Varia is a new, open-source download manager for Linux based on Aria2, a powerful command-line download utility.
As the user interface is built with GTK 4 and libadwaita, Varia looks perfectly in-keeping with other modern GTK apps Ubuntu offers:
Image of Varia’s first release running in Fedora 39
Of course, it’s 2023 and we all (apparently) live in a world of blazing fast internet connections, where giant files download in seconds, and everything else gets streamed or accessed on-demand.
Are standalone desktop download managers still of value?
In circumstances where you are required to download a large file over an unstable internet connection, or if your system crashes midway through the transfer, most download managers enable the resumption of interrupted downloads. Such a capacity not only conserves time and data but also assists in maintaining stress levels.
In anticipation of the delivery of my Raspberry Pi 5, I utilized Varia to download Ubuntu 23.10 and deliberately shut down my laptop in the middle of the process. When I restarted and launched Varia, the interrupted download resumed from the point it was halted and successfully completed.
Though it is worth acknowledging that most internet browsers have now incorporated adequate download management functions, I have found them lacking in the reliability department when compared to dedicated tools. Varia’s proficiency stems from the Aria2 backend it operates on, custom-designed for tasks of this nature.
Varia Download Manager is *Super* New
However, because Varia is a brand new app (it only put out its first release this week) the feature set is a little sparse:
- Add 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
But for a first release, the basics are covered.
I don’t believe integrating advanced functionalities from Linux download managers like uGet is necessary, but a few of the more generally useful ones would be beneficial, such as establishing a download speed limit and providing the ability to prioritize downloads or reorder the download queue.
Regardless, if you have been longing for a sleek, focused download manager to use on Ubuntu, then definitely give Varia a whirl.
• Obtain Varia on Flathub