JDownloader

JDownloader
Developer(s) Appwork GmbH
Preview release 0.9.581 / 19 January 2011
Written in Java
Operating system Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac OS
Platform Java Platform, Standard Edition
Type Download manager
License GNU GPLv3 (but partly closed-source)
Website www.jdownloader.org

JDownloader is a download manager, written in Java, which allows the automatic downloading of files and split files from one-click hosting sites such as RapidShare. JDownloader supports the use of premium accounts.[1] Some, but not all, parts of JDownloader are open source.

In December 2009 the program's website was in the top 1000 sites by traffic from Spain.[2] The German online magazine, Chip.de designated it "newcomer of the year" for 2009 after it ranked among top 50 downloads with over half a million downloads for the year.[3]

From mid-2012 there were complaints that JDownloader's installer installed adware without the user's consent.[4] The JDownloader installation contains AdWare according to several sources, including the developer's own forums.[5][6] There were further complaints from mid-2014.

In June 2013 JDownloader's ability to download copyrighted and protected RTMPE streams was considered illegal by a German court. This feature was never provided in an official build, but was supported by a few nightly builds.[7]

License

Contrary to the license, some source files are not publicly available. The developers stated that the license may change—the program will remain open source, but will get a license which allows closed-source parts.

Features

Specified features:[8]

The user-specified download links are split into packages to enable individual pausing and continuing of downloads. The program can be configured to unpack split RAR archives automatically after all parts have been downloaded.

JDownloader supports the RapidShare "waiting time" and CAPTCHA recognition, enabling batch downloads without user input.[10] Premium users of one-click-host sites can use multiple connections per downloaded file, which increases file download speed in most cases. It also supports Metalink, a format for listing multiple mirrors. Software updates and minor patches are released frequently; by default JDownloader updates itself upon initialization. As of 2014 JDownloader uses a continuous deployment system where modifications to the program code (e.g. adapting a plugin to changes in a download site's HTTP API) can be released within minutes.[9] For the beta version, frequently occurring errors in plugins are detected via automated error reports (leaving out some privacy-sensitive data including the user's IP address and the name of the downloaded file).[9]

References

  1. ↑ "JDownloader official documentation". 2008-01-18. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
  2. ↑ "jdownloader.org". Alexa. 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
  3. ↑ (German) Michael Humpa (2 January 2010), Download-Charts 2009, 50. Platz: JDownloader 588.896 Downloads Chip.de
  4. ↑ "JD Community – Jdownloader installer contains Adware". 2012-12-23. Retrieved 2013-02-25.
  5. ↑ "Discussion at MajorGeeks forums".
  6. ↑ "Details and removal instruction at Spybot forums".
  7. ↑ "JDownloader Court Ruling Worries Open Source Software Developers". TorrentFreak. Retrieved 2013-07-08.
  8. ↑ "Jdownloader official documentation". 2009-10-12. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Thomas Rechenmacher. The JDownloader Continuous Deployment Immune System. Diploma thesis, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg: 2014.
  10. ↑ "JDownloader official documentation". jdownloader.org. 2008-09-28. Retrieved 2008-12-10.

Further reading

External links