[OSM-dev] P2P magnet links for planet.osm distribution

[Tom Higgy]

Hi folks.

I don't suppose there's a great number of people with a P2P client 
installed (other than BitTorrent - support coming one day, maybe). Even 
so, this is pretty good way to demonstrate its usefulness.

I've written a couple of scripts (running on my mirror of the planet 
file[1]) that automatically generate a magnet[2] link, as well as 
providing the usual HTTP links, for each file.

When you click the magnet link your P2P client (shareaza, limewire, etc) 
picks it up and will start downloading the file. Once other people have 
the file on their computers they can then start uploading to other 
people that have the file, saving bandwidth on the central server.

Yes, it's like BitTorrent except it doesn't require the intermediate 
.torrent file.

I've been meaning to do this for a while but never had anything 
particularly worth doing it for. But now I do and I have.

Have a g'day,

[1] http://osm.bandnet.org/planet/
[2] http://magnet-uri.sourceforge.net/

-- 
Tom

- www.bandnet.org