metalink support

[DRehm]

Best fast introduction to metalinks -> http://torrentfreak.com/metalinker-integrating-http-ftp-and-p2p/

Metalink website -> http://metalinker.org/

I think uTorrent should be able to read/accept metalink files in the same way that it accepts torrent files. At worst it would just pull all of the torrents/trackers out and ignore the ftp and http download links. At best it would use the ftp and http download links as additional seeds (those servers which support resume can deliver parts of the file from anywhere in the middle as well as the beginning).

[DreadWingKnight]

What would be the point if uTorrent doesn't attempt to get from http/ftp sources yet anyway?

And why would a metalink be a better solution than an advanced torrent file?

[DRehm]

I never said metalink is a better solution than advanced torrent files. I simply suggested that uTorrent should support metalinks, too (in addition to advanced torrents).

Of course the real power would come if it did indeed use the ftp and http sources as seeds.

[DreadWingKnight]

Looking over the metalink specification and the example metalinks they have provided, it appears that advanced torrents are actually the better option over metalinks.

Advanced torrent advantages (at least the blatant ones):

> Support for multiple hashes per file (Reference, This one may not be accurate, but it's not blatant wether or not metalinks support multiple hashes, especially from the creator on the site)

> Support for http/ftp sources per-file in a batch (Reference 1, 2)

> Support for splitting a batch's http/ftp sources across multiple servers (Reference)

> Smaller overall metadata size by:

>> Using a binary-safe method of storing hash information.

>> Using smaller metadata entry delimiters.

> No need to download the torrent segmented hash information separately.

[DRehm]

I agree with you.

I still hate the idea of having these various standards for providing the same kind of functionality splintering and either not being adopted or else requiring end users to use multiple and/or proprietary clients.

Would it be possible/worthwhile to merge the formats or otherwise either bring some of this advanced torrent functionality into the metalink format or else expand the advanced torrent functionality to also serve the purposes of this new metalink format such that there would only be one?

Perhaps these kinds of unifying efforts could be the next major step into bumping torrents to mainstream adoption.

[DreadWingKnight]

I don't see anything in metalink that isn't already in advanced torrents.

What does metalink offer over the current advanced torrent specifications?

[Hirvine]

This is how I see it.

The advanced torrent has indeed all the features metalink offers, thx for the references DreadWingKnight and DRehm those were very helpfull. Still it would be great to see µTorrent supports more filetypes regarding torrents. I'm not aware µTorrent support the advanced torrents* allready or for example magnet links (http://www.animesuki.com/doc.php/help/magnet.html). (µTorrent is at the same DHT as azureus? ... I thought it was)

Still as I said, it has something todo with torrents. As µTorrent is a torrent client it should not bother anything other then torrents. Still, metalink has something todo with torrents, so it would be nice to have a program which supports all types regarding the torrent protocol.

*If I said something stupid about advanced µTorrents... I didn't know them until DreadWingKnight mentioned them so ...

[DreadWingKnight]

(µTorrent is at the same DHT as azureus? ... I thought it was)

It's not. Azureus is the only one using their DHT system.

The Azureus DHT magnet link is really just a hack to allow their DHT to relay .torrent data as well as peer connection information.