MlDonkey
What is mlDonkey ?
mlDonkey was the first (partially) open-source client for the ed2k network, and the source of much controversy due to features that others considered harmful to the ed2k network. The core network code was originally kept closed-sources upon request of MetaMachine, the official client's publisher, however, this was changed after eMule arrived with a fully open-source client.
Unlike the Mule Clients, mlDonkey was created as a server/client system from the beginning, which means that it runs as a daemon, without the need for a GUI, though many separate GUIs are available. This makes it the client of choice for people who wish to run it on a router or such, or at least did until aMule did the core/gui separation, making the aMule daemon a solid alternative.
mlDonkey also boasts of supporting other networks than the ed2k network, such as
- Overnet
- DirectConnect (alpha)
- Gnutella and Gnutella2
- OpenNapster (alpha)
- SoulSeek (beta)
- BitTorrent
- FastTrack
- AudioGalaxy (defunct)
- HTTP, FTP and SSH through FileTP
Of course, as any multi-network application, the support for those networks range from good to terrible.
Since mlDonkey 2.5.30-x, a feature know as swarming is supported. With this, it is possible download a file from Fastrack, BitTorrent and ed2k networks at same time.
NOTE: aMule is a separate project and is not related to mlDonkey in any way.
