aria2 is a lightweight multi-protocol & multi-source command-line download utility. It supports HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, SFTP, BitTorrent and Metalink. aria2 can be manipulated via built-in JSON-RPC and XML-RPC interfaces.
aria2 can be run as a Windows service using FireDaemon Pro. This allows you to start and run the application automatically when Windows boots and before login. FireDaemon Pro also allows you to start multiple instances of the application, monitoring them and automatically restarting those instances in the event they crash. FireDaemon Fusion can also be used to manage your aria2 service, plus other Windows services via your web browser.
aria2 Setup Under FireDaemon Pro
Please follow the steps below to set up an aria2 as a Windows service with FireDaemon Pro
Step 1: Download and Install aria2
- Download from here. Make sure you get the latest windows64 zip release.
- Extract the zip someplace on your hard drive. For the purposes of this guide we will use: "C:\aria2-1.35.0-win-64bit-build1". The folder name will be different if you're using a different version.
Step 2: Set Up aria2 as a FireDaemon Pro Service
Download and install FireDaemon Pro. Double click the FireDaemon Pro icon on your desktop, then click on the New (i.e. +) button in the toolbar (or type Ctrl + N) to create a new service. Enter the information into the fields as you see below. Adjust the path names to suit your installation. Note the required parameters.
The most important field on the tab is the Parameters. The Parameters define the initial setup of the application. The full parameter list should be as follows:
http://ipv4.download.thinkbroadband.com/1GB.zip
- "http://ipv4.download.thinkbroadband.com/1GB.zip" Downloads a file from the specified server address. File is downloaded by default to your aria2 directory.
More parameters can be found here.
Next, click on the FireDaemon Pro Settings tab:
Enter appropriate values in the fields on the Settings tab as follows:
- (Optional) Logon Account: Enter the Windows account under which the application is to be run, e.g. the current administrator account.
- Password / Confirm Password: Enter the logon account's password twice.
- (Optional) Interact with Desktop: If this setting is enabled (default), the application's output messages can be seen in the console window on Windows Session 0. To switch to Session 0, it may be necessary to install FireDaemon Zero and ZeroInput. Alternatively, this setting may be disabled, in which case the application's messages will be hidden.
- (Optional) Priority: To allocate more CPU time to the application, select a higher scheduling priority in this field.
- (Optional) CPU Bindings: To run the application on a specific CPU, specify the appropriate CPU in this field.
Next, click on the Lifecycle tab. Set Shutdown By to Forceful Termination and check "Console Program".
Lastly, click the Save and Close (ie. the tick) button on the toolbar. If the service's Startup Type is set to Automatic or Automatic (Delayed-Start), it will start immediately.
If the service's Interact with Desktop setting is enabled, the aria2 status can also be verified by switching to Windows Session 0 to view the aria2's messages.
