Octopus

*******
Free multi-thread downloader

Description
-----------

This program is an automatic FTP and HTTP file downloader.

It allows You to get file from server through several threads
concurrently. Every thread reads some part of the file beginning
different position. It allows to increase the speed of downloading.

For example: You need 10 000 000 b file. Suppose You may use 5
concurrent connections to the server. So 1st thread will begin
to work from 1st byte and continue to do until 2 000 000 bytes
were read. The 2nd one will read data from 2 000 001st to
4 000 000th bytes, e.tc. The last 5th reads from 8 000 001st
to 10 000 000. Every thread saves received data in separate file.
This files will be concatenated after all threads finished.

If thread completed successfully it returns 1 otherwise - 0.

You can resume the downloading of resource if work was interrupted

or completed unsuccessfully. In this case You must use the same URL,
destination file name and number of threads.

Program makes as many attempts to download the file as you tell it.
Octopus resumes broken connections and restarts download at current
positions for every thread.

If server doesn't support restart operation You can not use more
then 1 thread. However, You may create several threads. In this case only
one will read whole file. Others will stop.

Main features
-------------

Downloading:
- from FTP servers;
- from Web servers;
- automatic and manual restart of every thread;
- PASV mode support;
- proxy support;
- request redirection support;
- every file through several threads concurrently;

Link addition methods:

- over Clipboard ( including auto-check );
- manually, by typing the URL;

Scheduling:
- downloading by turn;
- scheduling of attempts;
- post processing of received files;

Reporting:
- log for each thread of downloaded file;
 - true site speed testing;
- total time and time left;
- number of attempts for every thread;
- file size.

System requirements:
- Windows 95/98/NT4.0/2000/Me;
- Winsock v.1.1 or higher.

Installation
------------

1. Download the Octopus package.

2. Uninstall previous version of Octopus
3. Extract all files from the zip-archive into destination directory
using your archiver, such as WinZip.
4. Octopus is ready to use.

Uninstallation
--------------
1. Remove Octopus from disk

Localization
------------
Octopus can be localized. Do the following for it:
1. Start Octopus;
2. Check "Translate" menu item in the "Options" menu;
3. Close Octopus and start it again;
4. Octopus will generate locales.ini file in the Octopus
directory;
5. Translate every word and phrase in locales.ini;
6. Restart Octopus again. Now Octopus is localized.

Warning: As soon the new windows which was not translated will appear
(message boxes, properties windows) they will be added to
locales.ini file. It is necessary to translate them too.

Recommendation: Visit the site of Octopus before generating and translating

locales.ini file. May be locales.ini for Your language is exist
already. So You can download and use it.

If You have translated locales.ini (or corrected the downloaded from

site one) and You are sure about Your translation send me it please to
distribute it. I will be thankful...

WARNINGS!
---------
Do not open the destination files while downloading in progress.

You may restart some thread but take care that the attempts are not
exhausted.

Octopus is distributed _AS IS_. The author shall not be held liable
for any direct or indirect damage or claims caused by this software.
Copyright by Moskalyuk Alexander (1998-2000)
e-mail: moskalyuk@mail.com
http://redrival.com/mak

Program Web sites:

http://redrival.com/mak/octopus
http://members.xoom.com/Moskalyuk/Octopus

WHAT IS NEW
-----------

ver. 3.11
--------

- Octopus is absolutely free now. Ad system was deprecated;

ver. 3.1
--------

- ready for localization;

- ability to select several jobs to perform some operations at time;
- post operations;
- Clipboard checking;
- limitation of send/receive time-outs;
- scheduling of attempts;
- checking of file operations;
- more sensible downloading;
- velocity calculation was changed;
- buffer size options were added;
- you can click on progressbars to select thread.