# Mister Download Manager — documentation Mister Download Manager (MDM) is a free download manager for Windows and Linux (and, still experimental, macOS). It is laid out the way Internet Download Manager users expect: a toolbar, categories on the left, one list of downloads and a browser extension that hands downloads to it. These pages explain each part of the program. The tutorials walk through the things people do most, one task each. ![The main window](images/main-light.webp) ## Start here - **[Getting started](getting-started.md)** — install MDM (setup, portable or zip on Windows; the packages on Linux; the .dmg on a Mac), choose a language and find your way around the main window. - **[Your first download](guide-first-download.md)** — a two-minute walk-through from copied link to opened file. ## Downloading - **[Adding downloads](adding-downloads.md)** — Add URL, the clipboard, the drop target, batch downloads and lists of links, and Start Download versus Download Later. - **[Link grabber and archives](link-grabber.md)** — many links at once, in packages; zip, 7z and rar archives extracted when they are downloaded. - **[Browser integration](browser-integration.md)** — the extension for Firefox (from addons.mozilla.org), Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi (from the Chrome Web Store), which downloads it takes, and what happens when MDM isn't running. - **[Run MDM on a server](server.md)** — MDM without a window on a home server or NAS (Docker, Unraid), downloading into its folders; send it downloads from your phone or browser. - **[Control MDM from your phone](remote-control.md)** — add links, magnets and torrents from a phone or another computer at home, and watch and control the list. ## Organising - **[The download list](download-list.md)** — columns, filters, the categories tree, selecting many downloads, finding one, and deleting downloads with or without their files. - **[Queues and the Scheduler](queues-and-scheduler.md)** — run downloads a few at a time, start and stop them by the clock, and turn the computer off when they are done. ## Speed and connections - **[Connections and speed](connections-and-speed.md)** — the progress window, how MDM splits a file over several connections, resuming, and the Speed Limiter. ## Video and torrents - **[Video downloads](video.md)** — download a video from its page (YouTube, Vimeo and many more) with yt-dlp. - **[Image galleries](galleries.md)** — download a gallery's pictures (Wikimedia Commons, Flickr, DeviantArt and many more) with gallery-dl. - **[Torrents](torrents.md)** — magnet links and .torrent files, choosing files, and sharing. - **[Torrents and your security](torrent-security.md)** — what others can see, the network switches, blocklists, proxies. - **[Debrid service accounts](debrid.md)** — Real-Debrid, AllDebrid and Premiumize: file-host links through your own account. ## Settings - **[Options](options.md)** — every page of the Options window. - **[Themes](themes.md)** — the built-in looks (Classic, Native, High contrast, Metro, Adwaita, Breeze, Luna, Aero, Aqua), and how to make your own in a text file. - **[Languages](languages.md)** — the 86 interface languages, numbers and dates, right-to-left layouts, and how to help translate. - **[Portable mode](portable.md)** — run MDM from a folder or a USB stick without installing it. - **[Keyboard shortcuts](keyboard-shortcuts.md)** — every key the main window answers, and screen readers. - **[Command line and automation](command-line.md)** — IDM's command-line switches, the `misterdownloadmanager-cli` tool, and the automation API other programs can use. - **[AI assistants (MCP)](ai-assistants.md)** — let Claude, Cursor, VS Code or another MCP assistant list, add, pause and remove your downloads. ## Tutorials - **[Download a file](guide-first-download.md)** — copy a link, add it, open the file. - **[Catch downloads from your browser](guide-catch-browser-downloads.md)** — set up the extension so clicked downloads go to MDM. - **[Download overnight](guide-download-overnight.md)** — queue files and let the Scheduler start them at night. - **[Resume a broken download](guide-resume-broken-download.md)** — continue after a cut connection, a crash or an expired link. - **[Keep some speed for everything else](guide-keep-speed-for-everything-else.md)** — cap MDM so browsing and calls stay smooth. - **[Download a video from a page](guide-video-from-page.md)** — pick a quality and save a video. - **[Carry MDM on a USB stick](guide-usb-stick.md)** — the portable copy, with downloads saved to the stick. - **[Find a download in a long list](guide-find-in-long-list.md)** — Find, Find Next and column filters. ## Help - **[Crash reports](crash-reports.md)** — what the crash report window shows when MDM closes unexpectedly or stops responding, what a report contains, and how to send it. - **[Troubleshooting](troubleshooting.md)** — what to check when a download fails, the browser doesn't hand over a download, or a schedule doesn't start. - **[The browser and MDM aren't connected](browser-help.md)** — what the extension's red **!** means, reason by reason, and how to fix each. - **[Releases](https://github.com/anefzaoui/misterdownloadmanager/releases)** — download the latest version. - **[Report a problem](https://github.com/anefzaoui/misterdownloadmanager/issues/new/choose)** — or use **Help → Report a problem** in MDM, which fills in your version, system and how MDM was installed for you. --- > Screenshots in these docs show Windows and the light theme unless noted; on the website each has its dark version beside it. MDM follows the system's dark mode: when Windows (or your desktop) is set to dark, MDM is dark too.