RE: Debian ISOs

["Anthony L. Bryan" <albryan@comcast.net>]

(Oops, hit the send key combo before finishing, sorry).

Here's a brief refresher on metalinks & how it could be useful for Debian
ISO distribution:

'Metalink makes complex download pages obsolete by replacing long lists of
download mirrors and BitTorrent trackers with a single .metalink file. As
you might have already guessed, a .metalink file is a file that tells a
download manager all the different ways it can download a file. The file
itself takes the form of an open XML standard that can list an unlimited
number of HTTP and FTP sources as well as BitTorrent trackers and ed2k and
magnet links.'

aria2 is in unstable and testing so people can install & use it easily,
thanks to Patrick.

I hope some people can try it out!

apt-get install aria2

aria2c
http://www.metalinker.org/samples/debian-31r2-i386-binary-1.iso.metalink

This is a big DVD ISO download, but if you just let it run for a few minutes
you'll see how fast & easy it can be if you have a fast connection. Once it
finishes, the checksum will automatically be verified. Automatically
generated metalinks would list all mirrors, so you could tell the client
you're in de so it should use those mirrors first, then other mirrors
nearby.

Here's what this metalink contains:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<metalink version="3.0" xmlns="http://www.metalinker.org/";>
  <publisher>
    <name>debian</name>
    <url>http://www.debian.org/</url>
  </publisher>
  <description>Debian 3.1r2 i386 DVD ISO</description>
  <files>
    <file name="debian-31r2-i386-binary-1.iso">
      <version>3.1r2</version>
      <os>Linux-x86</os>
      <verification>
        <hash type="md5">e467b508185f4fdd8e97c9ee76045288</hash>
      </verification>
      <resources>
        <url type="http" location="us"
preference="100">http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current/i386/iso-dvd/de
bian-31r2-i386-binary-1.iso</url>
        <url type="http" location="us"
preference="100">http://debian.osuosl.org/debian-cdimage/current/i386/iso-dv
d/debian-31r2-i386-binary-1.iso</url>
        <url type="http" location="ro"
preference="100">http://ftp.iasi.roedu.net/mirrors/ftp.debian.org/debian-cd/
current/i386/iso-dvd/debian-31r2-i386-binary-1.iso</url>
        <url type="http" location="br"
preference="100">http://linorg.usp.br/iso/debian/3.1_r2/i386/iso-dvd/debian-
31r2-i386-binary-1.iso</url>
        <url type="http" location="es"
preference="100">http://ftp.gva.es/mirror/debian-cd/current/i386/iso-dvd/deb
ian-31r2-i386-binary-1.iso</url>
        <url type="http" location="de"
preference="100">http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian-cd/current/i386/iso-dvd/deb
ian-31r2-i386-binary-1.iso</url>
        <url type="http" location="de"
preference="100">http://ftp-stud.fht-esslingen.de/debian-cd/current/i386/iso
-dvd/debian-31r2-i386-binary-1.iso</url>
        <url type="http" location="at"
preference="100">http://debian.inode.at/debian-cd/3.1_r2/i386/iso-dvd/debian
-31r2-i386-binary-1.iso</url>
        <url type="http" location="fr"
preference="100">ftp://ftp.free.fr/pub/Distributions_Linux/debian-cd/3.1_r2/
i386/iso-dvd/debian-31r2-i386-binary-1.iso</url>
        <url type="http" location="au"
preference="100">ftp://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/debian-cd/3.1_r2/i386/iso-dv
d/debian-31r2-i386-binary-1.iso</url>
        <url type="http" location="au"
preference="100">ftp://ftp.iinet.net.au/pub/debian/debian-cd/current/i386/is
o-dvd/debian-31r2-i386-binary-1.iso</url>
        <url type="http" location="be"
preference="100">ftp://ftp.scarlet.be/pub/debian-cd/current/i386/iso-dvd/deb
ian-31r2-i386-binary-1.iso</url>

		</resources>
    </file>
    </file>

  </files>
</metalink>