curl

[#1]

C:\Users\user2>curl https://www.amazon.co.uk
Warning: Binary output can mess up your terminal. Use "--output -" to tell curl to output it to your terminal anyway,
Warning: or consider "--output <FILE>" to save to a file.

After using --output (with resultant unreadable output), the binary stuff displayed in a command line window rang my bell (after a delay of about 5-6 seconds). A ding-dong (which my mail client plays when new mail arrives). The mail client wasn't active at the time.

Trying curl with other websites over https doesn't result in the same.

Does anyone have any (technical) insight? 'Googling' amazon and curl just brings up hair curling utensils marketed on amazon.

[#2]

Moderator's note:
Thread moved from Everything Else to Tech Help

[#3]

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@grumble wrote:

[...]

Does anyone have any (technical) insight? 'Googling' amazon and curl just brings up hair curling utensils marketed on amazon.

---

From the curl man page:

DESCRIPTION
curl is a tool for transferring data from or to a server using URLs. It supports these protocols: DICT, FILE, FTP, FTPS, GOPHER, GOPHERS, HTTP, HTTPS, IMAP, IMAPS, LDAP, LDAPS, MQTT, POP3, POP3S, RTMP,
RTMPS, RTSP, SCP, SFTP, SMB, SMBS, SMTP, SMTPS, TELNET, TFTP, WS and WSS.

 You would need to specify which data you want to transfer

Something like

curl -O https://mirror.server.net/linuxmint/iso/debian/lmde-6-cinnamon-64bit.iso

would download (transfer) that iso image.

Alternatively, I may be misunderstanding what you are asking.

[#4]

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@TheRoadCrew wrote:

Alternatively, I may be misunderstanding what you are asking.

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Actually, running

$ curl https://www.amazon.co.uk > amazon.txt

saves the output for me. Forum software won't let me attach the txt file 'cos it contains html.

[#5]

OK

running

curl https://www.amazon.co.uk > amazon.txt

Screenshot of the first page of the resultant amazon.txt

[#6 · Accepted solution]

I don't see any binary at all:

Odd that only Amazon behaves this way for you; don't know if why do i get binary output using curl? is relevant in this case.

[#7]

It was the '--compressed' option that was the solution. Thanks.

Although I am unsure why I need to specify that when you don't. One answer often leads to more questions.

[#8]

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@grumble wrote:

[...]

Although I am unsure why I need to specify that when you don't.

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If you are using curl shipped by Microsoft perhaps it has something to do with the curl alias (if it still exists).

[#9]

Could this be the difference between running in Poweshell vs a CMD prompt?

[#10]

Dunno, but I'll give it a test later. (This will only be under Win10. Whether there's a difference under Win11 I may never find out).

I'll go back and give Roadcrew a 'fix'. In the dim and distant past I've come across gflate(?) in HTTP and that had been relegated to the back of my brain into the 'use it or lose it' category.

[#11]

It appears that a momentary warning(?) flashes up (in yellow, before disappearing) in Powershell (both as a 'normal' user and as an admin), then it appears that powershell automagically tries the --compressed option.