Linux and BitTorrent
With the release of Mandriva 2007, I decided to upgrade from 2006 on my Dell Optiplex GX280 workstation (which coexists with Windows XP Pro). This was also my first successful use of downloading using BitTorrent.
Mandriva (formerly Mandrake) has been known for making a product that is fairly easy to use, well thought out, and stable; 2007 is no exception. I found that there have been a few visual changes, and quite a few changes to some of the software. For example, it is now possible to install/uninstall software without switching from add to remove, and programs seem to open and run a bit faster. Of course, I'm still in the process of updating other software.
I use the Firefox web browser and OpenOffice.org office suite; among others. Those two programs' configurations are shared with its Windows counterparts. That way, if I were using Firefox, for example, I don't need to maintain separate bookmarks; they are the same regardless of whether I'm using XP or Mandriva.
Using Linux is also an exercise in troubleshooting; since our District uses Linux on our servers and Catalog computers. Though many things work "out of the box," there are a few nagging details that need to be sorted out. By understanding how something works and getting it right, you can apply that later on. It's a major time-saver, especially when it comes time to upgrade a mission-critical server.
On top of that, it's different, open, free, and fun to use, which is why I use it.
BitTorrent deserves further mention. It is software that allows downloading files that distributes the load among other copies of the same file. It's a peer-to-peer method, only BitTorrents download a file in pieces, not in order. I wasn't an early adopter because I didn't find the downloads fast, but after downloading a 2.5GB set of disk images (ISOs) for Mandriva (within hours), and downloading OpenOffice.org 2.0.4 (a 112MB file) in about twenty minutes, I am now convinced. It's not a matter of speed, but stability.
If you downloaded a file via conventional means, you are downloading it from only one source. If that source failed, you'd have to either resume the download at a later time, or find another source and start from scratch. When you're using peer-to-peer services and software like BitTorrent, you are downloading a file from multiple sources. If one source fails, others take up the load (known as fault tolerance). Therefore, there is no data loss, and no need to re-download a file.
The reason that P2P (Peer-To-Peer) services like BitTorrent, LimeWire, and Kazaa get a bad rep for piracy is because their users share songs and video that are copyrighted (something that music and movie companies frown upon). They can also be havens for less ethical people who want to spread adware and viruses. But, these services work very well, and are very handy for distributing very large files with a high level of reliability.
Mandriva (formerly Mandrake) has been known for making a product that is fairly easy to use, well thought out, and stable; 2007 is no exception. I found that there have been a few visual changes, and quite a few changes to some of the software. For example, it is now possible to install/uninstall software without switching from add to remove, and programs seem to open and run a bit faster. Of course, I'm still in the process of updating other software.
I use the Firefox web browser and OpenOffice.org office suite; among others. Those two programs' configurations are shared with its Windows counterparts. That way, if I were using Firefox, for example, I don't need to maintain separate bookmarks; they are the same regardless of whether I'm using XP or Mandriva.
Using Linux is also an exercise in troubleshooting; since our District uses Linux on our servers and Catalog computers. Though many things work "out of the box," there are a few nagging details that need to be sorted out. By understanding how something works and getting it right, you can apply that later on. It's a major time-saver, especially when it comes time to upgrade a mission-critical server.
On top of that, it's different, open, free, and fun to use, which is why I use it.
BitTorrent deserves further mention. It is software that allows downloading files that distributes the load among other copies of the same file. It's a peer-to-peer method, only BitTorrents download a file in pieces, not in order. I wasn't an early adopter because I didn't find the downloads fast, but after downloading a 2.5GB set of disk images (ISOs) for Mandriva (within hours), and downloading OpenOffice.org 2.0.4 (a 112MB file) in about twenty minutes, I am now convinced. It's not a matter of speed, but stability.
If you downloaded a file via conventional means, you are downloading it from only one source. If that source failed, you'd have to either resume the download at a later time, or find another source and start from scratch. When you're using peer-to-peer services and software like BitTorrent, you are downloading a file from multiple sources. If one source fails, others take up the load (known as fault tolerance). Therefore, there is no data loss, and no need to re-download a file.
The reason that P2P (Peer-To-Peer) services like BitTorrent, LimeWire, and Kazaa get a bad rep for piracy is because their users share songs and video that are copyrighted (something that music and movie companies frown upon). They can also be havens for less ethical people who want to spread adware and viruses. But, these services work very well, and are very handy for distributing very large files with a high level of reliability.
posted by Technology Coordinator at 10:17 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home