@end iftex
@c This should really be auto-generated!
-@set VERSION 1.8-pre2
+@set VERSION 1.8
@set UPDATED December 2001
@dircategory Net Utilities
@cindex loading cookies
@cindex cookies, loading
@item --load-cookies @var{file}
-Load cookies from @var{file} before the first HTTP retrieval. The
-format of @var{file} is one used by Netscape and Mozilla, at least their
-Unix version.
+Load cookies from @var{file} before the first HTTP retrieval.
+@var{file} is a textual file in the format originally used by Netscape's
+@file{cookies.txt} file.
+
+You will typically use this option when mirroring sites that require
+that you be logged in to access some or all of their content. The login
+process typically works by the web server issuing an @sc{http} cookie
+upon receiving and verifying your credentials. The cookie is then
+resent by the browser when accessing that part of the site, and so
+proves your identity.
+
+Mirroring such a site requires Wget to send the same cookies your
+browser sends when communicating with the site. This is achieved by
+@samp{--load-cookies}---simply point Wget to the location of the
+@file{cookies.txt} file, and it will send the same cookies your browser
+would send in the same situation. Different browsers keep textual
+cookie files in different locations:
+
+@table @asis
+@item Netscape 4.x.
+The cookies are in @file{~/.netscape/cookies.txt}.
+
+@item Mozilla and Netscape 6.x.
+Mozilla's cookie file is also named @file{cookies.txt}, located
+somewhere under @file{~/.mozilla}, in the directory of your profile.
+The full path usually ends up looking somewhat like
+@file{~/.mozilla/default/@var{some-weird-string}/cookies.txt}.
+
+@item Internet Explorer.
+You can produce a cookie file Wget can use by using the File menu,
+Import and Export, Export Cookies. This has been tested with Internet
+Explorer 5; it is not guaranteed to work with earlier versions.
+
+@item Other browsers.
+If you are using a different browser to create your cookies,
+@samp{--load-cookies} will only work if you can locate or produce a
+cookie file in the Netscape format that Wget expects.
+@end table
+
+If you cannot use @samp{--load-cookies}, there might still be an
+alternative. If your browser supports a ``cookie manager'', you can use
+it to view the cookies used when accessing the site you're mirroring.
+Write down the name and value of the cookie, and manually instruct Wget
+to send those cookies, bypassing the ``official'' cookie support:
+
+@example
+wget --cookies=off --header "Cookie: @var{name}=@var{value}"
+@end example
@cindex saving cookies
@cindex cookies, saving
@item
You want to download all the @sc{gif}s from a directory on an @sc{http}
-server. @samp{wget http://www.server.com/dir/*.gif} doesn't work
-because @sc{http} retrieval does not support globbing. In that case,
-use:
+server. You tried @samp{wget http://www.server.com/dir/*.gif}, but that
+didn't work because @sc{http} retrieval does not support globbing. In
+that case, use:
@example
wget -r -l1 --no-parent -A.gif http://www.server.com/dir/
wget -m -k -K -E http://www.gnu.org/ -o /home/me/weeklog
@end example
@end itemize
-
@c man end
@node Various, Appendices, Examples, Top
Until version 1.8, Wget supported the first version of the standard,
written by Martijn Koster in 1994 and available at
-@url{http://info.webcrawler.com/mak/projects/robots/norobots.html}. As
-of version 1.8, Wget has supported the additional directives specified
-in the internet draft @samp{<draft-koster-robots-00.txt>} titled ``A
-Method for Web Robots Control''. The draft, which has as far as I know
-never made to an @sc{rfc}, is available at
-@url{http://info.webcrawler.com/mak/projects/robots/norobots-rfc.html}.
+@url{http://www.robotstxt.org/wc/norobots.html}. As of version 1.8,
+Wget has supported the additional directives specified in the internet
+draft @samp{<draft-koster-robots-00.txt>} titled ``A Method for Web
+Robots Control''. The draft, which has as far as I know never made to
+an @sc{rfc}, is available at
+@url{http://www.robotstxt.org/wc/norobots-rfc.txt}.
This manual no longer includes the text of the Robot Exclusion Standard.
@end example
This is explained in some detail at
-@url{http://info.webcrawler.com/mak/projects/robots/meta-user.html}.
-Wget supports this method of robot exclusion in addition to the usual
-@file{/robots.txt} exclusion.
+@url{http://www.robotstxt.org/wc/meta-user.html}. Wget supports this
+method of robot exclusion in addition to the usual @file{/robots.txt}
+exclusion.
@node Security Considerations, Contributors, Robots, Appendices
@section Security Considerations
projects / wget / blobdiff