Bootstrap

2007-04-18T08:18:31Z

UloI2p:

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'''English''' | [[Bootstrap-de|Deutsch]]
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Brief explanation about the origin of the term itself:<br>
The expression refers to the tales of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Friedrich_Hieronymus_Freiherr_von_Münchhausen Baron Munchhausen], who pulled himself out of a swamp by his own tuft in the german version of one of this tall tales. In some later english versions, he used his own bootstraps instead of his hair to pull himself out of the swamp. (Perhaps the term otherwise was called "tufting" or "hairing" instead of "bootstrapping", who knows...).<br>
In technical use, the term approximately means, that a complicated system is activated by a simple one, until this one supports itself.

Relating to our mule, it means, for being able to connect to the [[Kademlia]] [[network]], one already has to be a part of the [[Kademlia]] [[network]] before. Since this seems quite impossible to realize at first view, the method to connect anyway, is called "bootstrapping". This means, that one connects from only one known Kademlia compatiple client and its contacts to the entire Kademlia network. (Comparable with connecting to a server, whereby one gets access to the ED2K network.)

Usually, the automatic bootstrapping works quite well, using the data stored in the [[Nodes.dat_file|nodes.dat file]]. If this fails for some reason (outdated or no usable entries in the [[nodes.dat file]], or even no [[nodes.dat file]] or [[node]]s at all), you can manually bootstrap as well from any known [[Kademlia]] compatible [[client]]. The corresponding menu item is located in the menu "network" from the toolbar under the tab ''Kad'' --> ''Bootstrap from known clients''

If this also fails "somehow" for lack of [[kademlia]] compatible clients, here some possibilities to connect the kademlia network:
*One can download a [[Nodes.dat_file]], for example from [http://nodes.soultcer.net/ here].<br>
*Another way is, to connect to a server, and start a (pro forma) download, so that after short time several kademlia compatible clients should appear, which can be used to connect the [[kademlia]] network. After successful being connected to the kademlia network, the "pro forma download" can be cancelled (also the connection to the ED2k network, if not desired).<br>
*Or you get a valid [[IP]] and [[port]] of any [[kademlia]] compatible client and enter its data into the input boxes in the upper right corner of the tab.

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