Varia is a new, open-source download manager for Linux based on Aria2, a powerful command-line download utility.
The application’s user interface is built using GTK 4 and libadwaita, meaning Varia looks perfectly in-keeping with other modern GTK apps run on Linux:
Of course, these days we all (apparently) live in a world of blazing fast internet connections where giant files download in seconds through a web browser. And other things we once needed to download are now streamed or otherwise accessed on-demand.
Which begs the question: do desktop download managers still have a role to play?
I think so.
Benefits of download managers:
- Faster download speeds
- Resumable downloads
- Batch downloading
- Download scheduling
- Bandwidth controls
If you need to download a large file over an unreliable or intermittent internet connection (like a mobile tether which is prone to drop outs) a download manager is able to resume downloads if they’re interrupted (or you choose to pause them).
This means you don’t lose whatever percentage of the file that has already downloaded, which saves time and bandwidth (and may help keep your cortisol levels nice and low if you’re impatient 😉).
I tested this by downloading the Ubuntu 23.10 Raspberry Pi 5 ISO. I intentionally turned my laptop off midway through the transfer. Sure enough, when I opened Varia after logging back in the app picked up where it left off and completed the download.
Most web browsers have decent download management features built-in. Even so, I don’t find them as reliable or as fast as dedicated tools. The Aria2 backend used by Varia (hence the name) is fine-tuned for file downloading.
Varia Download Manager Features
Although a relatively new app the Varia feature set is growing fast. At the time of writing it supports:
- Adding URLs to download
- Download up to 5 files at the same time
- Pause or cancel active downloads (individually or all)
- Resume incomplete downloads on launch
- Total download speed shown in header bar
- Set maximum download speed
- Pick a download destination
- Specify username/password for auth’d downloads
In summary, if you want a modern-looking dedicated download manager to use in Ubuntu, be it to speed up or improve the reliability of downloading large files, I recommend giving Varia a try.
• Get Varia on Flathub