https://github.com/devmatteini/dra
A command line tool to download release assets from GitHub
https://github.com/devmatteini/dra
automation cli command-line github-releases release-assets releases rust rust-lang tool
Last synced: 2 months ago
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A command line tool to download release assets from GitHub
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/devmatteini/dra
- Owner: devmatteini
- License: mit
- Created: 2021-12-04T00:56:57.000Z (almost 4 years ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2025-07-19T14:59:11.000Z (3 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-07-27T00:50:44.860Z (2 months ago)
- Topics: automation, cli, command-line, github-releases, release-assets, releases, rust, rust-lang, tool
- Language: Rust
- Homepage:
- Size: 2.66 MB
- Stars: 267
- Watchers: 3
- Forks: 13
- Open Issues: 6
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- Contributing: CONTRIBUTING.md
- License: LICENSE
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README
# DRA - Download Release Assets from GitHub
[](https://github.com/devmatteini/dra/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
A command line tool to download release assets from GitHub.
[Why should I use dra?](#why-should-i-use-dra) •
[Installation](#installation) •
[Usage](#usage) •
[Contributing](#contributing) •
[License](#license)
## Why should I use dra?
You can do everything `dra` does with the official [GitHub cli](https://cli.github.com/).
`dra` helps you download release assets more easily:
- No authentication for public repository (you cannot use `gh` without authentication)
- [Built-in generation of pattern](#non-interactive-download) to select an asset to download
(with `gh` you need to provide [glob pattern](https://cli.github.com/manual/gh_release_download) that you need to
create manually).
- [Automatically select and download](#automatic) an asset based on your operating system and architecture
## Installation
`dra` is available on Linux (x86_64, armv6, arm64), macOS (x86_64, arm64) and Windows.
### Prebuilt binaries
Download the prebuilt versions of `dra` for all supported platforms from
the [latest release](https://github.com/devmatteini/dra/releases/latest).
You can use this `bash` script to automatically download the latest release across all supported platforms.
Replace `` with the path where you want to place dra (e.g `~/.local/bin`).
If you omit `--to` option, the default value is the current working directory.
```shell
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://raw.githubusercontent.com/devmatteini/dra/refs/heads/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --to
```
### Debian-based distributions
Download the latest `.deb` package from the [release page](https://github.com/devmatteini/dra/releases/latest) and
install it via:
```shell
sudo dpkg -i dra_x.y.z_amd64.deb # adapt version number
```
### Arch Linux
`dra` can be installed from the [community repository](https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/x86_64/dra/):
```shell
pacman -S dra
```
### macOS/Linux with Homebrew
`dra` can be installed from [Homebrew](https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/dra#default):
```shell
brew install dra
```
### From source
```shell
git clone https://github.com/devmatteini/dra && cd dra
make release
./target/release/dra --version
```
### Update dra
The method to update `dra` depends on how you initially installed it.
**If you used a package manager** (e.g [Homebrew](#macoslinux-with-homebrew) or [pacman](#arch-linux)), use the
corresponding package manager commands to update `dra`.
**If you downloaded a prebuilt binary** from GitHub Releases, you have two options:
#### Option 1: Use dra to update itself
- Linux (_Note that you can't replace a binary while it's executing_)
```shell
dra download -a -i -o dra-new devmatteini/dra && mv dra-new /path/to/dra
```
- macOS
```shell
dra download -a -i -o /path/to/dra devmatteini/dra
```
- Windows (_Note that you can't replace a binary while it's executing_)
```shell
dra download -a -i -o dra-new.exe devmatteini/dra && mv dra-new.exe /path/to/dra.exe
```
#### Option 2: Use the automated bash script
Follow the installation instructions on how to use the [automated bash script](#prebuilt-binaries)
## Usage
- [Download assets with interactive mode](#interactive-download)
- [Download assets with non-interactive mode](#non-interactive-download)
- [Download options](#download-options)
- [Install assets](#install-assets)
- [Authentication](#authentication)
- [Shell completion](#shell-completion)
- [Examples](#examples)
### Interactive download
Manually select and download an asset from a repository
```shell
dra download devmatteini/dra-tests
```
### Non-Interactive download
This mode is useful to be used in automated scripts.
There are two modes to download assets: [automatic](#automatic) and [selection](#selection).
#### Automatic
Automatically select and download an asset based on your operating system and architecture
```shell
# you can use -a or --automatic
dra download -a devmatteini/dra-tests
```
> [!IMPORTANT]
> Since there is no naming convention for release assets,
> be aware that this mode may fail if no asset matches your system based on `dra` rules for recognizing an asset.
#### Selection
First, you need to generate an untagged asset name:
```shell
dra untag devmatteini/dra-tests
# output: helloworld_{tag}.tar.gz
```
Copy the output and run:
```shell
# use this command in your scripts
dra download --select "helloworld_{tag}.tar.gz" devmatteini/dra-tests
```
### Download options
All `dra-download` options works with both interactive and non-interactive modes.
Select and download an asset to custom path
```shell
dra download --output /tmp/dra-example devmatteini/dra-tests
# or save to custom directory path
dra download --output ~/Downloads devmatteini/dra-tests
```
Select and download an asset from a specific release
```shell
dra download --tag 0.1.1 devmatteini/dra-tests
```
Select and download source code archives
```shell
dra download devmatteini/dra-tests
Release tag is 0.1.5
? Pick the asset to download ›
helloworld_0.1.5.tar.gz
❯ Source code (tar.gz)
Source code (zip)
```
### Install assets
Download and install an asset (on both interactive and non-interactive modes)
```shell
dra download --install devmatteini/dra-tests
```
Supported assets that can be installed are:
- Debian packages (requires elevated privileges)
- Tar archives with executable(s)
- Zip files with executable(s)
- 7-Zip files with executable(s) (requires `7z` cli to be installed and in your `PATH`)
- Compressed executable files
- Executable files
- AppImage files
You can use `-I/--install-file ` option when a tar/zip archive contains many executables or
when `dra` can't automatically detect which one to install:
```shell
dra download -s helloworld-many-executables-unix.tar.gz -I helloworld-v2 devmatteini/dra-tests
```
You can also specify this option multiple times to install multiples executables
```shell
dra download -s helloworld-many-executables-unix.tar.gz -I helloworld-v2 -I random-script devmatteini/dra-tests
```
### Authentication
In order to download assets from private repositories and avoid rate limit
issues ([60 requests per hour](https://docs.github.com/en/rest/using-the-rest-api/rate-limits-for-the-rest-api?apiVersion=2022-11-28#primary-rate-limit-for-unauthenticated-users)
is the default for unauthenticated users), `dra` must make authenticated requests to GitHub.
You can create
a [personal access token](https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/keeping-your-account-and-data-secure/managing-your-personal-access-tokens)
and then export one of the following environment variables:
1. `DRA_GITHUB_TOKEN`
2. `GITHUB_TOKEN`
3. `GH_TOKEN`
If none of the above environment variables are set,
the [GitHub cli token](https://cli.github.com/manual/gh_auth_token) (if available) will be used as default value.
You need to install [GitHub cli](https://cli.github.com/) and then run `gh auth login`.
#### Disable authentication
If you would like to disable GitHub authentication, you can export the environment variable
`DRA_DISABLE_GITHUB_AUTHENTICATION=true`
### Shell completion
Generate shell completion
```shell
dra completion bash > dra-completion
source dra-completion
```
See all supported shell with `dra completion -h`
### Examples
Install an executable from a tar archive
```shell
dra download -s helloworld.tar.gz -i devmatteini/dra-tests
./helloworld
```
Install and move the executable to a custom directory
```shell
dra download -a -i -o ~/.local/bin/ devmatteini/dra-tests
~/.local/bin/helloworld
```
Install an executable file
```shell
dra download -s helloworld-unix -i devmatteini/dra-tests
./helloworld-unix
```
Install an executable from a compressed file
```shell
dra download -s helloworld-compressed-unix.bz2 -i devmatteini/dra-tests
./helloworld-compressed-unix
```
Install and rename the executable (useful when downloading an executable or compressed file)
```shell
dra download -s helloworld-unix -i -o helloworld devmatteini/dra-tests
./helloworld
```
Install a specific executable when many are available
```shell
dra download -s helloworld-many-executables-unix.tar.gz -I helloworld-v2 devmatteini/dra-tests
./helloworld-v2
```
Install multiple executables from a tar/zip archive
```shell
dra download -s helloworld-many-executables-unix.tar.gz -I helloworld-v2 -I random-script devmatteini/dra-tests
./helloworld-v2
./random-script
```
---
For more information on args/flags/options/commands run:
```shell
dra --help
dra --help
```
## Contributing
Take a look at the [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) guidelines.
### Found a Bug?
If you find a bug in the source code, you can help us
by [submitting an issue](https://github.com/devmatteini/dra/issues/new) to our GitHub Repository. Even
better, you can submit a Pull Request with a fix.
### Missing a Feature?
You can request a new feature
by [submitting a discussion](https://github.com/devmatteini/dra/discussions/new/choose) to
our GitHub Repository.
If you would like to implement a new feature, please consider the size of the change and reach out to
better coordinate our efforts and prevent duplication of work.
## License
`dra` is made available under the terms of the MIT License.
See the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for license details.