Startup mode (CLI/TUI) ¶

ZDL can be started in different ways:

A) To enter links and start new downloads:

1. automatically generating the list of download links:
   • open a terminal and enter the directory that will contain the downloaded files
   • start ZDL by typing the command followed by any options
   • copy the links of the files to download and paste them in the terminal (wrap up after each link)
   • type M-x (M, the Meta key, is <Alt>, <Ctrl> or <Esc>)
2. Using one or more files prepared with a text editor (wrapping after each link) and reachable from the destination directory (indicate a valid path):
   • open a terminal and enter the directory that will contain the downloaded files (alternatively, you can indicate to ZDL the working directory)
   • type the command zdl followed by the names of the files containing the list of links: zdl path/file ...
3. By indicating directly to ZDL the links to be processed (if valid links were to be declared invalid, try 1): zdl link ...
4. From the web browser, through the use of additional components (Flashgot for Firefox, the script zdl-xterm, the command zdl in the Conkeror mini-buffer, ...), to the purpose of capturing and saving the stream of a video or another file of any type.
5. In "daemon" mode (also from interactive mode)
6. Using an editor, with the option -e or other more specific (for example, --emacs-nw)

Files, working directory and links can be entered in any order. All input links are saved in the file links.txt, in the destination directory.

B) To manage downloads already started in "non-interactive" and "daemon" mode:

by starting the interactive mode in two ways:

1. in console from the download destination directory, using the command zdl -i or zdl --interactive
2. in "non-interactive" (standard) mode, by typing the i key