Forcing a download in eMule

[mimzy]

As you know, it is possible to download one file from one user at a time. The situation is that somebody is sharing 10 big files and a small subtitle file. You need the subtitle file to watch a movie, but your eMule client keeps downloading one of the big files. You can temporarily stop the big download, but instead of getting the subtitle file, your client immediately queues for another big file.

Another scenario is that user A is sharing files F1 and F2; user B is sharing file F2. You want to get F1 ASAP, but your client keeps downloading F2 from users A and B. In this case, it would be optimal to download F1 from user A, but keep downloading F2 from user B (because he does not have F1 anyway).

Is there a way to force eMule to queue for a specific file without stopping all the the other downloads? Changing priority does not seem to help much

[ghost]

I once used a eMule mod where you had the option "all sources to this file" (or something like that...). Many years ago and I don't remember which mod it was.

[mimzy]

I know that aMule has this option, but I'd like to use the standard eMule client that is most reliable. I was hoping that the option was still somewhere hidden in the menus. Oh well, can do without, it is just not so convenient.

[Night457]

DISCLAIMER: I have no real solutions in this post so feel free to skip reading it!

As you know, it is possible to download one file from one user at a time.

I think that many people do NOT know that! I have noticed in FLM "Requested files" that there are frequently files listed that I KNOW are being shared by ghost with HighID, or by myself with HighID. Of course people can click "Request selected files" by accident or they can just be impatient, but I think a large part of it is that people are not really aware of their sources much of the time, and do not understand why files are not downloading. I am a Secret Sharer for many files other than my own, so if someone is currently getting a ghost file from me then they are not getting any of my own.

You need the subtitle file to watch a movie, but your eMule client keeps downloading one of the big files.

More and more often I am posting subtitles as attachments so that no one has to wait on emule for them. I hope that FLM does not run out of server space because of that! In the case of "rare" subtitles, this also helps those who can not use emule but can get the video itself elsewhere by other means. I personally find it annoying to have to request a reshare for a subtitle file posted here 15 years ago, when that is apparently the only online source for it. The original poster left FLM years ago and the video itself is now available in glorious upgraded 1080p on some streaming site, but the subtitle is hidden only on ancient harddrives owned by FLM oldtimers. I really hate to bother them for such a small thing!

Is there a way to force eMule to queue for a specific file without stopping all the the other downloads? Changing priority does not seem to help much

The fact that the priority option does not seem to work now either for downloading or uploading points out a disadvantage to emule having mostly stopped development years ago. Nothing improves. What you want sounds like a really useful potential feature!

I have my Options / Files / Initializations set so that "Add files to download in paused mode" is checked, and then I have to manually Resume the files I want to prioritize. Sometimes that means getting the subtitle files first, so that my queue is clean and short. But even then, they sometimes sit there doing nothing, when it should only take a few seconds of connection to get each one! Then I get tired of no progress on anything and Resume a video, and it immediately begins downloading from the person who posted it. (For example, ghost.) Why didn't I connect to the same source for the subtitles? Is there someone in the queue ahead of me who can only download at 3 bits per second, and is therefore holding it up?

My own "solution" to this dilemma is to have hundreds of downloaded but unwatched videos, so that there is nothing in particular that I HAVE to get and watch right away. It can wait while I watch something else.

I am sorry I could not help!

[emuler]

I once used a eMule mod where you had the option "all sources to this file" (or something like that...). Many years ago and I don't remember which mod it was.

I think eMulePlus had this (and some other great features) but sadly it is no longer being updated.

I do something similar to Night457. I add the links in paused mode and resume the srt first. I already have the option enabled to start next paused file when a file completes so I don't need to do anything else after that.

I also add the users from here to my friends list - I think it helps in finding sources - and connect to the same server as the source, usually eMule Security, and my time to get a srt from the big guns here is under 10 seconds.

[Night457]

I already have the option enabled to start next paused file when a file completes so I don't need to do anything else after that.

I forgot about that option! Good idea.

[mimzy]

I think eMulePlus had this (and some other great features) but sadly it is no longer being updated.

IIRC, eMulePlus, despite of the cool name, is an ancient thing that does not even support Kad.

I do something similar to Night457. I add the links in paused mode and resume the srt first. I already have the option enabled to start next paused file when a file completes so I don't need to do anything else after that.

Does not sound efficient. The total time of downloading all files will be longer.

I also add the users from here to my friends list - I think it helps in finding sources - and connect to the same server as the source, usually eMule Security, and my time to get a srt from the big guns here is under 10 seconds.

Usually I don't have problems finding sources without doing anything. It's just that files are not downloaded in the order (priority) I would like.

[Night457]

It's just that files are not downloaded in the order (priority) I would like.

I agree that downloading multiple files simultaneously is usually faster overall, because you never know what sources are going to stay connected and what ones will drop out. However, if you download only one file at a time then it is GUARANTEED that they will complete in the priority you choose!

I wonder if the Priority setting (Upload and Download) only works for Server connections and not the Kad network, so that introduces a "wild card" element?

(I don't quite know why I think that.)

[DreamScape]

Back in the winter, someone was ripping every Danish Christmas series in existence and sharing in eMule. I used the priority setting to try and focus on one series at a time instead of downloading random episodes in each of dozens of series.

The priority setting didn't work perfectly, there was still some random episodes downloaded from the lower priorities, however the distribution was much less than purely random. So, yeah, not sure how it works.

[pillowbaker]

Back in the winter, someone was ripping every Danish Christmas series in existence and sharing in eMule. I used the priority setting to try and focus on one series at a time instead of downloading random episodes in each of dozens of series.

Sorry to be off topic for one moment, but DreamScape, are there any of those Danish Christmas specials that you would recommend here at FLM?