Download an OXT file without using Windows Edge

When I try to download a file with an .oxt extension from the Apache OpenOffice website using Edge for Windows 10, I see the following message:

Downloads

readtext.2021.09.22_0857a.oxt was blocked because this type of file can harm your device

Answer

A file with an .oxt extension is a LibreOffice or Apache Open Office file that can include resources such as templates or utility programs that use various programming platforms (Java, Javascript, Perl, Python, StarBasic, VBscript, etc.) to perform tasks.

Once you have downloaded an application/vnd.openofficeorg.extension file, LibreOffice or Apache OpenOffice will normally allow you to install it without a warning. While Edge's warning that a extension "can harm your device" is technically true, files with .oxt extensions hosted on LibreOffice or OpenOffice websites are unlikely to be harmful. Not all extensions work with all versions of Apache OpenOffice or LibreOffice programs, so most extensions show a disclaimer something like this when you install them:

NO WARRANTY

15. BECAUSE THE LIBRARY IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO

WARRANTY FOR THE LIBRARY, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR

OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE LIBRARY "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY

KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE

IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR

PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE

LIBRARY IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE LIBRARY PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME

THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION.

16. IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN

WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY

AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE THE LIBRARY AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU

FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR

CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE

LIBRARY (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING

RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A

FAILURE OF THE LIBRARY TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE), EVEN IF

SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH

DAMAGES.

You should be cautious before downloading any extension that you aren't familiar with.

Check for reviews, and see if there is more information available on the extension's home page.
Download only from a trustworthy extension website - https://extensions.openoffice.org for Apache OpenOffice or https://extensions.libreoffice.org for LibreOffice.
For open source extensions, check to verify that the code is available for examination.

Download an .oxt file without using a browser

If your browser has blocked downloading all .oxt files, you might still be able to download this file type using Windows PowerShell or a Linux Terminal window using the wget command.

For example, to download readtext.2021.09.22_08.57a.oxt for Apache OpenOffice, open PowerShell, then enter the following:

cd Downloads
wget https://cfhcable.dl.sourceforge.net/project/aoo-extensions/2649/121/readtext.2021.09.22_08.57a.oxt

As another example, to download readtext.2021.09.22_08.57.oxt for LibreOffice, open PowerShell, then enter the following:

cd Downloads
wget https://extensions.libreoffice.org/assets/downloads/32/readtext.2021.09.22_08.57.oxt

On MacOS computers, the equivalent command is curl.

cd Downloads
curl https://extensions.libreoffice.org/assets/downloads/32/readtext.2021.09.22_08.57.oxt --output readtext.2021.09.22_08.57.oxt