How to use the command `isisdl` (with examples)

isisdl is a downloading utility specifically designed for ISIS of TU-Berlin. It allows users to easily download all their files and videos from ISIS. The utility is open-source and can be found on GitHub at https://github.com/Emily3403/isisdl .

Use case 1: Start the synchronization process

Code:

isisdl

Motivation: When you want to start the synchronization process for downloading files and videos from ISIS, you can simply run the isisdl command. This will initiate the download of all available files and videos from your ISIS account.

Explanation: This command is used without any additional arguments and options. It triggers the default synchronization process of isisdl, which downloads all files and videos from your ISIS account to your local machine.

Example output: The utility will start downloading all available files and videos from ISIS to the current directory. You will see a progress bar indicating the download status.

Use case 2: Limit the download rate and number of threads

Code:

isisdl --download-rate 20 --max-num-threads 5

Motivation: Sometimes you may want to limit the download rate or the number of simultaneous download threads. This can be useful if you have limited bandwidth or want to prevent overwhelming the server with too many requests.

Explanation: The --download-rate option allows you to specify the maximum download rate in MiB per second. In the example above, the rate is set to 20 MiB/s. The --max-num-threads option allows you to limit the number of download threads to a specific number. In this case, the limit is set to 5 threads.

Example output: The utility will start downloading files and videos from ISIS, but the download rate will be limited to 20 MiB/s and only 5 threads will be used for downloading.

Use case 3: Run the initialization configuration wizard

Code:

isisdl --init

Motivation: Running the initialization configuration wizard can help you set up the isisdl utility for the first time. It guides you through the initial configuration process, ensuring that the utility is properly set up and ready to use.

Explanation: The --init option triggers the initialization configuration wizard. This wizard will guide you through the process of setting up isisdl for the first time. It will ask for necessary configurations such as your ISIS credentials and local download directory.

Example output: The wizard will prompt you with a series of questions, asking for your ISIS username, password, and the local directory where you want to download the files and videos from ISIS. Once you provide the necessary information, the initialization process will be completed.

Use case 4: Run the additional configuration wizard

Code:

isisdl --config

Motivation: The additional configuration wizard allows you to modify and update the configuration settings of isisdl after the initial setup. This can be useful if you want to change the download directory or update your ISIS credentials.

Explanation: The --config option triggers the additional configuration wizard. This wizard allows you to modify the current configuration settings of isisdl. It will prompt you with a series of questions, allowing you to update the download directory, ISIS credentials, and other configurations.

Example output: The wizard will present you with the current configuration settings and provide options to modify them. You can change the download directory, update your ISIS credentials, or make other necessary configuration changes. Once you finish the wizard, the configurations will be updated.

Use case 5: Initiate a full synchronization of the database and compute checksums

Code:

isisdl --sync

Motivation: When you want to ensure that your local files and videos are fully synchronized with the ISIS database, you can use the --sync option. This option initiates a full synchronization process and computes the checksums of every file.

Explanation: The --sync option triggers a full synchronization process. It ensures that all your local files and videos are synchronized with the ISIS database. Additionally, this option computes the checksums of every file to ensure data integrity.

Example output: The utility will compare the files and videos available in the ISIS database with the ones in the local directory. Any missing files or videos will be downloaded, and any existing files that have been modified will be updated. The utility will also compute the checksums of every file to verify data integrity.

Use case 6: Start ffmpeg to compress downloaded videos

Code:

isisdl --compress

Motivation: When you want to compress downloaded videos from ISIS, you can use the --compress option. This option starts the ffmpeg utility, which is a highly versatile video processing tool, to compress the downloaded videos.

Explanation: The --compress option triggers the ffmpeg utility to compress the downloaded videos. ffmpeg is a well-known and powerful command-line tool for manipulating and compressing video files. This option seamlessly integrates isisdl with ffmpeg, allowing you to compress the videos without any extra steps.

Example output: The downloaded videos will be processed by ffmpeg to compress them according to its default settings. You will see the compression progress, and once it is completed, the compressed videos will be available in the download directory.

Conclusion:

The isisdl utility is a powerful tool for downloading files and videos from ISIS of TU-Berlin. With its various options and functionalities, users can easily synchronize their local files with the ISIS database, limit download rates and threads, configure the utility, and even compress downloaded videos. Whether you are a student or a researcher at TU-Berlin, isisdl can greatly simplify your file management and ensure that you have access to all your important files and videos from ISIS.