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General discussionDownloading multiple offline backup files?(33 posts)(33 posts)
(33 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted October 17, 2022
Firefox has addons of FreeDownloadManager, combined with DownloadThemAll you can quickly queue up as many files/links as necessary...
Posted October 17, 2022
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DaveC1964: No I don't use GOG Galaxy and don't want to install more junk on my computer nor do I want to install the game. I just want to save the backup files. Is there an easy way to do this? Am I just missing something?
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timppu: I guess that is what Galaxy is (also) for.

If you insist that you don't want to use any download manager or other utility (Galaxy, gogrepoc.py or what have you), then I guess you just have to deal with it and keep clicking.

I am not sure what other options there could possibly be. Sure GOG could have e.g. lumped Cyberpunk 2077 into one 112GB zip or exe file, but then many people would have complained how they can't download it because their download fails at some point and would have to restart the whole download from the beginning, or they can't download it in one swoop because of their ISP's monthly datacaps etc.

Or what is your proposed solution to that problem, that doesn't mean installing any additional browser download managers or using external utilities at all?

I personally use gogrepoc.py to mass-download my GOG games, but I might occasionally download a game also with a web browser just before installing it, if I am not fully sure I have the latest version already downloaded.
That's always been my thinking as well, when I had a much worse ISP and would come across files that were only offered in huge chunks I knew I was in for a long process of starting and restarting and praying. There are downsides to either approach depending on what the consumer wants I suppose.
Posted October 17, 2022
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rtcvb32: Firefox has addons of FreeDownloadManager, combined with DownloadThemAll you can quickly queue up as many files/links as necessary...
I used that in the past as well, works quite well.


If we sum up all the solutions / suggestions, then it always comes down to the client software supporting it.
We have Galaxy, we have (had) the GOG downloader, gogrepo, simple mass downloader, lgogdownloader, ...

Gog simply can not make a "download all" button without any software on the endpoint supporting multiple downloads. The website can not have such a button, since there is no standard for it (as far as I am aware. Does html 5 support a link to download multiple files?)
Posted October 18, 2022
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Mori_Yuki: GOG seems to be working hard lately to improve the website and customer experience, so maybe someday soon we will finally receive this often wished for feature
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neumi5694: We had that feature once, before they scrapped the GOG downloader. The website offered a link to download all files at once using that tool. It was small, easy to use, elegant. And it's gone.
The new way is to download offline installers through Galaxy or the very popular gogrepo, but that one requires basic skills when it comes to command lines or batch/bash files.
Yes, the downloader, it did its job without bells or whistles. It's no surprise GOG shut it down, not maintaining a piece of software for 6 years, security concerns or simply because other more important tasks to work on. It's no news that some prefer using the website over a client in spite of being an inconvenient process.

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neumi5694: Gog simply can not make a "download all" button without any software on the endpoint supporting multiple downloads. The website can not have such a button, since there is no standard for it (as far as I am aware. Does html 5 support a link to download multiple files?)
It is possible and not necessarily very complicated. There is the <a> download attribute which can be used to implement this functionality and should work across all of the major browsers to achieve it. There are demos showing how a mutli-download button could look like along with source code examples.

On the other hand GOG could also offer a browser plug-in allowing batch downloads, setting up a folder/file structure template and automatic update checks as an alternative to the superb work community members have offered.

Be blessed, ye all and thanks for the work you've invested.
Post edited October 18, 2022 by Mori_Yuki
Posted October 18, 2022
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Mori_Yuki: Yes, the downloader, it did its job without bells or whistles. It's no surprise GOG shut it down, not maintaining a piece of software for 6 years, security concerns or simply because other more important tasks to work on. It's no news that some prefer using the website over a client in spite of being an inconvenient process.
The old GOG Downloader became irrelevant and redundant due to Galaxy offering the same functionality.

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Mori_Yuki: On the other hand GOG could also offer a browser plug-in allowing batch downloads, setting up a folder/file structure template and automatic update checks as an alternative to the superb work community members have offered.
I actually prefer a community-made tool because then we can be sure it will have features that the users want (e.g. I don't think GOG would like to make and promote a tool to mass-download all your games, as that causes extra stress to GOG servers if lots of people do it), and the development may be quicker. As long as GOG doesn't try to prevent if from working or anything...

The only reason I might want GOG to make an official "mass download tool" would be if they implemented secure peer-to-peer functionality into it, offloading stress from GOG download servers, and maximizing download speeds.
Post edited October 18, 2022 by timppu
Posted October 18, 2022
I use gogrepoc (the new maintained version by Kalanyr) too since years. It's the only way to manage installers, frankly:
https://github.com/Kalanyr/gogrepoc

Someone created a graphical version too, but I've never used it.
Maybe others can link to it.
Posted October 18, 2022
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Mori_Yuki: On the other hand GOG could also offer a browser plug-in allowing batch downloads, setting up a folder/file structure template and automatic update checks as an alternative to the superb work community members have offered.
Thanks for the html info.
I think a browser plugin or a external client like the JDownloader have the same priority in GOGs business model.
A plugin would probably create even more work, since it has to be compatible with different browsers.
Post edited October 18, 2022 by neumi5694
Posted October 18, 2022
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Mori_Yuki: On the other hand GOG could also offer a browser plug-in allowing batch downloads, setting up a folder/file structure template and automatic update checks as an alternative to the superb work community members have offered.
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timppu: I actually prefer a community-made tool because then we can be sure it will have features that the users want (e.g. I don't think GOG would like to make and promote a tool to mass-download all your games, as that causes extra stress to GOG servers if lots of people do it), and the development may be quicker. As long as GOG doesn't try to prevent if from working or anything...

The only reason I might want GOG to make an official "mass download tool" would be if they implemented secure peer-to-peer functionality into it, offloading stress from GOG download servers, and maximizing download speeds.
My idea of a batch/mass-downloader plug-in, official or created by dedicated community members, is a tool allowing us to download multiple files for individual games containing more than one or two files. This should be a mass-download and not a mass-backup tool for the whole library in one session. It really only makes sense to be iniate a download of all files when there's more than 5 files to a game. I am thinking of installers and extras while patches could be excluded.

While I do understand why widespread use of mass downloaders could put extreme strain on servers, considering the existence of tools like gogrepo, Galaxy, playnite and Gamehub on the other side, this should be nothing we should have to worry about. That's on GOG to balance it out iff and when it happens. So far it hasn't and an official browser plug-in as described above should not cause any such problems at all.
Post edited October 18, 2022 by Mori_Yuki
Posted October 18, 2022
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DaveC1964: I just want to save the backup files. Is there an easy way to do this? Am I just missing something?
I use gogcli.exe by Magnitus, using my GUI for it.

You don't need to install it and it doesn't require Python to be installed or the required libraries. You just run the executable from whatever folder you place it in.

If you use my GUI (Windows only), you can download all files for a game, with just a few clicks. The download window, which takes one click to get to, after selecting the game on the list, has a checkbox for every file, which can be checked with one click for all, or you can be selective. You then click the DOWNLOAD button. So three clicks if you want all files.

https://www.gog.com/forum/general/gogcli_gog_client

https://www.gog.com/forum/general/gogcli_gui_frontend_downloader_and_validator
Posted October 18, 2022
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Mori_Yuki: My idea of a batch/mass-downloader plug-in, official or created by dedicated community members, is a tool allowing us to download multiple files for individual games containing more than one or two files.
Doesn't Galaxy already offer that possibility as well, making such extra plug-in redundant? The same reason they are not supporting the old GOG Downloader client tool anymore, as it is redundant?
Posted October 18, 2022
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timppu: Doesn't Galaxy already offer that possibility as well, making such extra plug-in redundant? The same reason they are not supporting the old GOG Downloader client tool anymore, as it is redundant?
How would that work for Linux users ?, as I believe the plug-in suggested may be for web browsers, if I'm not wrong...
Posted October 18, 2022
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timppu: Doesn't Galaxy already offer that possibility as well, making such extra plug-in redundant? The same reason they are not supporting the old GOG Downloader client tool anymore, as it is redundant?
Trouble is Galaxy is a huge bloated piece of software which is major overkill if you just want to use it as a downloader. The original GOG Downloader was sleek, elegant, had a small footprint and worked perfectly for the task it was designed for.
Posted October 18, 2022
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Mori_Yuki: My idea of a batch/mass-downloader plug-in, official or created by dedicated community members, is a tool allowing us to download multiple files for individual games containing more than one or two files.
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timppu: Doesn't Galaxy already offer that possibility as well, making such extra plug-in redundant? The same reason they are not supporting the old GOG Downloader client tool anymore, as it is redundant?
While you are absolutely right that Galaxy offers it, it doesn't follow that it would automatically render a browser extension obsolete if one existed. As long as the website library exists, there is a need for a tool allowing to do the same in a browser environment. The extension wouldn't be a competition to Galaxy because the client has more to offer than a simple mass downloader.

GOG should focus on making the customer experience in that regard as convenient for website users as Galaxy. An official browser plug-in would achieve that. Satisfied customers will spend more time and money on the website which is why it would also benefit GOG.
Post edited October 18, 2022 by Mori_Yuki
Posted October 18, 2022
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Trooper1270: How would that work for Linux users ?, as I believe the plug-in suggested may be for web browsers, if I'm not wrong...
I believe the Linux versions of games come in one huge .sh file, in which case you don't need to care about having to download a dozen or two separate pieces.
Posted October 19, 2022
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timppu: I believe the Linux versions of games come in one huge .sh file, in which case you don't need to care about having to download a dozen or two separate pieces.
Yes, most, if not all of the Linux .sh installers are single large files. But, (although I maybe the exception rather than the rule) I do frequently download and play Windows versions of games (via W.I.N.E) when they are either only available for that OS or work better than their Linux equivalent.

Anyway, seeing as 'Mori_Yuki' response now confirms that they were suggesting a web browser plug-in, as long as there was a version compatible with Linux based web browsers, it would then make the Galaxy option (or lack thereof) moot...
Post edited October 19, 2022 by Trooper1270
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Community
General discussionDownloading multiple offline backup files?(33 posts)(33 posts)
(33 posts)