download NeoOffice download page]) or was interrupted for any reason, just repeat the full command (if the Terminal window is still open, pressing the '''up''' arrow key will usually redisplay the last command so you won't have to retype it; just press '''return'''.
	#: Repeat this step until the size of the downloaded .dmg file matches that from the NeoOffice download page and the disk image opens properly after double-clicking.		#: Repeat this step until the size of the downloaded .dmg file matches that from the NeoOffice download page and the disk image opens properly after double-clicking.
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		+	[[Category:NeoOffice]][[Category:Tips and Hints]]

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Revision as of 12:22, 10 July 2006

curl is a command-line resumable download tool. It is useful when downloading files over unsteady connections or when your browser stops early when downloading some files. We have found that some combinations of browsers and internet connections have a high frequency of incomplete downloads of NeoOffice releases.

When this happens, double-clicking the .dmg file will usually produce an error message stating "No mountable file systems" or similar.

Using curl to download a NeoOffice release

To use curl, follow these steps:

1. Open a new Terminal window (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app)
2. cd to the directory (folder) where you want the NeoOffice .dmg download to appear and press return

   For instance, if you want to download to the Desktop, type cd ~/Desktop and press return

3. Visit the NeoOffice download page in your browser and find a mirror to use (if you happen to know a mirror is located in your part of the world, use it; otherwise, pick the top mirror) and control-click on the download link. Select Copy Link Location (or similar-sounding option in your browser) from the context menu.
4. Switch back to the Terminal and type the following, without pressing return: curl -C - -O

   (that's a capital o, not a zero)

5. Then press the spacebar and then paste the link you copied from your browser

   The full command should look something like this:
   curl -C - -O http://www.mirror.com/path/to/NeoOffice-Version.dmg

6. Press return and the download will start.
7. If you need to disconnect for any reason, pressing control-c will stop the download.
8. If the download "finishes" early (compare the .dmg size on disk—select the file and choose Get Info from the Finder's File menu—with the size listed on the NeoOffice download page) or was interrupted for any reason, just repeat the full command (if the Terminal window is still open, pressing the up arrow key will usually redisplay the last command so you won't have to retype it; just press return.

   Repeat this step until the size of the downloaded .dmg file matches that from the NeoOffice download page and the disk image opens properly after double-clicking.

Using curl to complete a “failed” download begun by a web browser

In many cases, you can also use curl to complete a download that you started in your web browser but which did not complete properly. This will not always work (sometimes curl cannot pick up where the browser left off and must start over), but even if curl has to start over from scratch, you should be able to stop and restart the "new" download that curl began.

1. Open a new Terminal window (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app)
2. cd to the directory (folder) where your partially-downloaded NeoOffice .dmg is located and press return

   For instance, if the file is on the Desktop, type cd ~/Desktop and press return

3. Visit the NeoOffice download page in your browser and find a mirror you used and then control-click on the download link. Select Copy Link Location (or similar-sounding option in your browser) from the context menu.

   Some browsers store or display the URL of a download in the download manager, so you can copy the URL of the failed NeoOffice download from there. You may have to control-click on the download and choose Copy Source URL or Copy Link or similar from the context menu.

4. Switch back to the Terminal and type the following, without pressing return: curl -C - -O

   (that's a capital o, not a zero)

5. Then press the spacebar and then paste the link you copied from your browser

   The full command should look something like this:
   curl -C - -O http://www.mirror.com/path/to/NeoOffice-Version.dmg

6. Press return and curl will attempt to resume the download from where the browser left off.
7. If you need to disconnect for any reason, pressing control-c will stop the download.
8. If the download "finishes" early (compare the .dmg size on disk—select the file and choose Get Info from the Finder's File menu—with the size listed on the NeoOffice download page) or was interrupted for any reason, just repeat the full command (if the Terminal window is still open, pressing the up arrow key will usually redisplay the last command so you won't have to retype it; just press return.

   Repeat this step until the size of the downloaded .dmg file matches that from the NeoOffice download page and the disk image opens properly after double-clicking.