xs & as: If I read that post correctly, the cache is best served with xs, even though it doesn't send any file chunks by itself? I guess you should try to fix the bug that limits Phex to only one xs then, just so you can move to magnets that are better supported by the other clients (I have no idea who supports 'as', but I have a feeling not a lot support it, since most of them verify the downloads anyway).

As for the procedure for handling a download: I think the network is best served if the client tries the cache first, before searching the network. If the cache has useable sources, there shouldn't even be a need to do a network search during the download.

The Phex magnet: the load isn't anything freebase can't handle. The cache really doesn't take a lot of load, it's just sending a few headers and doing 3 db queries. I certainly don't mind you using it (In fact, I wrote the thing for people to use it. And to count downloads ). I'm just always curious to know where people come from (i don't see any referers for magnets).

Using it for autoupdate is an excellent idea. If you ever feel like extending the script in a way that wouldn't exactly work with freebase, like sending the first few users to a http download to get it going quicker (or anything else you can imagine), feel free to host it yourself then if it's for specialised use. (although i might add an upload/alternate location field to freebase myself, i see some of the less popular downloads just don't find sources by themselves, even with Shareaza).

About Limewire: I've tried to get in touch with the people from Limewire (well, the guys that hung out in #limewire, those probably weren't the right people to talk to), and they weren't exactly supportive (except the guy who runs magnetmix).

An extra problem is that Limewire doesn't send its ip address and port when it connects initially, so basicly Limewire users (like firewalled users) never get added to the cache (because i have no way of knowing what port the client runs on). They do get to 'leech' the alt sources out of the cache, so it's not a big problem unless they're the vast majority of users (which is the current situation, sadly).

If they're really serious about improving magnets so they actually work on gnutella, I'd welcome it, ofcourse. I guess you could mention it on the gdf, if you want to. You know better than I who to talk to, and how to address them.