Use Metalink to assist in ISO downloads
Metadl by Hampus Wessman is used by Wubi.
Metadl Features:
* Protocols: HTTP, FTP.
* Resuming downloads.
* Metalinks: local or remote, multi-file metalinks, mirrors, hashes (MD5, SHA-1), chunk checksums (SHA-1).
* Automatic mirror selection.
* Needs no user interaction at all.
* Everything is possible to cancel.
* Progress is always displayed (it never just freezes).
Metalink can help with ISO downloads. Numerous other Linux/BSD distributions, OpenOffice.org, and cURL make use of it. It is a file format and system supported by download programs.
Metalink has the following advantages:
* Very fast downloads (usually as fast as your connection allows, if mirrors are not overloaded).
* Automatic full file checksum verification at end of transfer.
* Automatic error correction for downloads in progress and repairing of corrupted downloads (using optional chunk checksums/repair info/segment hashes).
* List multiple FTP/HTTP/P2P sources for a download. A .metalink for an ISO will list all mirrors that it is available from.
* Some ISPs and organizations don't allow P2P, so it's good to have the FTP/HTTP sources.
* Some users have trouble with P2P downloads because of configuration issues.
* If one link or server fails, download automatically continues using another.
* Ability to give certain mirrors or P2P sources priority.
* List location information (by country) for mirrors, so downloads can be filtered by location.
* No server side changes or tracker necessary.
* GPLed Clients for Mac, Unix, and Windows, along with non-Free clients. (aria2 included in feisty, there is also a Windows port).
People have been using Metalinks to download Ubuntu, Edubuntu, and Kubuntu ISOs for almost a year from http://
The Metalink project is interested in all changes and improvements that anyone might recommend.
More information:
* http://
* http://
* https:/
* Another proposal for Metalink system wide at https:/
