Using Curl
Curl is a command-line utility and underlying library (libcurl) used to transfer data across a wide range of network protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, FTPS, SCP, SFTP, LDAP, MQTT, and more. It supports features like proxy support, user authentication, cookies, file uploads, and SSL connections, making it a go-to tool for developers, system administrators, and anyone working with web APIs or…
Curl is a versatile command-line utility and underlying library (libcurl) that enables the transfer of data across various network protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and more. It supports a range of features like proxy support, user authentication, cookies, file uploads, and SSL connections, making it a popular choice among developers and system administrators for working with web APIs and networked services.
This article provides a brief guide on using curl to perform HTTP requests from the terminal, covering tasks such as downloading files, setting custom headers, executing different HTTP methods, managing redirects, sending JSON payloads, authenticating with servers, and troubleshooting via verbose mode.
The guide begins with a concise summary of the most frequently used curl commands, followed by an in-depth exploration of each operation. It explains the basic syntax of the curl command, demonstrates how to perform a basic GET request, save webpage output to a file, follow redirects, send POST form data, transmit JSON payloads, add custom headers, implement basic authentication, upload files using multipart form, and control the verbosity of output.
By following these instructions, readers will gain the necessary skills to test APIs and automate network tasks using curl in the command line.
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