An ode to curl
curl
is an open-source tool and library for transferring data with URLs.
First released in 1998, curl
is not that old by UNIX standards, but still... how many programs have a shelf-life that can be measured in decades, rather than sprints? Not that many.
curl
runs everywhere. It is as close to ubiquitous as software can be. If you’ve used a device that connects to the internet anytime in the last two decades, chances are you’ve unknowingly been using curl
. It is bundled inside of “thousands of software applications in over ten billion installations”. Oh, and it recently went to Mars.
And, if you’re a software engineer, you’ve probably used it directly from the command line to download a file or to test out a new API.
Here are a few cool things you probably didn’t know you can do with curl
...
wttr.in:
Run curl wttr.in/SanFrancisco
to check the weather without leaving the command line.
ipinfo.io:
Run curl ipinfo.io
to check information about your IP address.
cheat.sh:
Run curl cheat.sh/git
to look up CLI tools and receive user-friendly instructions on how to use them
qrenco.de:
Encode arbitrary URLs as a QR code. For example, run curl qrenco.de/fig.io
parrot.live:
To see a dancing party parrot animation in your terminal, run curl parrot.live
ascii.live:
For infinite nyan cat animation, run curl ascii.live/nyan
.
rate.sx:
Crypto prices without leaving the terminal by running curl rate.sx
dict.org:
To look up definitions for a word, run curl 'dict.org/d:word'
PS. If you like doing cool stuff in the terminal, you should try Fig! 😊
Thanks to Daniel Stenberg for building and maintaining curl
and to all of creators of these curl
-exclusive websites.