Metalink is a format for storing ftp/http mirrors and p2p (bt, magnet, ed2k) in XML. Then clients can download from whatever method they support, hopefully from all at the same time. It also stores info like checksums & uses backwards compatible hyperlinks - you can link to a file like regular, but also link to it’s metalink & metalink clients will use the metalink, not just the regular link.
Right now, GetRight and aria2 bittorrent clients support it. Speed Download, iGetter, D4X, KGet, and a few other download managers have added or are adding support. OpenOffice.org uses it to distribute their free office suite.
A simple .metalink looks like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
Xi Software
http://www.xi-soft.com/
Net Transport
2.43
2005-2007
Net Transport (NetXfer) is a downloading tool.
2014232
Windows-x86
18148ed6dc0fc6a48f345579f099d6bd
01586b2c0ec5d8e985138204404878f5ecbeef58
ce50319f58e846e3e0c66a9ada9015e601126864
c9e73e336831a364cedcd889259b7330d48f90fd
a7f5281c629ea63c791f320db3b0df85fdb01861
e6cf5571185db0ec79b551222596462db445bdd6
8982e850d2e3ea005119beea3cc05daca28de474
a0e7a3a3a46f1ae5fb4eb8529b6fb8ee82fa43a8
96540cfade1ce9d3846f41510fbed46965b29568
87108128d4dde5ba62ffec1f1cc3fc292fc298ca
http://www.xi-soft.com/downloads/NXSetup_multi.zip
http://nettransport.abangadek.com/NXSetup_multi.zip
http://www.axitech.hu/nettransport/downloads/NXSetup_multi.zip
ftp://nettransport:nettransport@202.107.248.221/NXSetup_multi.zip
There are also videos on the site of it in action.
If you add Azureus DHT you can then use Azureus Meta Links. So people will be able to use the meta links that are already supported out there instead of making yet another addition.
If you add Azureus DHT you can then use Azureus Meta Links. So people will be able to use the meta links that are already supported out there instead of making yet another addition.
Unfortunately, many sites, projects, and applications do not use p2p for a variety of reasons. They still use mirrors.
Which is where metalink comes in handy, because you can use just mirrors, just p2p, or a combo.
Around 13 download programs support metalink now, including GetRight, Free Download Manager, Speed Download, DownThemAll!, Orbit Downloader, Phex, aria2, KGet, SmartFTP, and wxDownload Fast. Many Linux distributions and other projects use it for their downloads.
Right now, DownThemAll!, a Firefox extension, is the easiest way to try metalink out.
Some basic features the information in a metalink can be used for:
* Listing multiple mirrors for higher availability.
* Automatic error recovery and repair of corrupted downloads.
* More information about a download for users.
* Add a file or multiple files to a download queue.
* Share a library of files between filesharing applications.
Metalinks can also contain information like in the PAD file on the front page, which is used to give users more info about a download and for download sites. Here’s one way that info (logo, description, publisher, license, OS/arch, etc) can be presented to a user:
I think Metalink fits in so well w/ BitComet’s feature list:
HTTP/FTP Download - Innovative P2P Technology
Multi-Mirror download: Mirror servers are automatically found for the file being downloaded. Data from these servers are downloaded at the same time to increase download speed 300% or more.
Multi-Section download: Files are split into several sections which are downloaded at the same time to increase the download speed up to 500% or more.
There’s also the MD5 listed on the front page, & the PAD file, both of which can be included as info in the metalink for automatic use.
I agree with this feature request.
Metalink is cross-platform and cross-protocol compitable, which is almost exactly what BitComet is.
So yes, it would fit perfectly.
It’s just a question about how hard it is to implante.
I don’t think it would be too much work. BitComet already has the features, it just needs to be able to read the XML to get the info used in those features.
There are a number of open source implementations too, from the tiny 50k metalink checker in Python, to aria2, Downthemall, Free Download Manager, KGet, and wxDownload Fast.
Metalink seems to be an emerging standard among the more progressive file transfer platforms out there today, and the synergy with BitComet is pretty obvious (just look at the introductory paragraph on the homepage–BitComet’s primary philosophy is multi-protocol.) I’m not too familiar with the technical hurdles this request might entail, but in terms of moving BitComet forward, it seems a match made in heaven.
That’s a great idea. Thanks.
