Fwd: post on Google Open Source Blog about Metalink/GSOC
Anthony Bryan
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Matthias Fuchs <ma...@gmx.net>
Date: Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 6:24 AM
Subject: Re: post on Google Open Source Blog about Metalink/GSOC
To: Anthony Bryan <anthon...@gmail.com>
On Thursday 15 October 2009 07:52:52 you wrote:
> hi all!
>
> first, I want to say thanks for all your involvement with
> metalink/GSOC/metalink-related apps!
>
> I'm writing a post for the Google Open Source Blog (
> http://google-opensource.blogspot.com/ ) about metalink & GSOC.
>
> would any of you like to write a sentence or 2 about your GSOC
> experience? any cool stories on how it's impacted your life? would you
> like to describe your project (my descriptions would likely be brief)?
>
> does anyone want to do a short 5-15 min talk/interview on skype for a
> podcast? just a simple, laid back, not too technical talk?
>
Hi Anthony,
I kinda overlooked your mail, I have so many in my inbox that it gets
inefficient. :)
Well, what was GSOC for me? It was another introduction in programming on a
large code base, how to make myself familiar with the code, the community and
what tools to use that help me in that process. Essentially it came down to me
coding more than I did before and I still code more if there is enough time.
:)
On my project, I improved many parts of KGet, especially multisource
downloading. That makes it possible that the Metalink-implementation for KGet
-- which I also improved a lot -- can use multiple servers at once and users
can change which servers should be used and which not. Other features I worked
on that are connected to metalink are support for checksum-checking, repairing
of downloads and an assistant that helps users in creating Metalinks (so far
it outputs Metalink-files based on the Metralink draft). Currently I am
implementing basic signature checking, better support will be in 4.5.
Cheers,
matthias
--
(( Anthony Bryan ... Metalink [ http://www.metalinker.org ]
)) Easier, More Reliable, Self Healing Downloads
Matthias Fuchs
Just to update my post above.
KGet released with KDE 4.4 SC can automatically download public keys (default
setting) if they are not present and thus reduce the user interaction needed
when verifying a Signature. Signature-checking and checksum-checking is done
automatically by default and the user is only informed if one of these failed
and in the later case offered with the option to repair or redownload if there
is no repair information.
The assistant to create Metalinks can output Metalinks version 3.0 2nd ed [1]
and also metalinks from the most recent draft (mentioned as 4.0 with .meta4
ending). That means that I hope that the spec is finished before the KDE 4.4
SC release. :)
Additionally what I forgot to mention above is that the assistant can create
metalinks based on different metalinks, so you could convert 3.0 2nd ed
metalinks to 4.0 draft or simply remove some mirrors, add some checksums etc.
Adding partial checksums can only be added automatically i.e. if you selected
files on your hd, adding signatures is not supported yet, though existing
signatures (if you based it on another metalink) won't get removed.
I know, this is hardly brief anymore :D though just take the features you
think are noteworthy in connection with metalink.
[1] The output only has support for features where the draft and 3.0 2nd ed
match, i.e. where a corresponding feature exists, so no mime, or related
settings.