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Gnutella: Gnutella Network
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Gnutella is a decentralized peer-to-peer network architecture primarily used for searching and downloading files. It was initially developed as a small Windows program by Justin Frankel of Nullsoft, an AOL-owned company most famous for its Winamp media player. AOL pulled the plug in early 2000 and ordered Nullsoft to cease all development but realized that they didn't have control over Gnutella's usage. The source code of Gnutella was intended to be eventually released under the GPL (... the "GNU" in its name) but those plans were crushed by AOL's early intervention (which may have well been the result of an early Slashdot* Effect that directed attention at the project).
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Gnutella is a file sharing network that allows users to send and receive files over the Internet. The first part of its name comes from the GNU General Public License, which originally allowed the source of the program to be made available to the public. The second part of the name comes from Nutella, a chocolate hazelnut spread, which apparently the developers ate a lot of while working on the project.
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[H]ow does Gnutella actually work? All Gnutella users must receive the IP address of another user in order to connect. The message used to connect appears as "GNUTELLA CONNECT/0.4/N/N", is referred to as a handshake message (Jerome Kuptz). The response from the individual contacted appears as "GNUTELLA OK/n/n" this message connects you to GnutellaNet (Jerome Kuptz). Each user has a network of peers, which become your radius; the average radius is of 2,000 to 10,000 peers, this allows for 500,000 to 1 million files (Jerome Kuptz). Just as in Napster, or Google, all search terms are entered in the Gnutella search box.
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Messages on the Gnutella Network are sent in one of two ways. First, they may be broadcast, or sent to all hosts on your network horizon. Pings and search requests are broadcast. Second, messages may be routed, or sent only to particular location. Not all routed messages go directly to their intended recipient; they may pass through other hosts in transit. For example, if A broadcasts a search request, B receives it and broadcasts it on, and C receives it and wishes to reply with a search result, C will route that search result back to B, who in turn will route it back to A. Pongs and search results are routed on the Gnutella Network.
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BearShare: In the Gnutella developers’ community, communication is everything. It is imperative that anything which globally affects the Gnutella Network (positively or negatively) be discussed amongst all developers prior to implementation. Mike took it upon himself to avoid this standard practice and introduce a globally effecting closed protocol on the Gnutella Network. He did not remove the offending closed protocol until such time as proper documentation and discussion may have a chance to take place; he instead released it in a final version (non beta) of Shareaza and promptly went on vacation. There have been many excuses and very little action, the longer the excuses went on the more frustrated and concerned the Gnutella developers community got. Mike has lost the trust of the Gnutella developers’ community and it will take a very long time (if ever) for him to regain that trust.
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Gnutella was the first decentralized network. The original Gnutella was developed by Justin Frankle of NullSoft. However, NullSoft's parent company, AOL, quickly discovered the program on NullSoft's site and ordered it down. Gnutella
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Gnutella Network