FastTrack Netzwerke unter Linux

for log into the FastTrack network any more. (A fact some users still don't realise and still try)

Changes in the protocol to lock out users using the Morpheus client on windows caused a lock out of all linux users, too.
But nowerdays there are different ways for accessing the FastTrack network without windows.

But to say it clear: more work is needed and it won't be as comfortable as a windows client!

Kazaa & wine

Soon it was known that the kazaa windows clients could be run on Wine.
But the linux user has to face some problems:
Not every version of Kazaa can be run with wine. There are lots of work and don't-work experiences known with different wine, Kazaa and KazaaLite versions.

The best would be to take the current wine version (not WineX which is optimized for games) and try it with different Kazaa and KazaaLite versions until you find a working combination.

Additionally you need the following Windows-DLL files in order to run Kazaa:

     commctrl
     comdlg32
     comctl32
     msvcrt
     shdoclc
     shdocvw
     shlwapi
     urlmon
     wininet
  

Detailed and up-to-date information about configuring Wine for Kazaa can be found at http://www.christian-gerner.de/computer/linux/kazaa.htm.de.

To prove that it does work look at the screenshot below. This shows the "Kazaa Lite Retro Edition 1.7.2" running on the (quite old) Wine-CVS-Version 20030115 using DLL-files from a german Windows 95:

But even if Kazaa starts well there are some problems a linux user should be aware of:

• The automatic update should be disabled not to auto-upgrade to a non-Wine-compatible version

• For redrawing the screen Kaza consumpts all CPU-power what affects other running processes
  After having found a file and starting the download you should minimize the Kazaa-window to save CPU-power (Kazaa will keep running minimized)

• Using the build-in mediaplayer (based on the Windows Media Player) can lead the whole program to crash.

Some further Information about the different Kazaa-versions and running them on Wine can be found in the Wine Application Database under KaZaA, KaZaA Lite and KaZaA Lite ++.

giFT - the native option

A native linux client for FastTrack would be nicer, of course. That's why the "GNU Interface to FastTrack - giFT" project has been started.
But the aim of the project was changed soon. Instead of trying to decode the FastTrack protocol by 'reverse engineering' (and be in the hands of the FastTrack developers for ever when they change the protocol) a new, open protocol similar to FastTrack should be developed - OpenFT
So the project changed its name to "GNU Internet File Transfer" (http://gift.sourceforge.net/).

Long time nothing seem to happen. Furthermore it seems that the developers energy was invested in flameing potential users in messageboards.
If there was still time left the developers argued among each other.

That wasn't that good for the project. Users were scared, programmers left the project and everybody blamed eveyone being responsible for the slow development. Short: giFT became a bad example for OpenSource development.

Until today there is no sourcecode-package available for giFT fearing it could interest dummied users that would overflow the developers with support-questions. The helping board on SourceForge has already been closed.
The developers do see their project still in a phase of design and don't think it's suitable for end-users, yet. Furthermore they fear a run on OpenFT could break the P2P-network because ob bad scalability.

With about 300 users the OpenFT network stayed rather limited.

But there is something good to say about the giFT developers, too. The giFT software, which originally is a pure server only for network communication, is well thought and due to its modularity other networks (e.g. Gnutella) can be added.

The user connects to the server using a special client which is available for various platforms already.
Requests are handed to the server who distributes them to all networks he has access to. So the user can use a variety of networks with just one client.

gift-FastTrack

Beneath the already mentioned modules for OpenFT and Gnutella giFT provids a module for the FastTrack network, yet.

On http://developer.berlios.de/projects/gift-fasttrack/ you can find the module which allows you to access alien files with not needing wine anymore.

Installing giFT

As mentioned before the giFT installation is user-unfriendly so we will guide you through the steps to install giFT.

At the present missing source packages (not to speak of binary packages) is a big disadvantage.
So it couldn't be told which modul version will work with which giFT version - there are only CVS-releases..

The best way of compiling the FastTrack module would be to use the current module version with gthe newest giFT-version.

But one step after another
To get the giFT sourcecode from CVS and store it in a new directory ( e.g. ~/giFT-CVS) execute

  >> cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/gift login
  

  >> cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/gift co giFT
  

  >> cd giFT
  >> ./autogen.sh
  >> ./configure --enable-Gnutella
  >> make
  >> su (enter root password)
  >> make install
  >> exit
  

  >> ./giFT-setup
  

The first question is (said politely) tather strange:

   ##############################################################################
   MAIN
  
   Boolean determining whether or not this file has been reviewed and is
   complete.  giFT will fail to start unless this is non-zero.  This is done
   so that we can make sure you, at the very least, read through this file.
  
   Default: 0
  
  [0]
  

This question ensures that giFT can only be used by people which can read english (I'm sure you do so ;) ).
Until this is something else than 0 giFT won't work.

Most of the settings can simply be agreed with. The only settings really to be changed are:

   ##############################################################################
   DOWNLOAD CONTROLS
  
   Directory to store transfers while they are being operated on.  Temporary
   state files are also kept here.  It is recommended, but not required, that
   the incoming and completed directories are on the same partition (drive).
  
   Windows users: please use the following path specification:
  
   incoming=/[drive]/dir1/dir2
  
   For example, to refer to C:\Program Files\giFT\incoming, use:
  
   incoming=/C/Program Files/giFT/incoming
  
   Default (*nix):    ~/.giFT/incoming
   Default (Windows): /C/Program Files/giFT/incoming
  
  [~/.giFT/incoming]
  

Here the directory for incomplete files can be entered.

  Directory which will contain files after they have successfully finished
   downloading.
  
   Default (*nix):    ~/.giFT/completed
   Default (Windows): /C/Program Files/giFT/completed
  
  [~/.giFT/completed]
  

same as before, but for the competed files.

Installating giFT-FastTrack

Installing giFT-FastTrack is not that complicated.
Just go back to the new main directory and get the current CVS-version.

  >> cd ..
  >> cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.gift-fasttrack.berlios.de:/cvsroot/gift-fasttrack login (Enter)
  >> cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.gift-fasttrack.berlios.de:/cvsroot/gift-fasttrack co giFT-FastTrack
  

  >> cp -a giFT-FastTrack giFT/FastTrack
  >> cd giFT/FastTrack
  >> make
  

  >> su (root password)
  >> make install
  >> exit
  

   # Colon separated list of protocol plugins to load by default.  If dynamic
   # library support is enabled, the plugin specified will be stat'd to check if
   # it is a loadable path.  If that fails, the fallback method is to attempt to
   # construct the fully qualified path based on the configured environment.
   #
   # NOTES:
   #  Without dynamic library support, this plugin must have been compiled into
   #  your giFT binary.
   #
   #  Do not include the library filename extension.
   #
   #  Protocol names are case sensitive.
   #
   # For example, to use the OpenFT and Gnutella protocols use:
   #
   #  plugins = OpenFT:Gnutella
   #
   # Default: none
   #
  
   plugins = Gnutella:/usr/local/lib/giFT/FastTrack.so
  

So the server can connect to Gnutella as well as to the FastTrack network. OpenFT should be removed as the developers fear for the scalability of their network.

In ~/giFT-CVS/giFT/src/ you will now find the programm giFT which will start the server.

Client installation

The server itself does not help us much, a client is needed, too!
The most developed one is the ncurses-based client giFTcurs (a text based client).

You will find the current version at http://giftcurs.sourceforge.net/. So download, unpack, compile and install it.

  >> tar zxvf giFTcurs-0.x.x.tar.gz -C /tmp
  >> cd /tmp/giFTcurs-0.x.x
  >> ./configure
  >> make
  >> make install (as root)
  

  >> giFTcurs
  

Information and warnings

The FastTrack module bases on reverse engineering the FastTrack protocol. No responsibility can be taken for function, safety of data and the fact that access to the FastTrack network will work in future!

Additionally the current giFT version (several big changes were made) seems to have a bug leading to a memory leak. This means that it consumpts all RAM- and swap-space in a few moments. Your PC could become unusable and only a restart can help.

Last but not least querys for the Gnutella network are not filtered correctly so you will get lots of unwanted hits.

All mentioned software is still in a phase of heavy development.

Links:

• Wine -- http://www.winehq.com
• KazaaLite -- http://www.kazaalite.nl/en/
• Kazaa -- http://www.kazaa.com/us/index.php
• giFT -- http://gift.sourceforge.net/
• giFT-FastTrack -- http://developer.berlios.de/projects/gift-fasttrack/
• giFTcurs -- http://giftcurs.sourceforge.net/

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