Downloading _big_ files: problem, and solution.

[Mitch Thompson]

-----Original Message-----
From: kubuntu-users-bounces at lists.ubuntu.com
[mailto:kubuntu-users-bounces at lists.ubuntu.com] On Behalf Of O. Sinclair
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2006 11:55 AM
To: renaud at olgiati-in-paraguay.org; Kubuntu Help and User Discussions
Subject: Re: Downloading _big_ files: problem, and solution.



Renaud (Ron) Olgiati wrote:
> I have started downloading the .iso file for burning an OS DVD.
> 
> Problem: 
> 
> - The file is _BIG_ (3.4 GB) and the download takes around six days.
> 
> - The power supply here in Paraguay does not last that long without power 
> cuts, specially at this time of the year.
> 
> -When the UPS battery runs out the computer shuts down in an orderly
manner, 
> closing all the progs that are running at the time.
> 
> -And when you close down Konqueror in the middle of a download it deletes
the 
> xxx.iso.part file.
> 
> This already happened to me twice, each time around 1.2 GB or 30% of the 
> download; 
> AAAAAAAAARGH !  (feel better already  ;-3)
> 
> Solution:
> 
> A cron job that will, every hour:  cp -f xxx.iso.part xxx.iso.part.bak
> 
> That way at the worst I now only loose one hour's worth of download, as I
can 
> cp xxx.iso.part.bak xxx.iso.part and resume the download.
Better solution methinks;
Either use Ktorrent if possible (will nicely resume downloading but can 
take for ever)
or download KGet and use it as download manager, will also allow resume 
of downloads - given that the site in question allows it.


Or, go to the web site and request a handful (up to 10?) CDs be sent to you.


Since it sounds like the o.p. is downloading the ISO via dialup, I would say
the the bandwidth of the postal service might be a tad faster ;^).