Easier and more reliable ISO downloads, with error correction

[Aaron Whitehouse]

> > Anthony Bryan wrote:
> I usually get slow speeds on BitTorrent. I download via HTTP (using
> multiple mirrors) and then seed the torrent for the rest.

As do I. There are several files that have left me stranded for so
long that I ended up just using HTTP and discarding the
nearly-complete torrent. That said, I prefer to use torrents and "give
something back". That isn't such an issue with Ubuntu, as the local
mirror has near-unlimited bandwidth and commercial reasons why they
want people to use them as much as possible. So for Ubuntu, I use
direct HTTP.

Given that the metalink files are XML, there seems no reason that I
can see why they couldn't include bittorrent trackers. That would
allow the bittorrent client in Ubuntu, for example, to test out the
different trackers and use the best one(s). If speed dropped below a
certain point, or a chunk wasn't in the bittorrent mesh, HTTP could be
used to the extent necessary to top up the downloading.

In order to implement this, Ubuntu would realistically need some sort
of download manager. I was a big fan of GetRight when I used Windows.
I would be happy if I loaded up Hardy and it had a sparkly new
download manager, fully integrated with every desktop app that may
download something (Firefox etc.) and handling metalinks and torrents
(including metalink files with torrent info). Anything that isn't
downloaded and displayed within the browser window is really the same
from the user's point of view and the interface should probably be the
same. I don't, however, expect the developers to divert resources from
higher priorities to create one when the tools already integrated into
U/Gobuntu already work.

Aaron

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