FAQ: editorial updates

  better. We do however believe in a few rules when it comes to the future of

  curl:

  * Curl -- the command line tool -- is to remain a non-graphical command line

    tool. If you want GUIs or fancy scripting capabilities, you should look

    for another tool that uses libcurl.

  Curl -- the command line tool -- is to remain a non-graphical command line

  tool. If you want GUIs or fancy scripting capabilities, you should look for

  another tool that uses libcurl.

  * We do not add things to curl that other small and available tools already

    do very fine at the side. Curl's output is fine to pipe into another

    program or redirect to another file for the next program to interpret.

  We do not add things to curl that other small and available tools already do

  very fine at the side. Curl's output is fine to pipe into another program or

  redirect to another file for the next program to interpret.

  * We focus on protocol related issues and improvements. If you wanna do more

    magic with the supported protocols than curl currently does, chances are

    big we will agree. If you wanna add more protocols, we may very well

    agree.

  We focus on protocol related issues and improvements. If you wanna do more

  magic with the supported protocols than curl currently does, chances are big

  we will agree. If you wanna add more protocols, we may very well agree.

  * If you want someone else to make all the work while you wait for us to

  If you want someone else to make all the work while you wait for us to

  implement it for you, that is not a very friendly attitude. We spend a

  considerable time already on maintaining and developing curl. In order to

  get more out of us, you should consider trading in some of your time and

  efforts in return.

  * If you write the code, chances are bigger that it will get into curl

    faster.

  If you write the code, chances are bigger that it will get into curl faster.

  1.5 Who makes curl?

  Our project name curl has been in effective use since 1998. We were not the

  first computer related project to use the name "curl" and do not claim any

  first-hand rights to the name.

  rights to the name.

  We recognize that we will be living in parallel with curl.com and wish them

  every success.

  Some workarounds usually suggested to overcome this Javascript dependency:

  - Depending on the Javascript complexity, write up a script that

    translates it to another language and execute that.

  Depending on the Javascript complexity, write up a script that translates it

  to another language and execute that.

  - Read the Javascript code and rewrite the same logic in another language.

  Read the Javascript code and rewrite the same logic in another language.

  - Implement a Javascript interpreter, people have successfully used the

  Implement a Javascript interpreter, people have successfully used the

  Mozilla Javascript engine in the past.

  - Ask your admins to stop this, for a static proxy setup or similar.

  Ask your admins to stop this, for a static proxy setup or similar.

  3.15 Can I do recursive fetches with curl?

  There are three different kinds of "certificates" to keep track of when we

  talk about using SSL-based protocols (HTTPS or FTPS) using curl or libcurl.

  - Client certificate. The server you communicate may require that you can

    provide this in order to prove that you actually are who you claim to be.

    If the server doesn't require this, you don't need a client certificate.

  CLIENT CERTIFICATE

  The server you communicate may require that you can provide this in order to

  prove that you actually are who you claim to be.  If the server doesn't

  require this, you don't need a client certificate.

  A client certificate is always used together with a private key, and the

  private key has a pass phrase that protects it.

  - Server certificate. The server you communicate with has a server

    certificate. You can and should verify this certificate to make sure that

    you are truly talking to the real server and not a server impersonating

    it.

  SERVER CERTIFICATE

  The server you communicate with has a server certificate. You can and should

  verify this certificate to make sure that you are truly talking to the real

  server and not a server impersonating it.

  CERTIFICATE AUTHORITY CERTIFICATE ("CA cert")

  - Certificate Authority certificate ("CA cert"). You often have several CA

    certs in a CA cert bundle that can be used to verify a server certificate

    that was signed by one of the authorities in the bundle. curl does not

    come with a CA cert bundle but most curl installs provide one. You can

    also override the default.

  You often have several CA certs in a CA cert bundle that can be used to

  verify a server certificate that was signed by one of the authorities in the

  bundle. curl does not come with a CA cert bundle but most curl installs

  provide one. You can also override the default.

  The server certificate verification process is made by using a Certificate

  Authority certificate ("CA cert") that was used to sign the server

  4.12 and the SSLCERTS document

  (http://curl.haxx.se/docs/sslcerts.html). Server certificates that are

  "self-signed" or otherwise signed by a CA that you do not have a CA cert

    for, cannot be verified. If the verification during a connect fails, you

    are refused access. You then need to explicitly disable the verification

    to connect to the server.

  for, cannot be verified. If the verification during a connect fails, you are

  refused access. You then need to explicitly disable the verification to

  connect to the server.

  3.17 How do I list the root dir of an FTP server?

     curl 'http://www.altavista.com/cgi-bin/query?text=yes&q=curl'

  In Windows, the standard DOS shell treats the %-symbol specially and you

  need to use TWO %-symbols for each single one you want to use in the URL.

  In Windows, the standard DOS shell treats the percent sign specially and you

  need to use TWO percent signs for each single one you want to use in the

  URL.

  Also note that if you want the literal %-symbol to be part of the data you

  pass in a POST using -d/--data you must encode it as '%25' (which then also

  needs the %-symbol doubled on Windows machines).

  If you want a literal percent sign to be part of the data you pass in a POST

  using -d/--data you must encode it as '%25' (which then also needs the

  percent sign doubled on Windows machines).

  4.3 How can I use {, }, [ or ] to specify multiple URLs?

  4.14 Redirects work in browser but not with curl!

  curl supports HTTP redirects fine (see item 3.8). Browsers generally support

  at least two other ways to perform directs that curl does not:

  at least two other ways to perform redirects that curl does not:

  - Meta tags. You can write a HTML tag that will cause the browser to

    redirect to another given URL after a certain time.

  Meta tags. You can write a HTML tag that will cause the browser to redirect

  to another given URL after a certain time.

  - Javascript. You can write a Javascript program embedded in a HTML page

    that redirects the browser to another given URL.

  Javascript. You can write a Javascript program embedded in a HTML page that

  redirects the browser to another given URL.

  There is no way to make curl follow these redirects. You must either

  manually figure out what the page is set to do, or you write a script that

  5.12 Can I make libcurl fake or hide my real IP address?

  No. libcurl operates on a higher level than so. Besides, faking IP address

  would imply sending IP packages with a made-up source address, and then you

  normally get a problem with intercepting the packages sent back as they

  would then not be routed to you!

  No. libcurl operates on a higher level. Besides, faking IP address would

  imply sending IP packet with a made-up source address, and then you normally

  get a problem with receiving the packet sent back as they would then not be

  routed to you!

  If you use a proxy to access remote sites, the sites will not see your local

  IP address but instead the address of the proxy.

  Also note that on many networks NATs or other IP-munging techniques are used

  that makes you see and use a different IP address locally than what the

  remote server will see you coming from.

  remote server will see you coming from. You may also consider using

  http://www.torproject.org .

  5.13 How do I stop an ongoing transfer?