macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install axelprovider-native install command
brew / rank 2381
Install axel with Homebrew
Light UNIX download accelerator. Version 2.17.14 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-22.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Light UNIX download accelerator
Project links
Commands and aliases
- axel
history
Project history and usage
Axel is a lightweight command-line download accelerator for HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and FTPS. Its core trick is old-school and Unix-friendly: split a file across multiple connections, write directly into the destination file, and keep the program small enough for constrained systems.
Project history
The current official GitHub repository was created in August 2015 under the axel-download-accelerator organization. The README credits Wilmer van der Gaast as the original developer and notes that the project has had contributors over the years, reflecting a continuation of an older Unix utility rather than a brand-new 2015 tool.
The project has stayed intentionally narrow. The official manual page describes a program that downloads through multiple connections, supports mirror URLs, can search for mirrors, and reads simple system-wide and per-user rc files. The README still points users to the man page rather than a large web documentation site.
Adoption history
Axel's adoption is visible in its packaging footprint. The batch input lists packages across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora/DNF, openSUSE/Zypper, Arch/Pacman, Alpine/APK, MacPorts, Nix, and Chocolatey. That spread is characteristic of a mature small CLI: it is not a platform product, but it is useful enough to be available almost everywhere package nerds look first.
How it is used
Users run `axel` with one or more URLs, choose connection counts with `--num-connections`, limit bandwidth with `--max-speed`, resume interrupted transfers from state, and optionally configure defaults in `/etc/axelrc` or `~/.axelrc`. The man page also documents proxy, protocol, output, progress, and timeout flags.
Why package nerds care
Axel matters in package-manager culture because it represents the tiny C utility lane next to heavier downloaders such as aria2. It gives maintainers a low-dependency, autotools-built downloader with a stable CLI, a man page, and config files in conventional Unix locations.
Its long packaging tail also makes it a useful compatibility check for distro maintainers: TLS library choices, getopt behavior, rc-file locations, and documentation installation paths all matter more here than shiny features.
Timeline
- 2015: Current official GitHub repository created.
- 2017: GitHub releases include the v2.14 and v2.16 series.
- 2019: v2.17 release series begins.
- 2024: v2.17.14 release published.
Related projects
- The official README lists aria2, hget, lftp, nugget, and pget as related projects.
Sources
- GitHub releases API lists v2.14 in 2017, v2.17 in 2019, and v2.17.14 in 2024.
- GitHub repository metadata: created_at 2015-08-13.
- Official README credits original developer Wilmer van der Gaast and long-running contributors.
- Official manpage documents purpose, protocols, rc files, and examples.
- input.source_facts.package-manager lists broad distro and package-manager adoption.
security posture
Risk level: blue
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.
Risk classifier
blue risk · medium confidence · tool
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
Signals
- text:download
Install behavior
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Configuration files
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
/etc/axelrc~/.axelrc
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
axel | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-08-03
manager version2.17.14
manager updated2026-05-22
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:axel |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.17.14 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://github.com/axel-download-accelerator/axel |
| Repository | https://github.com/axel-download-accelerator/axel |
| Last updated | 2026-05-22T00:21:11+09:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation