title: Is wget or similar programs always available on POSIX systems?
body: <p>Is there an HTTP client like <code>wget/lynx/GET</code> that is distributed by default in POSIX or *nix operating systems that could be used for maximum portability?</p>
  
  <p>I know most systems have <code>wget</code> or <code>lynx</code> installed, but I seem to remember installing some Ubuntu server systems using default settings and they had neither <code>wget</code> or <code>lynx</code> installed in the base package.</p>
  
  <p>I am writing a shell script for Linux (and probably Mac) to install a piece of software onto the computer.  To prevent having to distribute a couple of large files, I would like to fetch these files from the internet instead of packaging in with the installer.  Currently, the install script is to be distributed in a single file created from <a href="http://megastep.org/makeself/" rel="noreferrer">Makeself</a>.</p>
  
  <p>I'd like to avoid having the install script be over 100 MB which it would be if the files were included, and also they may not be required if the person is upgrading or re-installing the software.  Maybe the most portable thing to do is include the files in the pacakage.</p>
  
  <p>Right now I am just thinking of having the script check for <code>wget</code>, <code>lynx</code>, and <code>GET</code>, in that order and it will use whichever one it can for downloading, but I could avoid this altogether if there was a way I could download the files that would work on all systems.</p>
  
  <p>EDIT:</p>
  
  <p>Does anyone know much about lwp-request (<code>GET</code>) and its availability?  This seems to be readily available on several of the systems I have checked so far, and I remember this always being around 10+ years ago going back to RedHat.</p>