Some days ago someone asked me if there are BitTorrent downloads for Eclipse. Yes there are! And it’s so easy. 🙂 In fact, I often use BitTorrent because the downloads are more reliable and the speed is better.
1. Install BitTorrent Client
The first thing you need is a BitTorrent Client. I use Azureus because it’s Java and based on Eclipse technology. 
So download Azureus for your platform. It comes with a nice installer. Just executed the downloaded file to start the Azureus Setup.
The Azureus Setup is very simple. It offers to start Azureus after successful installation. I suggest to do this because upon the first start of Azureus it opens a nice wizard, which guides you quickly through the configuration. Once this is done you can close Azureus again.
2. Start Downloading
Go to the Eclipse Downloads page.
Click on the link “[torrents]” which will bring you right to the torrents. The torrents are created for every release and hosted at ibiblio.org.
After you click on the Download torrent link you browser offers you to save or to open the torrent directly. Azureus associated itself with torrents files upon this. So the only thing I had to do is open the torrent directly and Azureus came up with this nice dialog.
There you can select the destination and the download will start after you click on OK.
Currently, downloading Eclipse usung BitTorrent is rather academic option. I am getting >200Kb/s rate, so the only advantages that torent could give is allow to do it right from within Eclipse (which is not possible, since there are no non-GPL torrent protocol implementation in Java) or ability to share the bandwith in a pick load (e.g. release times when Eclipse site is really slow). Though to resolve second issue Eclipse web master that adds additional servers and the bandwith during those times.
I wouldn’t say that it’s academic. I was surprised how easy the Azureus configuration was. I even hadn’t to play with port settings et all. It discovered this automatically and configured my router with UPnP.
However, I agree that this technology is worthwhile investigating for using within the update manager or in other areas. Did you know that there is a Summer of Code project, which will open the door for this?
See here:
http://wiki.eclipse.org/index.php/ECF_BitTorrent_Provider
https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=144133
“so the only advantages that torent could give is allow to do it right from within Eclipse (which is not possible, since there are no non-GPL torrent protocol implementation in Java)”
Hi, yea but one student within the summer of code is doing such thing. He is doing a protocol implementation in java for eclipse (would be interested) He is smart as well!