Easier and more reliable ISO downloads, with error correction

[John Richard Moser]

Anthony Bryan wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Have you thought about using Metalinks for your ISO downloads? It's an
> XML format used by download apps, and contains the ways to get a file
> (mirrors/P2P) along with info for automatic error detection/recovery
> (checksums) and other stuff.

Bittorrent.

> 
> It makes things simpler for the user, since they don't have to
> manually try a bunch of servers that could be down, can use local
> mirrors first, and can repair downloads (very useful for large files
> like ISOs).

Bittorrent.

> 
> About 15 download managers & P2P apps support it so far, including
> aria2 (in the Ubuntu repos), DownThemAll! (Firefox extension), KGet2
> (part of KDE4), and popular DMs on Windows and OS X like GetRight,
> Free Download Manager, Orbit, wxDownload Fast, Speed Download, and
> TheWorld web browser.

You have to download something you don't already have.  Download bittorrent.

> 
> Wubi, the Ubuntu Windows installer, Ubuntu Greece and Indonesia use
> them as well. Over 20 other distros use Metalink, along with
> OpenOffice.org, cURL, and LugRadio.
> 
> Metalinks for Ubuntu 7.10 are at http://www.metalinker.org/samples/ubuntu/
> 
> Here's part of what one looks like:
> 
>    <file name="ubuntu-7.10-desktop-i386.iso">
>     <os>Linux-x86</os>
>     <size>729608192</size>
>     <verification>
>      <hash type="md5">d2334dbba7313e9abc8c7c072d2af09c</hash>
>     </verification>
>     <resources>
>       <url type="http"
>            location="ro"
>            preference="90">
>        http://ftp.iasi.roedu.net/mirrors/ubuntulinux.org/releases/.pool/ubuntu-7.10-desktop-i386.iso
>       </url>
>       <url type="http"
>            location="jp"
>            preference="100">
>        http://ftp.yz.yamagata-u.ac.jp/pub/linux/ubuntu/releases/.pool/ubuntu-7.10-desktop-i386.iso
>       </url>
>       <url type="http"
>            location="us"
>            preference="90">
>        http://ftp.osuosl.org/pub/ubuntu/.pool/ubuntu-7.10-desktop-i386.iso
>       </url>
>     </resources>
>    </file>
> 
> 
> PS - Great work on Gutsy, it's very nice :)
> 

-- 
Bring back the Firefox plushy!
http://digg.com/linux_unix/Is_the_Firefox_plush_gone_for_good
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=322367