From a14ca7adf04c6d4225bf7f1ef740585c65bebb88 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Daniel Stenberg Date: Tue, 1 Aug 2023 09:01:10 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] cmdline: less on install, more on different builds Closes #303 --- cmdline.md | 25 +++++++------------------ 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 18 deletions(-) diff --git a/cmdline.md b/cmdline.md index 266cc6ddd..67108a145 100644 --- a/cmdline.md +++ b/cmdline.md @@ -1,30 +1,19 @@ # Command line basics curl started out as a command-line tool and it has been invoked from shell -prompts and from within scripts by thousands of users over the years. curl has -established itself as one of those trusty tools that is there for you to help -you get your work done. +prompts and from within scripts by countless users over the years. ## Binaries and different platforms -The command-line tool "curl" is a binary executable file. The curl project +The command-line tool `curl` is a *binary executable file*. The curl project does not by itself distribute or provide binaries. Binary files are highly system specific and oftentimes also bound to specific system versions. -To get a curl for your platform and your system, you need to get a curl -executable from somewhere. Many people build their own from the source code -provided by the curl project, lots of people install it using a package tool -for their operating system and yet another portion of users download binary -install packages from sources they trust. - -No matter how you do it, make sure you are getting your version from a trusted -source and that you verify digital signatures or the authenticity of the -packages in other ways. - -Also, remember that curl is often built to use third-party libraries to -perform and unless curl is built to use them statically you must also have -those third-party libraries installed; the exact set of libraries will -vary depending on the particular build you get. +Different curl versions, built by different people on different platforms +using different third party libraries with different built-time options make +the tool to offer different features in different places. In addition, curl is +continuously developed, so newer versions of the tool are likely to have more +and better features than the older ones. ## Command lines, quotes and aliases