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Making Freenet Find Stuff Faster

Posted by timothy on from the chugging-through-the-data dept.

Sanity writes "Many probably saw the recent announcement of Freenet 0.5.2. This release represented a vast amount of work - primarily in reducing Freenet's CPU and memory requirements. However, streamlining Freenet's current functionality isn't all we've been working on. I just finished an article that describes the most fundamental improvement to Freenet's core algorithm since its original design over three years ago, it is called "Next Generation Routing" and has the potential to dramatically increase the speed with which Freenet retrieves information. It could even make Freenet faster than the World Wide Web in many circumstances, all without compromizing anonymity and while remaining immune to the /. effect."

2 of 283 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Java can't be efficient (OT) by owlstead · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is incorrect. For networking related stuff, Java is efficient. It will use some more memory, and it will use (a bit more) CPU power but there are many reasons to go with java for such a project:

    - easier language to pick up / understand (this is a collective effort)
    - little to no chance of buffer overruns, making the node much safer against attacks)
    - runs on Linux, Apple, Sun, Windows, FreeBSD without - any - porting
    - java was more or less created with projects like these in mind, so most functionality will be readily available in the default libraries

    Nowadays CPU and memory are commodities that can easily be come by. I see it taking about 32 MB right now, but that is out of a single 512 MB pool that can be upgraded to 1 GB for virtually free. My processor usage is max 25%, but note that the freenet guys set the priority to low themselves.

    Java means a shift to better programming, with better runtime information and safer programs. This will take CPU and memory, but this is an offer you should consider very well.

    This same discussion went on between assembler and C programmers. Look at it now. I think the progress of object oriented, garbage collecting, more secure platforms are as important as that paradigm shift.

    Warper

  2. Re:ad for freenet? by man1ed · · Score: 5, Insightful

    freenet still isint there yet, but feel free to tell us when.

    This is just the attitude that is delaying the adoption of many new technologies (IPv6, for one). "Early adopter, what's that? Just tell me when it's done!" How do you expect it to "get there" if no one uses it? Take a chance. You might be pleasantly surprised.