It is almost ready for a first public version and I would like to ask (again - I have asked before by personal mail and on aw.net but didn't get an answer) if it is ok to release it. Especially the "Download Changed+New" option will download everything from OS4Depot that's not on the local hard drive. Although it is useful for persons who like to have their local OS4Depot mirror, it might create bandwidth problems. One word and I remove this option.
I would also like to ask for permission to use the OS4Depot logo for the program icon and perhaps a little graphic for the window.
@alexw Personally I think you should put a big warning on the mass download option and let the user decide. Maybe even hide it in a menu option or behind another requester or similar.
There are all sorts of programs already out there to do the same thing (wget comes to mind) so the only thing you have done is put the power into an easy-to-press button really.
Plus you might want to ask Orgin if there already is some bandwidth limiting on os4depot already. If not, perhaps he would like to add one (e.g. 20 downloads per 24 hour period from the same IP).
@ssolie The user can always stop the downloading process when he realizes what he has done. So from the user's side I see no problem. I'm just concerned with the OS4Depot bandwidth if everyone decides to keep a local mirror
It looks very useful.As far as the download all button each user would only need to do that once to set up their local mirror. After that it would just be new/updated files.
What functionality does your program have. Can I set it to update my local mirror to the current status of OS4Depot. Say, if I have been on holiday, etc and have missed over a weeks uploads, and they have disappeard off of the recent page. Could I do a progressive(?) download, or do I have to download each file manually?
As for the icons, klesterjr made some icons for me intended for the os4depot CD/DVD. There might be something in there that you can use. Or you can create some of your own from the graphics on the website.
Where "since" is the timestamp from which you want os4depot to generate a file list from. Just use "0" as the value the first time you retrieve the file list and then use the value received in the <timestamp> tag every following time. The timestamp represents the time, from a server point of view, when it generated the data sent to you.
As for the 'download all' option. Please put some warning requester in it, warning that this will put a strain on server bandwidth. If 400 os4 users started that function at the same time then the server owner is going to give me a hard time. (That would amount to about 1,2Tb of data). So some kind of warning or built in bandwidth limitation would be nice, though I don't mind people having local os4depot mirrors.
Swoop wrote: @alexw It looks very useful.As far as the download all button each user would only need to do that once to set up their local mirror. After that it would just be new/updated files.
What functionality does your program have. Can I set it to update my local mirror to the current status of OS4Depot. Say, if I have been on holiday, etc and have missed over a weeks uploads, and they have disappeard off of the recent page. Could I do a progressive(?) download, or do I have to download each file manually?
Yes, the "Download Changed+New" does exactly that. Changed files are files that you have already downloaded, but have been updated on OS4Depot and new files are files that are on OS4Depot but not in your local directory. It will download all these and nothing else.
orgin wrote: @alexw As for the icons, klesterjr made some icons for me intended for the os4depot CD/DVD. There might be something in there that you can use. Or you can create some of your own from the graphics on the website.
Thanks! I will see what I can use.
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If you want to reduce the strain on the server when keeping the file list updated you can use this url:
Where "since" is the timestamp from which you want os4depot to generate a file list from. Just use "0" as the value the first time you retrieve the file list and then use the value received in the <timestamp> tag every following time. The timestamp represents the time, from a server point of view, when it generated the data sent to you.
Currently I'm using the FULLINDEX.readme. Using this URL would be possible but not without changing the current program a lot. Perhaps in a later version?
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As for the 'download all' option. Please put some warning requester in it, warning that this will put a strain on server bandwidth. If 400 os4 users started that function at the same time then the server owner is going to give me a hard time. (That would amount to about 1,2Tb of data). So some kind of warning or built in bandwidth limitation would be nice, though I don't mind people having local os4depot mirrors.
Also it nice if you can add some kind "lha x" option, download and unpack.
Just select a file that is not downloaded yet and click on "Open". If you have configured your DefIcons, it will download and open the downloaded file with UnArc for example. Or PDF's with AmiPDF, videos with DvPlayer, ...
How about just allowing each user to have his/her own os4depot selection? Basically log everything the user downloads and allow to check just those archives. If the user wants everything, they'd have to download weach archive manually, but only once.
Perhaps that functionality is already implemented. But I would certainly not use the "download everything" option. Who would?
In all other respects it looks like a good program.