Downloading openSUSE FAST using Metalink

[hcvv]

As this method is not widely known (even the openSUSE download page does not mention it) I thought it appropriate to write this sort of advertorial. It is not a HowTO, but it shows where to go for more information and it includes some positive experiences in the first 24 hours after the launching of openSUSE 11.1.

First the link that has a good introduction into the usage of Metalink especialy for the download of openSUSE: openSUSE Lizards » Best Way to Download openSUSE.

In short it shows that Metalink provides a combination of the well known download methods FTP, HTTP and P2P (torrent) including the usage of mirrors. More about Metalink: Metalink - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The first link mentioned several Metalink client possibilities. As openSUSE 10.3 user I decided for aria2. Of course I used Webpin and asking for aria2 for 10.3 gave me Webpin. I decided to use the version from the network:/utilities repo (it seemed to be the most "official" to me and did the one-click install. The same for aria2fe, but that was only out of curiosity.

The exact call to aria2 is mentioned in that first link, but I started aria2fe from the KDE menu, where I found it under Internet > Data exchange. I pasted the URL in the first field, browsed for my download directory in the Target Directory: field and clicked the "Run" icon above. A terminal/console window popped up, which seems to be logical because aria2 is a CLI application and aria2fe is just a GUI interface to start it. The terminal window shows what is going on and gives an estimate download time. Of course that estimate will be more reliable after 5 or 10 minutes. It said 90 minutes for me, which would be awfull.

And it did, almost to the minute. As it uses also P2P it also works as seeder, so I let it run for some time after the download was complete.

Some more comments found in this and other Forums:

Using DownThemAll, I've got a bit less than an hour to go. I installed this Firefox extension and also aria2, just for today's download extravaganza, so I'm not familiar with them yet. I practiced a download of a live CD last week and dTa seems to seed a torrent when its finished. Since aria2 doesn't have the same kind of gui, I'm not sure if it also begins to seed.

Anyway, if it does seed, I'm leaving it open.

Just thought I'd post my experience.
I have a 2Mb/s DSL connection. Previously, this ruled out any kind of OS download. Anyway, I tried the aria2 method, and it estimated about 5 hours.
I have a peak-time cap on my connection, but any download between 00:01 and 07:59 is not counted, so, at 00:02, I set the thing going.
I awoke this morning to discover a perfect download, in the time stated. Awesome!!

Which shows that FF with Down Them All gives the same experience.

Looking for other clients for other OSs? There are lot here: Metalink - openSUSE

[robopensuse]

GMTA - Great Minds .. or Fools Seldom Differ?

Getting 11.1 at Max Speed

The problem is too many new threads, and the blog stuff coming out just before release, rather than a few days before, when ppl were researching.

Hard to keep these threads visible!

[hcvv]

oldcpu will mention this method in the sticky NEWBIES - Suse-11.1 Pre-installation – PLEASE READ - openSUSE Forums
Hope this helps telling those that are most in want of the info (the newbies).

I also hope that the openSUSE download page is adapted to it.