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Idea #8185: enable repository downloading via bittorrent

bug This idea is a duplicate of Idea #7792: Use BitTorrent as primary protocol for apt-get.
Written by elustran the 7 May 08 at 11:15. Category: Others. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: New
Rationale
Everybody downloads lots of stuff from only a few repository servers. Enabling users to share some of that data back other users will help reduce the strain on those servers and give users the sense that they're giving back to the community. Somehow enabling a P2P protocol like Bittorrent seems like the best way to do this.

There are two ways of doing this: link the repository to a standard bittorrent tracker and download packages via an existing BT client, or integrate bittorrent client software into the synaptic package manager.

Using an existing BT client may make it easier for the user to govern and schedule their downloads; however, it may add extra installation steps for the user. Integrating BT would make it easier for the user to download and manage packages, but may clog his connection if he is also running another instance of bittorrent.

One way or another, it would be handy to find a way to spread the love
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #8185
Written by elustran the 7 May 08 at 11:15.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #8185 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

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Comments
Auzy wrote on the 7 May 08 at 11:59
This idea comes up normally every 2nd day

http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/7792/

Eldmannen wrote on the 7 May 08 at 13:41
Torrent is great for big files like ISO images or movies.
Updates are usually small files.
I don't think torrents are suitable for that...

fcsonline wrote on the 7 May 08 at 16:11
But you can join several updates (small files) in only one torrent and after download it, install the selected updates.

fazillatheef wrote on the 8 May 08 at 05:14
i dont think that small files work good with torrent...And this can cause also a lot of security issues...

on what repects are you going to join files ... a library may be used with many apps .. so should we include that with all those apps or they should be seprate ,as it is now...

i think things like distribution itself ,ubuntu plus( small iso containing the basic things like mp3 ,video,etc..) can be distributed using torrent ... and this is already being done...


Auzy wrote on the 8 May 08 at 05:18
I think the small file thing is kinda wrong.. Its just as capable as HTTP. And, you would get nothing but bonus if the bittorrent client prioritised the server IP's for downloading, and then trying random client IP's, in which case, everyone wins

elustran wrote on the 8 May 08 at 18:45
Wow... so many duplicates. I did a search for dupes before I posted this, but I TOTALLY missed them. One thing I don't get is why idea #8 isn't treated as the parent idea to which all the others are linked.

Someone posted this on the ubuntu forums when I mentioned this idea, and it looks like a decent implementation of getting updates, packages, etc through torrent:

http://packages.ubuntu.com/hardy/debtorrent.

Has anyone tried this package?


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