How do I download a file using the command line?

I want to download a file from the Linux command line. Basically I'm using ssh and I'm trying to download a file to my file system on my laptop. How can I do that from the command line?

Solution 1:

wget and curl are commonly used for web URLs. For remote files, use scp for individual files and consider rsync for directories.

Solution 2:

If the file is publicly available, then:

wget http://example.com/file.tar

Solution 3:

I upvoted zengr's answer, but would like to mention (since your question is a bit vague) lynx or links web browsers as well, if you don't remember the full URL to the file to download.

scp with public key authentication is your friend if you copy between your own machines.