A significant update to the Varia download manager was released over the weekend, touted by its developers as the "biggest since the first release." Although the necessity of dedicated download managers has diminished with faster internet speeds and the rise of streaming services, they still play an important role due to features like resuming interrupted downloads and the ability to schedule downloads for off-peak times.
The latest version of Varia introduces integration with yt-dlp, enabling users to download audio and video from various supported sites, including YouTube and TikTok, in multiple quality and format options. This positions Varia as the first graphical interface application to incorporate these capabilities, complementing existing tools like Parabolic and Hypnotix.
Additionally, torrent downloading capabilities have been enhanced. While Varia previously supported BitTorrent downloads, new features have introduced settings for seed ratios, custom download locations, and the ability to drag .torrent files into the application.
Other updates include:
- An adaptive layout for smaller window sizes and mobile device compatibility
- Improved performance in handling downloads
- A fix ensuring paused downloads remain paused after relaunch
Overall, Varia now boasts a range of helpful features, including:
- GTK4/libadwaita UI
- Ability to pause and resume downloads even between reboots
- Downloading online media from sites supported by yt-dlp
- Support for downloading from protected websites
- Simultaneous and batch downloading options
- Bandwidth control and scheduling
- Browser extensions for Firefox and Chrome to redirect downloads to Varia
- Remote control for an aria2 instance
Varia is free and open-source for Linux and Windows, utilizing Python and GTK4/libadwaita for its interface and Aria2 for downloads. Users can find the source code on GitHub and the latest stable release is available for Arch Linux through AUR, while other distributions can install the Flatpak version from Flathub.