AMule
Encyclopedia
aMule is a free
peer-to-peer file sharing
application
that works with the EDonkey network
and the Kad Network
, offering similar features to eMule
and adding others such as GeoIP (country flags). It was forked
from the xMule
source code
on August 18, 2003, which itself is a fork of the lMule
project, which was the first attempt to bring the eMule client to Linux
. These projects were discontinued and aMule is the resulting project, though today, aMule has less and less resemblance to the client that sired it.
aMule shares code with the eMule Project and includes no adware or spyware as is often found in proprietary P2P
applications. The credit and partial downloads files from eMule can be used by aMule and viceversa, making program substitution simple.
aMule aims to be portable over multiple platforms
and is doing this with the help of the wxWidgets
library. Currently supported systems include Linux
, Mac OS X
, various BSD-derived systems, Windows
, Irix
and Solaris. Beside the stable releases the project also offers SVN versions as an unstable release.
will only use 4662 TCP and 4672 UDP. The traffic direction is from client perspective:
Most of these ports are customizable.
while the software behavior can be controlled through three different interfaces:
aMuleCMD: The command-line aMule client.
aMuleGUI: The regular GUI of the software. Experimental, a lot of features missing in comparison with the monolithic version and is unstable. There are Linux and Windows version for this tool: users can connect an aMule instance running on Linux from a workstation running Windows and the Win32 version of aMuleGUI.
aMuleWEB: The web interface provided by the aMule core built-in Webserver. It can be accessed on the LAN
or from the Internet
, provided that any Internet router is properly configured using port forwarding
.
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
peer-to-peer file sharing
Peer-to-peer file sharing
P2P or Peer-to-peer file sharing allows users to download files such as music, movies, and games using a P2P software client that searches for other connected computers. The "peers" are computer systems connected to each other through internet. Thus, the only requirements for a computer to join...
application
Application software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
that works with the EDonkey network
EDonkey network
The eDonkey network is a decentralized, mostly server-based, peer-to-peer file sharing network best suited to share big files among users, and to provide long term availability of files...
and the Kad Network
Kad Network
The Kad network is a peer-to-peer network which implements the Kademlia P2P overlay protocol. The majority of users on the Kad Network are also connected to servers on the eDonkey network, and Kad Network clients typically query known nodes on the eDonkey network in order to find an initial node...
, offering similar features to eMule
EMule
eMule is a free peer-to-peer file sharing application for Microsoft Windows. Started in May 2002 as an alternative to eDonkey2000, eMule now connects to both the eDonkey network and the Kad network...
and adding others such as GeoIP (country flags). It was forked
Fork (software development)
In software engineering, a project fork happens when developers take a legal copy of source code from one software package and start independent development on it, creating a distinct piece of software...
from the xMule
XMule
xMule — the X11 Mule — is a client for the eDonkey peer-to-peer file sharing network, originally intended to bring it to virtually all the major Unix platforms, with a particular emphasis on Linux...
source code
Source code
In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
on August 18, 2003, which itself is a fork of the lMule
LMule
lMule was an early attempt to bring an eMule-like client to Linux started in January 2003 by Timo Kujala, who ported all eMule code to Linux by himself...
project, which was the first attempt to bring the eMule client to Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
. These projects were discontinued and aMule is the resulting project, though today, aMule has less and less resemblance to the client that sired it.
aMule shares code with the eMule Project and includes no adware or spyware as is often found in proprietary P2P
Peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads among peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the application...
applications. The credit and partial downloads files from eMule can be used by aMule and viceversa, making program substitution simple.
aMule aims to be portable over multiple platforms
Cross-platform
In computing, cross-platform, or multi-platform, is an attribute conferred to computer software or computing methods and concepts that are implemented and inter-operate on multiple computer platforms...
and is doing this with the help of the wxWidgets
WxWidgets
wxWidgets is a widget toolkit for creating graphical user interfaces for cross-platform applications. wxWidgets enables a program's GUI code to compile and run on several computer platforms with minimal or no code changes...
library. Currently supported systems include Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, various BSD-derived systems, Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Irix
IRIX
IRIX is a computer operating system developed by Silicon Graphics, Inc. to run natively on their 32- and 64-bit MIPS architecture workstations and servers. It was based on UNIX System V with BSD extensions. IRIX was the first operating system to include the XFS file system.The last major version...
and Solaris. Beside the stable releases the project also offers SVN versions as an unstable release.
TCP and UDP ports
According to the aMule official FAQ, these are the default ports. Server ports 4661 TCP and 4665 UDP are only used by the EDonkey network. Therefore, the Kad NetworkKad Network
The Kad network is a peer-to-peer network which implements the Kademlia P2P overlay protocol. The majority of users on the Kad Network are also connected to servers on the eDonkey network, and Kad Network clients typically query known nodes on the eDonkey network in order to find an initial node...
will only use 4662 TCP and 4672 UDP. The traffic direction is from client perspective:
- 4661 TCP (outgoing): Port on which an eDonkey server listens for connection (port number may vary depending on eDonkey server used).
- 4662 TCP (outgoing and incoming): Client to client transfers.
- 4665 UDP (outgoing and incoming): Used for global eDonkey server searches and global source queries. This is always Client TCP port + 3.
- 4672 UDP (outgoing and incoming): Extended aMule protocol, Queue Rating, File Reask Ping
- 4711 TCP: WebServer listening port. Used if aMule is accessed through the web.
- 4712 TCP: internal Connection port. Used to communicate aMule with other applications such as aMule WebServer or aMuleCMD.
Most of these ports are customizable.
Monolithic and Modular build
aMule can be compiled using -disable-monolithic parameter: this allows aMule to be run in a modular way. This means that the core functionalities of the program can be started usingamuled, the aMule daemonDaemon (computer software)
In Unix and other multitasking computer operating systems, a daemon is a computer program that runs as a background process, rather than being under the direct control of an interactive user...
while the software behavior can be controlled through three different interfaces:
aMuleCMD: The command-line aMule client.
aMuleGUI: The regular GUI of the software. Experimental, a lot of features missing in comparison with the monolithic version and is unstable. There are Linux and Windows version for this tool: users can connect an aMule instance running on Linux from a workstation running Windows and the Win32 version of aMuleGUI.
aMuleWEB: The web interface provided by the aMule core built-in Webserver. It can be accessed on the LAN
Län
Län and lääni refer to the administrative divisions used in Sweden and previously in Finland. The provinces of Finland were abolished on January 1, 2010....
or from the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, provided that any Internet router is properly configured using port forwarding
Port forwarding
Port forwarding or port mapping is a name given to the combined technique of# translating the address and/or port number of a packet to a new destination# possibly accepting such packet in a packet filter...
.
See also
- eDonkey networkEDonkey networkThe eDonkey network is a decentralized, mostly server-based, peer-to-peer file sharing network best suited to share big files among users, and to provide long term availability of files...
- Kad networkKad NetworkThe Kad network is a peer-to-peer network which implements the Kademlia P2P overlay protocol. The majority of users on the Kad Network are also connected to servers on the eDonkey network, and Kad Network clients typically query known nodes on the eDonkey network in order to find an initial node...
- eMuleEMuleeMule is a free peer-to-peer file sharing application for Microsoft Windows. Started in May 2002 as an alternative to eDonkey2000, eMule now connects to both the eDonkey network and the Kad network...
- iMuleIMuleiMule is a free open source anonymous P2P file sharing software which connects through the anonymous I2P network and the Kad network.- Description :...
- an anonymous (and slower) mule exclusively for the I2P network - Comparison of eDonkey softwareComparison of eDonkey softwareThe following tables compare general and technical information for a number of available applications supporting the eDonkey network.- General :- Features :...
External links
- aMule home page
- aMule on BerliOSBerliOSBerliOS is a project founded by FOKUS, a Fraunhofer Institute located in Berlin, to coordinate the different interest groups in the field of open source software and to assume a neutral coordinator function...
- aMule p2p standalone station! aMule on NAS-linuxbox project
- tbg.iblocklist.com ipfilter.dat files to be used with aMule.
- blocklistpro.com ipfilter.dat files to be used with aMule.
- emulepawcio.sourceforge.net ipfilter.dat