Windows PowerShell Invoke-WebRequest equivalent in Linux
Makes HTTP requests, downloads files and inspects server responses.
PowerShell Invoke-WebRequest
curl -LO URL
curl -LO URL
curl -LO URL
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "PowerShell Invoke-WebRequest" is used to download or request web content. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "curl -LO URL". Makes HTTP requests, downloads files and inspects server responses. This reference is grouped under PowerShell Equivalents → Networking.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows PowerShell Invoke-WebRequest maps to curl -LO URL for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
Command-specific caution
Review URLs before piping downloaded content directly into a shell.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read PowerShell vs Bash.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Download or request web content
Makes HTTP requests, downloads files and inspects server responses.
curl -I https://example.com
Show response headers
curl -LO https://example.com/file.iso
Download using the remote filename
wget https://example.com/file.iso
Download a file with wget
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
curl -I https://example.com
curl -LO https://example.com/file.iso
wget https://example.com/file.iso
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
curl -I https://example.com # inspect HTTP headers
curl -LO https://example.com/file.iso # download a file
wget https://example.com/file.iso # download using wgetReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
curl -I https://example.com | Show response headers |
curl -LO https://example.com/file.iso | Download using the remote filename |
wget https://example.com/file.iso | Download a file with wget |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "curl -LO URL" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | curl -LO URL |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | curl -LO URL |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | curl -LO URL |
Same command on this distribution. |
Important
What to watch out for
Keep learning