IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Making big downloads resumable in Firefox

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

Theme 1 – Browsers (especially Firefox) struggle with reliable resumable downloads
Users repeatedly point out that browsers cannot reliably resume interrupted transfers, a problem that has persisted for years.
- “How the fuck is it 20 years later and browsers still struggle with downloading files?!” – wackget
- “Resumable downloads in firefox generally appear to be fairly unstable though. This has been a known problem in some form since as far back as 2005.” – userbinator
- “That’s like trickery anno 2002. How come this hasn’t been solved in the last decades?” – ant6n

Theme 2 – External download managers are the preferred workaround
Many commenters rely on tools like aria2, JDownloader, GetRight/IDM, or command‑line utilities (wget, curl, axel) to get the job done.
- “I like using the aria2[0] download utility - I don't think I've downloaded anything bigger than a dozen megabytes through a web browser for the last several years…” – Retro_Dev
- “Install JDownloader 2. Just copy a link, and JDownloader will pick it up if it's running…” – bugake
- “IDM and NDM are still the golden standards for download managers…” – adithyassekhar

Theme 3 – Hope for improvement via AI, alternative browsers, or simpler command‑line approaches
Some see promise in LLMs, emerging browsers like Ladybird, or just bypassing the browser altogether.
- “This is the kind of weird obscure bug that I'd hope LLMs could help with.” – shiandow
- “Ladybird might offer a ray of hope… Downloads can now be paused and resumed, and survive a browser restart…” – swed420
- “How to do downloads correctly in a browser: Don't. Just copy the URL and download it with curl instead.” – inetknght

🚀 Project Ideas

Aria2 Browser Companion

Summary

  • A browser extension that launches aria2c for downloads, automatically loads the browser's cookies, shows a toolbar progress bar, and verifies file integrity with optional hash checking.
  • Core value: Gives power users the reliability and features of aria2 (multi‑connection, pause/resume, protocol support) without leaving the browser UI.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Developers, power users, and anyone frequently downloading large files (ISOs, datasets, media) from the web.
Core Feature Intercepts download requests, spawns aria2c with --load-cookies from the active profile, displays real‑time speed/ETA, and optionally validates SHA‑256/MD5 if provided.
Tech Stack WebExtension API (JavaScript/TypeScript), Node.js child process for aria2c, optionally Rust via WASM for hash verification.
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • HN users praised aria2 for cookies (Shank: "You can use aria2c --load-cookies...") and progress UI (abdusco: "I built this… tricklebar"). This extension merges those wishes into a seamless browser‑native experience.
  • Could spark discussion on extending the WebExtensions API to expose download‑manager hooks, and would be practically useful for users on flaky connections who need resumable, verified downloads.

Download Resume Guardian

Summary

  • A lightweight background daemon that watches .part (or incomplete) files, prevents corruption when a server replaces the resource, and automatically verifies a hash after resume.
  • Core value: Solves the “splice old .part onto new bytes” problem highlighted by cnrcode, giving confidence that resumed downloads are bit‑exact.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Users on unreliable networks, especially in regions with high latency or power instability (mentioned by nirui and paimapi).
Core Feature Monitors download folders, checks ETag/Last‑Modified or user‑provided hash before allowing resume; if mismatch, aborts and prompts for fresh download.
Tech Stack Python (watchdog) or Rust (notify) for file‑system events, optional integration with browsers via native messaging.
Difficulty Low
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • cnrcode warned: “if the server picked a different file … Firefox will happily splice the old .part … Worth checking a hash afterwards.” This tool directly addresses that fear.
  • Would be valuable for open‑source projects distributing large binaries, and could generate discussion on standardizing hash‑provided metadata in HTTP headers for resumable transfers.

Modal Search Highlight Reviver

Summary

  • A cross‑browser extension that restores the modal search highlight (dimmed page except matches) feature removed from Firefox, with configurable dim intensity and animation.
  • Core value: Brings back a beloved UX for quickly locating search results, addressing the nostalgia expressed by majorchord and others.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Firefox and Chrome users who rely on visual search aids, especially those with visual impairments or who work with dense documentation.
Core Feature On Ctrl+F (or toolbar search), overlays a semi‑transparent dark layer, highlights matches in bright color, and smooths transitions.
Tech Stack WebExtension (manifest v3), CSS overlays, optional React/Preact for settings UI.
Difficulty Low
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • majorchord lamented: “Another feature that has been left broken in Firefox for many years, is the modal search highlight function… I really liked that feature.” This extension directly answers that request.
  • Could revive discussion on accessibility‑focused UI features in browsers and encourage vendors to reconsider removing such utilities.

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