shared directory option

[hofshi]

Okay, this will probably sound wild, but here goes.

I've been using both µtorrent and Emule. The only thing that I found better in Emule compared to other bittorent clients, is the ease of sharing. You can simply set a directory as shared, and everything there will be shared automatically.

I would like the same thing in µtorrent.

I suggest the following:

1. The ability to define a specific directory as a shared one.

2. when I do that, µtorrent will monitor this directory, and if a file or directory is added to this directory, it will create a torrent to one of the big public trackers (that do not add the private key), and if possible upload the torrent to the public tracker automatically.

I know this must be very hard to implement, but it's the only thing that Emule, Kazza, and such do better then µtorrent.

It will also allow many people who are afraid of making torrents, or just don't know how to make them, to share more of their stuff.

I thought that if I had this option implemented in µtorrent, I would set my default Emule download directory as the shared directory in µtorrent, and thus allow for easy migration of content from the Edonkey2000 network to the bittorent community.

Maybe µtorrent will be able to find the default Emule download directory automatically, and offer a "share Emule shared directory in bittorent" option?

This, in time, may allow us to find via bittorent, all those rare files that are currently found only on Emule.

[DreadWingKnight]

eMule isn't a bittorrent client.

Bittorrent isn't a traditional p2p network.

This has already been proposed.

[hofshi]

I know.

I know.

I wasn't aware of that. (sorry)

do you think that it may be feasible?

[DreadWingKnight]

As it sits now, without the option to generate ed2k hashes (md4 based, Reference) in the torrent maker of uTorrent, a migration from ed2k to torrent isn't really that bandwidth efficent.

There are torrent-capable clients that can search for ed2k sources and download directly into the torrent using them (I've used this feature to recover torrents from below the threshold of self-sustainability).

In the discussion regarding this feature, it was simply rejected as not efficent.

[hofshi]

I think you may have misunderstood my suggestion.

I'm not suggesting that µtorrent would be able to generate ed2k hashes.

all I'm suggesting is that µtorrent will have the ability to monitor a specified directory for added content, and when such content is found, µtorrent will automatically generate a torrent to a big public tracker, and upload the torrent to the tracker.

a possible use of that, would be that the specified directory would be the directory where one stores his download from other networks, e.g. Emule.

I hope that I managed to get the message through this time...

[DreadWingKnight]

If you want as complete a migration as possible from ed2k to torrent, you will need the ed2k hashes included in the torrent, so that users can use that information to get more sources for the files than just you.

Just uploading the torrents isn't enough. You need to seed them.

Including the ed2k hashes gives the users option of searching ed2k to supplement the swarm that way.

The bulk of the discussion on this was covered already in the irc channel on April 2.

[hofshi]

obviously what you suggest would have the potential of performing better, but it seems to be extremely hard to implement, and as you've said, it was shot down already.

that's why I'm suggesting the shared directory option. It would be easier to implement, but would still have real added value.

of course, you are right and one would have to seed his torrents, but we do that anyway

[DreadWingKnight]

The "shared directory" proposal is what was shot down previously.

The automation of an ed2k->torrent migration isn't practical. At least not such an automation integrated into either of the network clients.

[hofshi]

ok. thanks.

too bad it was shot down. could have been nice.