Metalink: A Better Way to Download
Metalink from Anthony Bryan bridges web and P2P downloads. It takes P2P magnet links to the next level. Magnet links originally specified Guntella P2P downloads, but have been extended to include Fast Track and web sources as well.
Metalink extends this further. File sources can be web, eDonkey, or Magnet links. Locations and Preference rankings can also be specified by publishers so that software can choose the optimal download site. The resulting data is large compared to a Magnet link's 100 or so characters. So a Metalink is not stored as an actual link, but instead as a small file that can be downloaded and then imported to Metalink-aware software.
Current Metalink listings are sparse. Five developers integrate Metalink readers into their software. There are only about 30 files published, mostly Linux variants and other software.
i am new in metalink i dont know how use it. help me please
metalink is a great idea, surprisingly it didn’t catch on with general web public, except Open Source community .
There is http://www.metahyper.com/ service which is using metalinks to bundle multiple files, and it works fine with certain downloaders.