Calling Mac users - manual download?

[TheStoat]

OK, driving me nuts, almost certainly a simple solution, looking forward to being humiliated by the deluge of obvious answers

In Safari a link on a web page can be right-clicked and you get the option Download File. Select this and the video file goes into the Downloads window. You wait a bit and the file is downloaded to the destination set in Safari's preferences. Fine and dandy. But... what if someone gives you a link that isn't in a web page? You type the link in to the address bar and Safari doesn't add the file to the Downloads window. Instead it opens the file in that Safari window. I want to add that file to the Downloads window and have the file downloaded instead of having a massive Quicktime icon appear in my Safari window. I can't seem to trigger the mechanism that adds the file to the Downloads window instead of streaming the file directly into Safari. Driving me nuts. All I want to do is download a video. Someone has given me a link http://www.blah.com/blah/blah.avi and I can't download it to my desktop Help me before I give in to the urge to stab my Macbook!

Any solutions gratefully received,

Andy

[nightfever]

Not sure I understand - can you right-click and 'download linked file'?

[PJR]

Once the file (video?) has opened in the browser window, do you see a triangle on the bottom right corner of the video? If so, click that and you should see some options to save it.

P,

[CommanderJameson]

Left-field suggestion:

Open Terminal and cd to wherever you want the file to go, and then do:

 curl -O <insert URL here> 

Ta-da! File downloaded.

ETA: That's O for Oscar, not a zero.

Edited by CommanderJameson on Sunday 9th December 09:00

[robbieduncan]

You can copy and paste into the downloads window. It's a little known ability. Just copy the link, bring the downloads window to the front and hit command-p. It'll start downloading

[TheStoat]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, in order of posting:

Nope, can't right-click

Nope, no triangle thingy sadly

If I use a terminal and that command it seems to cough because the URL has parentheses in it. I get past this by using quotes around the URL

Command-P - assuming this is the Apple/Squiggle key I get a little electronic wibble sound if I try to paste into the Downloads window (same sound as if you click where you shouldn't)


So, the winner is CommanderJameson this time Well I'm a winner too because my file is now downloading! In any case huge thanks to everyone who took the time to mull this over and reply, I'm back on track now thanks to you guys,

Andy




Edited for ham-fisted keyboard mashing...

Edited by TheStoat on Sunday 9th December 11:10

[CommanderJameson]

robbieduncan said:

You can copy and paste into the downloads window. It's a little known ability. Just copy the link, bring the downloads window to the front and hit command-p. It'll start downloading

Do you mean Command-V?

[robbieduncan]

CommanderJameson said:

robbieduncan said:

You can copy and paste into the downloads window. It's a little known ability. Just copy the link, bring the downloads window to the front and hit command-p. It'll start downloading

Do you mean Command-V?

Erm, yes. I was typing on a Mac, but remotely connected to a Windows machine so still half-thinking in Windows. You want to paste, not print. :hangs head in shame:

[Hooli]

robbieduncan said:

CommanderJameson said:

robbieduncan said:

You can copy and paste into the downloads window. It's a little known ability. Just copy the link, bring the downloads window to the front and hit command-p. It'll start downloading

Do you mean Command-V?

Erm, yes. I was typing on a Mac, but remotely connected to a Windows machine so still half-thinking in Windows. You want to paste, not print. :hangs head in shame:

thats no excuse, its crtl-v to paste in windows anyway

[PJ S]

Easiest solution, open download window (Option Command L) and drag link on to it.
Job done.
Although, when you right click (control click with single mouse), you should have a "download linked file" and "download linked file as.." in the context menu - unless the link was sent to you in Mail, in which case drag and drop is the solution.

Edited by PJ S on Sunday 9th December 13:41