Could we get the FreeBSD torrent servers back?

[Randy Pratt]

On Sun, 25 Feb 2007 03:29:37 -0500
Chris Slothouber <chris at hier7.com> wrote:

> Andrew Lentvorski wrote:
> > Chris Slothouber wrote:
> > 
> >> But isn't the whole point of peer to peer file distribution to 
> >> *distribute* the bandwidth requirements to the point that the costs 
> >> involved for each of the individual peers is trivial but the client 
> >> receiving the file still obtains full speed of a direct download?
> > 
> > Yes, actually, it is.
> > 
> > -a
> 
> I think it would then serve the interests of the FreeBSD community to 
> establish a long-term file distribution plan that includes a proven peer 
> to peer system, like torrent.
> 
> It really wouldn't take that much effort, and any bandwidth necessary 
> for seeding, especially initial seeding, could be re-allocated out of 
> what is already being used for direct downloads.
> 
> Since torrent is a rather widely-accepted means of downloading and 
> clients are available for pretty much every platform, it could become 
> the primary vector for distributing large binaries (such as ISOs) that 
> put a sustained burden on the donated mirrors.
> 
> Direct downloads could still be offered for these files for 
> compatibility's sake, albeit at a reduced rate, using shaping or 
> whatever else.

I didn't even realize that torrents were no longer offered but its
not too surprising.  I would guess the reason to be that most
FreeBSD users update their systems via cvsup/csup and never have
any need for all the bits that are on the iso images.

A fresh install is about the only time an iso image is useful.
When its necessary to do a fresh install, I typically will
get the boot-only image and install only the binaries.  No sources,
no ports tree, no docs since the iso image is outdated as soon as
it was posted.  The latest sources are then added to the system via
cvsup/csup and built.

I have 6.2-STABLE running on all systems but don't have any 6.x
CDROM's.  I used some 5.x version image to reinstall from 4.x in
order to ease that transition point but normally reinstalls are
unnecessary and avoided.

Randy
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