How to Install Curl on Ubuntu 26.04

cURL is a command-line tool used to transfer data between servers using protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and SFTP. It is commonly used for API requests, downloading files, testing endpoints, and server troubleshooting.

Most developers install cURL immediately after deploying a Linux VPS server because many applications, scripts, and package managers depend on it.

Step 1: Connect to the Ubuntu Server

Access the server using SSH:

ssh root@your_server_ip

Step 2: Update Package Information

Refresh the Ubuntu package index:

apt update

Keeping package lists updated helps install the latest available version of cURL.

Step 3: Install cURL on Ubuntu 26.04

Install the cURL package:

apt install curl -y

Ubuntu will automatically download and install all required dependencies.

Step 4: Verify the Installation

Check the installed cURL version:

curl --version

Example output:

curl 8.x.x (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu)

This confirms that cURL is installed successfully.

Step 5: Test cURL with a Website Request

Send a basic HTTP request:

curl https://example.com

To display only the response headers:

curl -I https://example.com

These commands are commonly used for testing web servers and APIs.

Step 6: Download Files Using cURL

Download a file directly from a URL:

curl -O https://example.com/file.zip

Save the file with a custom name:

curl -o backup.zip https://example.com/file.zip

Step 7: Use cURL with APIs

Send a request to a public API:

curl https://api.github.com

cURL is widely used for testing REST APIs and automation scripts on Linux servers.

Many administrators also install Wget on Linux alongside cURL for additional file downloading and automation capabilities.

Step 8: Remove cURL from Ubuntu

If cURL is no longer needed, remove it using:

apt remove curl -y

Installing cURL on Ubuntu 26.04 provides a powerful command-line utility for downloading files, testing network services, and interacting with APIs directly from the terminal.