Installing Aria2 and AriaNg on Linux for Web-Based Download Management

Aria2 is a lightweight and highly versatile download utility that supports multiple protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SFTP, and BitTorrent. By integrating it with AriaNg, a modern web-based interface, you can easily manage downloads from a browser. This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough for installing and configuring Aria2 and AriaNg on a Linux system.

---

Part 1: Installing Aria2

Aria2 can be installed quickly using a community-provided script. Follow the steps below:

1. Download the Installation Script

To simplify the installation process, download the automated script:

wget -N git.io/aria2.sh && chmod +x aria2.sh

2. Run the Installation Script

Execute the script to install Aria2:

./aria2.sh

The script will automatically configure Aria2, including setting up a download directory, configuration file, and an RPC key.

3. Managing Aria2 Service

Once installed, you can manage the Aria2 service using the following commands:

• Start the service: /etc/init.d/aria2 start or service aria2 start
• Stop the service: /etc/init.d/aria2 stop or service aria2 stop
• Restart the service: /etc/init.d/aria2 restart or service aria2 restart
• Check the service status: /etc/init.d/aria2 status or service aria2 status

4. Key Configuration Details

After installation, note the following important configurations:

• Configuration file location: /root/.aria2c/aria2.conf This file contains settings for Aria2, including optional parameters. If your system locale doesn’t support Chinese, some comments in the file might display incorrectly.
• Default download directory: /root/downloads You can change this directory in the aria2.conf file.
• RPC key: The script generates a random RPC key during installation. This key ensures that only authorized clients can access Aria2. The key is stored in the aria2.conf file.

---

Part 2: Installing and Configuring AriaNg

AriaNg is a web-based frontend for Aria2, providing an intuitive interface for managing downloads. Below are the steps to set it up:

1. Download AriaNg

To download and set up AriaNg, follow these steps:

1. Create a directory for AriaNg: mkdir -p /var/www/ariang cd /var/www/ariang
2. Download the latest AriaNg release (e.g., version 1.3.8): wget https://github.com/mayswind/AriaNg/releases/download/1.3.8/AriaNg-1.3.8.zip
3. Extract the archive: unzip AriaNg-1.3.8.zip After extraction, all files will be located in /var/www/ariang.

2. Configure a Web Server

You can use a web server like Nginx or Apache to serve AriaNg. Here’s how to set it up with Nginx:

1. Install Nginx (if not already installed): sudo apt update sudo apt install nginx -y
2. Configure a virtual host for AriaNg: Open a configuration file (e.g., /etc/nginx/sites-available/ariang) and edit it: sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/ariang Add the following: server { listen 80; server_name your_domain_or_ip; root /var/www/ariang; index index.html; location / { try_files $uri $uri/ =404; } }
3. Enable the site and restart Nginx: sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/ariang /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/ sudo systemctl restart nginx Now, you can access AriaNg through your browser by visiting http://your_domain_or_ip.

3. Configure RPC

To connect AriaNg with Aria2:

1. Open AriaNg in your browser (e.g., http://your_domain_or_ip).
2. Click the settings icon in the upper right corner and select “RPC.”
3. Enter the following details:
   • Aria2 RPC Address: Use the Aria2 service address, such as http://127.0.0.1:6800/jsonrpc.
   • RPC Key: Provide the RPC key from the Aria2 configuration.
   • Test Connection: Click the test button to ensure a successful connection.

Once configured, you can manage downloads via the AriaNg interface.

---

Common Issues and Solutions

Q1: How can I edit the Aria2 configuration file?

A1: Use a text editor to modify the configuration file located at /root/.aria2c/aria2.conf. For example:

nano /root/.aria2c/aria2.conf

After editing, restart the Aria2 service to apply changes.

---

Q2: How do I limit download speeds?

A2: Add the following settings to aria2.conf:

# Global maximum download speed (bytes per second)
max-overall-download-limit=1M
# Per-task download speed limit
max-download-limit=512K

Restart the service for the changes to take effect.

---

Q3: AriaNg cannot connect to Aria2. What should I do?

A3: Check the following:

• Ensure the Aria2 service is running and listening on the correct port (default is 6800).
• Verify the RPC key in the AriaNg configuration matches the one in aria2.conf.
• Check your firewall settings to ensure the port is open.

---

Q4: How can I add additional BitTorrent trackers to improve speed?

A4: Update the bt-tracker parameter in aria2.conf:

bt-tracker=tracker1,tracker2,tracker3

Search online for updated tracker lists to include the latest options.

---

Q5: The AriaNg interface shows garbled text. How can I fix this?

A5: Ensure your browser and server are configured to use UTF-8 encoding. If the issue persists, verify that the AriaNg files were downloaded and extracted correctly.

---

Conclusion and Recommendation

By following this guide, you’ve successfully installed and configured Aria2 and AriaNg for efficient web-based download management. This combination offers a powerful and user-friendly solution for handling downloads on Linux.

For a more advanced and feature-rich cloud-based download management solution, we recommend SurferCloud. It provides high-speed servers, cloud storage, and enhanced tools for managing your downloads seamlessly.