blog/posts/Jul-10-2007.mdwn

[[!meta title="DebTorrent Release 0.1.2"]]

Today I have [released][10] the next version of [DebTorrent][20]. It's
been over a month since the last release, which means there are lots
of new features in this one.

This is also the first release that I consider actually useable, as it
now listens for HTTP requests from APT for packages to download, and
feeds the downloaded packages back to APT. It also includes a backup
HTTP downloader that will use a Debian mirror to download packages
from, only when no peers can be found that have them. This means your
download always works, even if you're an early adopter (which I hope
you are) and there aren't that many peers available. Finally, the
larger packages have now been split into multiple pieces, which makes
downloading them much more efficient.

Here's the changelog:

 * Add proxying capability to listen for HTTP requests from APT
 * Add caching for all files downloaded
 * Add automatic starting of torrents when Packages files are
   downloaded
 * Modify startup to initialize all torrent downloads to download
   nothing
 * Add automatic enabling of files to download based on requests from
   APT
 * Add a backup HTTP download from a mirror when no peers can be found
   for a package
 * Modify torrent creation to break large packages into multiple
   pieces based on the information from 
   http://merkel.debian.org/~ajt/extrapieces/
   (thanks to aj for most of this)
 * Add download status information available from
   http://localhost:9988/
 * Add lots more documentation

I've already started work on the next release, which will include
almost no new features, but will be much easier (I hope) to use. It
will also be distributed in a .deb binary format for the first time,
and (again I hope) be available in the Debian archive. Here are the
plans I've come up with for the steps to complete for the next
release:

1. Make a debtorrent daemon script based on btlaunchmany
2. Make a config file with lots of explanations
3. Load configuration info from /etc
4. Save downloads and state to /var/cache
5. Log all messages to /var/log
6. Clean up the debug logging, possibly add debug levels
7. Use bittornado packaging files (debian/)
8. Add init script

I've never created/packaged a daemon before, so hopefully I haven't
made any blunders in those plans.

[10]: https://alioth.debian.org/frs/?group_id=31109
[20]: http://debtorrent.alioth.debian.org/

[[!tag Debian GoogleSoC]]
1	[[!meta title="DebTorrent Release 0.1.2"]]
2
3	Today I have [released][10] the next version of [DebTorrent][20]. It's
4	been over a month since the last release, which means there are lots
5	of new features in this one.
6
7	This is also the first release that I consider actually useable, as it
8	now listens for HTTP requests from APT for packages to download, and
9	feeds the downloaded packages back to APT. It also includes a backup
10	HTTP downloader that will use a Debian mirror to download packages
11	from, only when no peers can be found that have them. This means your
12	download always works, even if you're an early adopter (which I hope
13	you are) and there aren't that many peers available. Finally, the
14	larger packages have now been split into multiple pieces, which makes
15	downloading them much more efficient.
16
17	Here's the changelog:
18
19	* Add proxying capability to listen for HTTP requests from APT
20	* Add caching for all files downloaded
21	* Add automatic starting of torrents when Packages files are
22	downloaded
23	* Modify startup to initialize all torrent downloads to download
24	nothing
25	* Add automatic enabling of files to download based on requests from
26	APT
27	* Add a backup HTTP download from a mirror when no peers can be found
28	for a package
29	* Modify torrent creation to break large packages into multiple
30	pieces based on the information from
31	http://merkel.debian.org/~ajt/extrapieces/
32	(thanks to aj for most of this)
33	* Add download status information available from
34	http://localhost:9988/
35	* Add lots more documentation
36
37	I've already started work on the next release, which will include
38	almost no new features, but will be much easier (I hope) to use. It
39	will also be distributed in a .deb binary format for the first time,
40	and (again I hope) be available in the Debian archive. Here are the
41	plans I've come up with for the steps to complete for the next
42	release:
43
44	1. Make a debtorrent daemon script based on btlaunchmany
45	2. Make a config file with lots of explanations
46	3. Load configuration info from /etc
47	4. Save downloads and state to /var/cache
48	5. Log all messages to /var/log
49	6. Clean up the debug logging, possibly add debug levels
50	7. Use bittornado packaging files (debian/)
51	8. Add init script
52
53	I've never created/packaged a daemon before, so hopefully I haven't
54	made any blunders in those plans.
55
56	[10]: https://alioth.debian.org/frs/?group_id=31109
57	[20]: http://debtorrent.alioth.debian.org/
58
59	[[!tag Debian GoogleSoC]]