Snag the Red Hat 9 ISOs, via Cash or BitTorrent

Red Hat Linux 9 is out, and as of today the ISOs are officially available to Red Hat Network subscribers ($60/yr). Or, as of right now, you can grab the same ISOs using BitTorrent. For those unfamiliar with this free/Free P2P download protocol, an introduction follows, written by ololiuhqui. Update: 03/31 23:45 GMT by J : After roughly four hours, BitTorrent has transferred over 500 full copies of all 3 ISOs, and a total of over 1.5 TB, at 170 Mbytes/sec. Thanks to the more than 3000 people who helped each other download the data, and especially to the more than 200 who got full copies and still have their clients open, to keep serving data to everyone else :)

Tectonic Rumblings

Every so often a new tool comes along that causes a shift from Bronze to Iron, that divides history into "before" and "after." The peer-to-peer world has certainly seen its share. Those who used 486s to encode and play MP3s remember it wasn't just abysmal modem speeds that kept people from casual trading, but the tiresome process of finding users and content; Napster freed us from that bondage, letting the computer do the heavy lifting and freeing people to do what they do best.

When the weaknesses began to show in Napster's overly centralized model, Gnutella stepped in with a distributed, decentralized network. Audiogalaxy gave us astounding variety (even the most obscure music could always be found sooner or later) and a rich sense of community that is still sorely missed. WinMX offered the ability to connect to multiple Napster-compatible networks; with the advent of multi-source downloading, Morpheus and similar programs allowed us to rise above the limitations of slow upstream (until it's hard now to find any P2P applications that don't use it); and EDonkey added the nice touch of being able to share files before they were done downloading.

So what's the next stage of P2P evolution?

Enter BitTorrent -- a "swarming, scatter and gather" file transfer protocol developed by Bram Cohen that's taking the net by storm. Even without a friendly, unified interface, BT's ability to scale in the face of overwhelming demand while minimizing the free rider problem ("leeching") has attracted a flood of new users. But as with any tool, understanding how and why it works will always make using it easier and more fun.

All technical references are taken from the BT server tutorial and the official documentation.

Let's Start with the Basics

BitTorrent is not a 'website' or a 'network', and strictly speaking is not even a program -- it's a protocol with a number of functional implementations.

Instead of jumping right into downloading, first we'll discuss how files are served. Most new BT users are familiar with going to a website and clicking on links to .torrent files, but this just provides a friendlier interface and isn't actually necessary. All you really need to serve is a public Internet machine. The "tracker" will "keep track" of who is connected and who has which pieces of the file(s) in question. Like any public Internet service, a static IP address and/or valid hostname will make it easier for people to connect to your tracker.

To start serving, you choose a file or directory to serve and run a program which generates a .torrent file. This contains a 'hash,' which serves as a checksum to ensure the file is the same on all systems, as well as the address of a tracker. A typical .torrent file is quite small, typically 5-50k in size.

The second step is to load the .torrent file into a BT client. The client asks you where to save the file, you point it at the existing and complete copy, it verifies that the file hash matches, says the download is done and sits there uploading when necessary until you cancel it.

Here's an animated graphic (.mng, currently viewable only in Mozilla) of a torrent transfer.

Getting Started

The official BT client is available for Win32, Mac OS X, as an unstable Debian package, and as Python source code.

Getting started is quite simple; the Windows installer asks no questions and provides no options, and the only behind-the-scenes addition is that Internet Explorer now launches BT when you click on links to .torrent files. (Mozilla users will need to edit Preferences, Navigator, Helper Applications and add the mime type "application/x-bittorrent", to be launched by the btdownloadprefetched executable.) You can also download .torrent files and load them locally without going through a website.

Once the .torrent has been invoked, the client will prompt you for a location to save the file to. The client then creates a file of the appropriate size containing all zeros, and connects to the tracker to get a starting list of some random subset of available peers (other users connected to the 'swarm'). BT then starts connecting to peers and downloading random chunks of the file, and begin uploading to other peers as soon as you have enough for it to bother.

Every time your client verifies another piece of the download, it tells the tracker it has a good copy of that piece. By directly utilizing each user's outgoing bandwidth, downloads can be generally be completed very quickly while minimizing the load on the original server, in effect turning the dreaded "Slashdot Effect" against itself -- the more who want to download, the more there are to upload. Sooner or later (usually sooner), the download is done, and the client continues to upload pieces to other users.

What's In It For Me?

Now your first instinct at this point might be to close the program, but you really ought to leave it open as long as possible afterward, to help seed the file into the network. But this is really a social and cultural issue which can't necessarily be addressed through technical measures; BT can enforce fairness during the transfer with its algorithms, but no software can force the user to keep the client open. Many tracker owners keep a close eye on such things, and will generally ban repeat offenders. In any event, "giving back" your bandwidth has never been easier, even for users behind firewalls or NAT (although as always, being able to avoid or go through these will make the transfers more efficient).

Alternative Clients and Other Tools

That said, there are perfectly valid reasons to want some control over the amount of bandwidth a P2P application uses, and an experimental, unofficial client (Win32, Python source) has been created to provide a friendly interface for this. BT will automatically adjust your download speed appropriately if you set a slower upload speed, but it's still an invaluable tool for some cable and DSL users whose downloads will choke and abort if they use too much upstream, or for anyone with limited upstream who wants to reserve some of it for other uses.

Currently, both the official and experimental GUI clients use a separate window for each transfer. BT++ (Win32, Python source) has made an initial attempt at combining all transfers into one window, as well as offering some other enhancements, but users report mixed results, with some saying "it works for me" and others that it's buggy to the point of unusable; still, it's one to keep an eye on. (Caveat: BT++ provides an option to automatically stop uploading when the download is completed. I believe this deliberately encourages people to do so even if there is no real need to do so, and would advise anyone using BT++ to refrain from using this option; it's unnecessary, detrimental to the BT networks, and may lead to your IP being banned as described above.)

TorrentSpy (Win32) is another useful tool that shows various statistics about your transfers, including which files of a multi-file torrent are complete. It's not meant to replace a downloading client, but to complement it.

I should add that the speed and time-to-completion numbers may not be wholly accurate, and will typically fluctuate wildly to some extent during a transfer. (After all, do you believe Windows when it tells you how long it will take to copy a file?) The "percentage completed" at least is accurate, and you may be able to get more accurate information using TorrentSpy. A new version of BT has just been released (3.2) and its reported changes include "more even and consistent download rates".

A Few Miscellaneous Points

It's quite possible to generate .torrents for files you want to serve and then advertise them on someone else's tracker. Since anyone can run a tracker, BT is more like IRC, Usenet or Direct Connect than something like Kazaa. Like Freenet, it works best if the content is highly in demand; it's also more effective on recently released stuff. One highly recommeded website is Bstark. It doesn't provide .torrents for anyone to download, but functions as a "metatracker", that is, a tracker that keeps track of trackers. If you're a statistics geek, the graphs are a lot of fun, and even for the average user it's a simple way to check what files are most in demand and most in need of someone to serve them. This is even more effective when you combine it with an alternate means of communication such as IRC or email, making it easy for users to check supply and meet demand. The .torrent file can also be distributed by any means, be it a website, IRC channel, email attachments or perhaps carrier pigeon.

Conclusion

With the 'entertainment industry' finally focusing their attention on IRC, the cantankerous and difficult granddaddy of Internet file sharing, BitTorrent has found a niche and filled it admirably. The author understandably wishes to focus upon using BT in a legal manner. As with any new invention, "the street finds its own use for technology," and BitTorrent will undoubtedly continue to be rapidly adopted for both licit and illicit use.

Given the decentralized nature of BT networks and the rapid development of new tools, it's only a matter of time before someone writes a GUI wrapper for an IRC client, web browser and all-in-one BitTorrent interface. After all, Napster did it, as do most other mainstream P2P apps like Kazaa. Like Direct Connect with its 'hubs,' there will always be multiple BT servers available, and a unified interface would not only make it easier for users to find and download content, but free them to focus on forming the social and cultural networks that are also needed. A website typically uses far too much CPU and bandwidth to handle popular traffic, but a BT tracker uses minimal bandwidth by itself. Perhaps the next-generation clients will try to automatically locate trackers, or help the user find and serve older content as well as new releases.

The late great Audiogalaxy had many strengths, but one of its most fundamental was the sense of community it encouraged. BitTorrent wisely fills a narrow set of technical requirements, leaving a great deal to human need and will. The ad hoc arrangements and customs that have so far sprouted as expressions of the will to fill these needs are often chaotic and messy -- but that's human action for you.

Comments

Much better than all of us rushing the FTP servers

[man1ed]

I remember when 8.0 came out, it was days before I could find a mirror that didn't already have too many users connected. I think it is a great idea to use p2p to to distribute it.

BitTorrent not working well

[Drunken Coward]

Estimated time left: 75 hours 25 minutes 35 seconds

Current download rate: 3 kB/s
Current upload rate: 35 kB/s

Seems to be some sort of bottleneck :(

Is it available at any FTP mirrors yet?

Re:BitTorrent not working well

[nstrom]

BitTorrent takes a little bit of time to get up to speed, please wait a few minutes, and your download speed should go up.

I thought you were right on...

[Wee]

And I thought you were being sarcastic. I'm sure other people will see your post as saracastic as well. But you have a good point. Red Hat is clearly doing the pay-for-prerelease thing to make some green. If people can get it for free, then they likely will. That isn't a good thing for Red Hat.

I personally ponied up my 60 bucks, but then again I also go out and buy boxed copies.

-B

Re:I thought you were right on...

[Frymaster]

They COULD put all their files on a 64k throttle except for subscribers, and meet the requirements of the GPL

or they could just follow the example of theo and co. from the openbsd site:

3.3 - Does OpenBSD provide an ISO image for download?
The OpenBSD project does not make the ISO images used to master the official CDs available for download. The reason is simply that we would like you to buy the CD sets, helping fund ongoing OpenBSD development. The official OpenBSD CD-ROM layout is copyright Theo de Raadt. Theo does not permit people to redistribute images of the official OpenBSD CDs. As an incentive for people to buy the CD set, some extras are included in the package as well (artwork, stickers etc).

Note that only the CD layout is copyrighted, OpenBSD itself is free. Nothing precludes someone else from downloading OpenBSD and making their own CD.

i've always thought this was a good comporomise between letting the dedicated and the geeky get what they are entitled to (the source to play with) while encouraging the moms and pops to chip into the corporate kitty. note that the price of openbsd producst is low... i think i paid $30 for the last batch of cd's i bought (and it came with stickers).

Re:How about some ethics ?

[bramcohen]

Maybe RedHat should release their stuff under a 'turns into GPL after a week' license if they don't want their software redistributed quickly.

Charging money for a week is no different than charging money indefinitely. BitTorrent is a great tool which RedHat can use to get their bandwidth costs under control so they can focus on their core business, whatever that may be.

And do we really *need* it?

[Lysol]

Why all the effort? There have already been a couple of reviews out on 9 and it looks like it's nothing more than a little gloss over what can be had with 8. And frankly, 8 is ok, but I'm feeling my relationship is over with RedHat.

I have been slowly, over the past year or so, warming up more and more to Gentoo. Today, in fact, I'm re-installing one of my home servers with Gentoo 1.4 because I just want it the way I want it. Gentoo is shaping up to be a great distro and if you love the days of getting your hands dirty in the depth of things, then you should give it a whirl. Altho it may not be worth it to everyone, there is something to be said about a blazingly fast distro that's tailored to your machine.

Plus, portage smokes rpm - in fact, the BSD ports was one thing I really missed with Linux. Now, it's the best of both worlds.

Re:Direct Connect

[TheSHAD0W]

BT doesn't work that way. It starts uploading pieces of the file you've already downloaded, shortly after you start downloading. It's not a matter of what you're sharing, because you're only sharing the file being transferred. And everyone downloading is a contributor.

Working better now?

[jamie]

Current download rate: 3 kB/s
Current upload rate: 35 kB/s

Is it running any faster now, after 15 minutes or so? My download rates shortly after the Slashdot story went live were around 5-7 K/s. Since then it's been steadily increasing -- presumably as more and more Slashdot readers download, install and run BitTorrent, providing more clients for me to connect to. I'm now up to 25-30 K/s, which is roughly the same as my upload speed.

Pretty cool!

[Anonymous Coward]

Ok, I just installed the client and started the download. I'm running on a Speakeasy DSL connection.

Current status:

Estimated time left: 116 hour 30 min 37 sec
Download rate: 0 kB/s
Upload rate: 13 kB/s

It's like slogging through distributed mud!

ridiculous

[the_phenom]

I find it ridiculous that the loudest linux/open source zealots in here refuse to pay to support it. Open source programmers deserve to be paid too. Put your money where your mouth is. And yes, for the record, I've paid for every version of RH since 6.x, and I even paid for Debian once. :) Let the flames begin.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Add-on freshrpms.net packages

[French Thias]

Here's a forward of an email I've sent earlier, which should please some Red Hat Linux desktop users. The sylpheed packages have been updated (the problem worked around), and the ALSA kernel modules are on their way!

Matthias

From: Matthias Saou
To: RPM-List
Subject: Red Hat Linux 9 freshrpms packages
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2003 16:11:33 +0200

Hi all,

Red Hat Linux 9 is here, and so are the new freshrpms.net packages!
Of course, as the main distribution is only currenty available to RHN
subscribers, the "os" and "updates" apt/yum modules aren't avaible yet, and
won't be until the release actually hits the stores and public ftp servers,
which should happen one week from now.
The new website is:
http://shrike.freshrpms.net/
All relevant parts of freshrpms.net and apt.freshrpms.net have been (or are soon going to be) updated to reflect the change.

New stuff: (*IMPORTANT*)
- The apt server is now http://ayo.freshrpms.net/ and the paths no longer
include "en". For the info, "ayo" stands for "apt, yum and others" ;-)
- All files are also available through yum, although no yum package for
Red Hat Linux 9 is currently available from freshrpms.net (soon!). See
http://www.dulug.duke.edu/yum/ for more.
- Some packages have had their non-relevant epoch value removed. These
may be problematic if you decide to upgrade your system instead of
performing a complete reinstall. The affected packages are:
- apg
- anjuta
- blackbox (but was 0 anyway)
- gentoo
- gkrellm
- gkrellm-plugins
- gkrellm-themes
- gtktalog
- i8kutils
- libdvdcss
- ltris
- proftpd
- subtitleripper
- xine
The only packages with epoch set are the ones that need it in order to
keep upgradability with older Red Hat packages.
- The ALSA kernel modules don't work with the default Red Hat 9 kernel, so
until a solution is available, no ALSA :-(
- The mjpegtools won't recompile, so transcode is currently built without
mjpeg support (required for (S)VCD IIRC).
- The sylpheed and sylpheed-claws packages don't seem to recompile with SSL
and produce include errors (krb5 from openssl) that I also have on
YellowDog Linux 3.0, I'll dig into that. For now, the 8.0 binary
packages should work fine.
- A few packages now compile again in their latest version, most notably
the screem web editor and the totem xine/gtk2 player.
For the impatient ones, remember that signing up with RHN will allow you to
support Red Hat, which is still providing us with a great (my favorite ;-))
GNU/Linux distribution! For the others, only one week left to go... and...
have you considered subscribing to RHN? :-)

That's all for now, please report back to me any eventual problems, but
most of all... have fun!
Matthias

laud this effort

[jaxon6]

I laud this effort. Here's my situation: We pay for the rhn service at work. I attempt to download the 3 iso's, and I get combined download speeds of 22kB/s. This is unacceptable. I'm using BitTorrent right now, and the speed is 1900kB/s, and rising. The machine is on a 100mb/s switch, on MIT network, so I'll probably get 3mB/s before the download finishes.
This is an example of a legal use of p2p technology directly benefitting a valid user.

RH = Windows

[mslinux]

I use Debian GNU/Linux on PPC (Macintosh Hardware) so RH 9 matters not to me.

However, after seeing more and more of their money grubbing ways (AS,ES and the other subscription income methods they have started lately) I downloaded bit torrent and the RH 9 ISOs to a spare box and plan to leave it up and running all week. It's on a dedicated 100Mbit ethernet line. Take that... RH Marketing bastards!

I can remember when RH used to be fun, when it used to be for the community... those days are long gone. RH 9 will be EOL w/i no time. Why withold it from loyal users at all? Power to the people... that's what FREE software is all about. Thank you RMS! Thank you!!!

Re:Hopefully, it is faster...

[fireshipjohn]

I'm a subscriber too!
And even getting the Sendmail patches today was painful...

They have not quite got their act together,
I'm not interested that much in V9 but Sendmail
patches are fairly critical stuff, they need
more than one delivery route.

With all this and 1 year of support, I'm thinking
of the apt-get solution...!

Holy crap, my software got mentioned on /. !!!

[Knowbuddy]

Yeah, it's buried way down in the body of the article, but it's still there. w00t! I'm the guy that wrote TorrentSpy. The web site that the link points to is running on my PC at home on cable 'net access. 300 hits in 3 hours. Not too bad so far, I guess. My gf is gonna kill me if I get slashdotted, tho. There are worse ways to go, I guess ...

I've had several people express interest in an *nix version of TSpy. It's written in Delphi, which theoretically means it shouldn't be too hard to port over to Kylix. If anyone has Kylix experience and would like to help out, feel free to contact me at the email on my web site.

I'm gonna go tail -f my log file and listen to my network bog down.

Re:Quibble: There's still one left

[ajs]

True, this is an exception. However, while I was wrong, my response was not in that the original poster was.... head ... spinning.

What I meant to say is that the orignal claim that you could not go copying Red Hat 9 CDs because all of the software was not of the sort that you could just go copying around is simply not true. Red Hat 9 is free in that sense. It's not free in the sense that OSI requires.

Interesting that Red Hat is not exactly open source (when installed in full) because of software I've been building from freely downloaded source for years.... heh.

Good catch.

Re:Much better than all of us rushing the FTP serv

[packeteer]

My connection has a 608kbit download rate but only a 128kbit upload. My ADSL service is designed for downloading from powerful servers and NOT uploading huge amounts of data myself. So am i just screwed with BitTorrent?