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Posts with tag DownloadManager

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware

QWinApt Wants to Be Synaptic When it Grows Up

With the number of apps I'm downloading steadily on the rise, I'm always on the lookout for tools to simplify the process for me. QWinApt aims to give us poor Windows users a utility with the same killer functionality of Linux's Synaptic package manager. It's a great idea, and an improvement from Win-get (which Brad reviewed in 2007), but it's still not quite up to par with its Linux cousins.

Getting QWinApt running requires two small downloads, the core app itself and wget to actually do the downloading. Extract them both to the same folder, launch the executable and you're on your way. All that's left is to choose a location for your downloads, and the package manager will open.

The graphical frontend is clean and simple (we'll overlook grammar and spelling - it's free, right?) and breaks down applications into main categories. Those categories are repeated in your download folder, so when you check an app (or apps) and hit apply, they'll download into the matching folder.

Then you're on your own. Unlike Linux the installers won't launch silently, you'll have to soldier through them yourself, which is QWinApt's biggest limitation. If you maintain an app store on a file server, however, it does offer a simple way to bulk download a number of good quality apps without having to visit dozens of different websites.

Filed under: Utilities, Macintosh, Productivity, Browsers

Get more control over Mac downloads with Leech

When it comes to download management, it seems like Windows has always been ahead of OS X. That might still be true, but it's definitely up for debate, thanks to a very smart app called Leech. It's got the basic features that all good download managers provide: you can use it from within the browser, and it allows you to pause downloads, or resume them after a crash. Good start, but Leech really shines when it comes to defining rules for different file types and hosts.

Let's say you want all .mp3 files to download to your iTunes library, all .jpg files in Pictures, and all DMGs on the desktop. Yeah, Leech will do that, no problem. It also handles post-processing, so you can expand those DMGs automatically, or play those Mp3s as they finish downloading. You can drag or copy-paste a URL into Leech to start downloading immediately, or shift-drag to choose a different location. And if you don't want Leech in your browser, you can use it on its own, too.

Filed under: Internet, Utilities, Mozilla, Freeware

DownThemAll: new version works in Firefox 3

DownThemAll Version 1
Helpful Firefox download-manager addon DownThemAll (DTA) recently released a long awaited version 1.0 which now works in Firefox 3. In addition to being faster and more stable, DTA also now supports Link Fingerprints and metalink.

Link Fingerprints are basically a way to embed download information in the download's URL. For example, a download's checksum could be embedded directly into the URL so that the download client could automatically verify the downloaded file (which is especially useful when using something like DTA which opens multiple connections to speed up the transfer).

Metalink is a way to embed additional locations into a download link. The locations could point to mirrors (in case the original download link is unavailable), or they could point to OS and language-specific packages.

DTA attempts to increase the speed of downloads by opening multiple separate downloads to the same source. When the individual downloads are complete, DTA combines the pieces into the expected file.

[Via Mashable]

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware

Retriever: Resumable ftp and http downloads

Halogenware has just released an update to their Retriever Download Manager, freeware designed to give you greater control over your downloads. Before you write it off as just another download manager, take a closer look; you'll find Retriever has a few tricks up its sleeve.

Retriever allows you to easily pause, resume, or schedule your downloads from the web. It can capture downloads directly from Internet Explorer or Opera through optional add-ons; or, if you're a Firefox user, you can configure the popular download tool FlashGot to use Retriever (you'll find a simple set of instructions on how to configure FlashGot here).

Retriever also includes support for BitTorrent transfers, and support for HTTP, FTP and SOCKS proxies with authentication.

Where Retriever really sets itself apart, however, is its support of Metalinks. Metalink is an Open Standard that bundles the various ways (FTP/HTTP/P2P) to get files into one format for easier downloads. Metalinks help your downloads in a number of ways:

  • If a server goes down during a download, download programs can automatically switch to another mirror.
  • Segments of a file can be downloaded from different places at the same time, automatically, which can make downloads much faster.
  • It makes the download process simpler, as the user does not need to select or decide which Operating System, language, or download location they require.

Retriever was written completely in the Java programming language and will run on any operating system with a Java Runtime Environment installed (JRE 1.5 or higher).

Filed under: Utilities, Linux, Open Source

Freeloader Bittorrent client for Gnome

Freeloader for Gnome

When I installed the OS on my laptop I let Ubuntu pick the BitTorrent client for me. That wasn't a mistake; Ubuntu's default, BitTornado is no slouch and I've been happily using it for quite some time.

This weekend I started downloading AMD 64 images for my much anticipated new machine. As I blissfully piled up simultaneous torrents I was reminded again that, as happy as I was with BitTornado, I'd really like an all in one solution as opposed to a client that starts a new window for each and every download in progress.

Freeloader is the scratch to my itch. A simple app that minimizes to the Gnome system tray and allows individual control of each torrent it is downloading. Freeloader is beautiful in its simplicity, and utterly utilitarian in function. Best of all, for the Ubuntu or Debian user, it's just an apt-get away. For other Linux variants, the requirements are fairly straightforward:
Python 2.3 or 2.4, PyGTK 2.6, GTK+ 2.6 or greater and the BitTorrent Python module version 3.4

Filed under: Internet, Utilities, Windows, Freeware, Open Source

Wackget is a minimalist download manager

wackgetA couple of weeks ago we asked you what download manager you preferred, and you answered. Some said they were antiquated, and many folks use p2p or built-in browser tools. But being a fan of tiny, single-purpose apps, I had to give Wackget a try. I see download managers almost as a batch file application— cue up all the stuff you need and forget about it until it's done. That's exactly what you get with Wackget. A simple, very light app with the ability to cue up all your downloads and forget about them until they are done. It's based on wget, and made by the good folks over at Millweed. Another plus, it'll run off your USB drive, or thumb drive, or iPod, or whatever. I really like the portable freeware stuff.

[thanks Holt]

Featured Time Waster

Forumwarz - a potentially offensive time waster

I pwn UAfter spending the better part of an hour on Forumwarz I still can't decide if it's just sick or if it's kind of fun. It's a bit like a car wreck on the highway. I know I shouldn't be looking but I can't quite turn away.

It's sick, it's twisted, it's the internet on it's worst level and darn it, it's kind of fun. At least for a little while.

Forumwarz is a parody role-playing game that takes place on the internet - or at least the Forumwarz version of it. Your goal is to complete missions that are given to you through a mock up of GoogleTalk called Sentrillion.

Your first "friend" is ShallowEsophagus who begins giving you missions to pwn various forums by being a troll. Depending on the character type you are assigned at start up, you have tools like drooling on the keyboard or bashing your head on the keyboard that you can use to destroy forum threads and eventually, pwn a forum.

Future missions involve buying illegal software from the Russians, pwning more difficult forums and other internet oddness.

Completing missions gives you cash, called Flezz in game, and items that you can pawn or use in other missions. The game is NOT for those easily offended. It's crass, coarse and there are frequent f-bombs in the fake chat sessions.

This is also a game for a more mature audience as it requires you to shop at the Drugs R Fun store to get various concoctions to improve your playing, engage in certain cyber activities to get more Flezz and just generally use a more adult perspective.

If you can get past that, here are the more enjoyable and time-wasting aspects.

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