In-browser P2P LittleShoot now supports torrents

Amidst the crowd of peer-to-peer file-sharing options comes an attempt to return file-sharing to its utilitarian roots and away from legal quagmires by emphasizing file-publishing. Free and open-source, LittleShoot is the brainchild of Adam Fisk, a LimeWire developer who wants LittleShoot to be "like Google for files instead of Web pages."

LittleShoot manages torrents as well as scouring the Web for most major file formats.

(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)

Where most P2P programs are standalone clients, LittleShoot is a browser plug-in like QuickTime or Shockwave that should work with all major browsers. It utilizes an AJAX-based interface at LittleShoot.org to search, publish, and download files. Once you've downloaded and installed the plug-in, it will take you to the LittleShoot.org search page unless you opt out. From there, entering any search term will return results with hits from YouTube, IsoHunt, Flickr, Yahoo, and LimeWire. A SafeSearch option attempts to restrict inappropriate content.

The most recent version introduces torrent-handling abilities. Check out any torrent site, download the torrent, and LittleShoot will automatically start downloading it. LittleShoot lacks advanced features like throttling, but for a basic set-it-and-forget-it torrent client, it's not too shabby. Helpful links on the side make it easy to Twitter or Facebook the torrent, and a drop-down menu gives you access to dozens more sharing options.

Non-torrent files found by LittleShoot will open in a new window, but can't be downloaded directly.

Unfortunately, the publishing option wasn't working when I tested it. When you click "Browse," you can search your hard drive for files to share. Once you've chosen a file, you can tag it--however, the JPG and WMV files I tried to upload didn't work. Even with these drawbacks, LittleShoot looks like an interesting attempt to demystify file-sharing by making it more accessible than it's been so far.

[GreatSK]

Just an interesting thing to check out, even though it REALLY needs some more work done is the firefox addon firetorrent, the problems: you literally see no difference between normal downloads and torrent downloads and I am not even sure whether it actually is uploading in return... but its quite interesting none the less and less problamatic then a whole plugin...

[Hunnter2k3]

I always love these kinds of things.

I remember using the web-based P2P for PS3 too, it worked quite well surprisingly (considering how horrible the browser was...)

[adamfisk]

Thanks for the excellent article, Seth. You've nailed what we're trying to do with the emphasis on publishing. Once we polish up the torrenting a little bit (letting people quit and configure LittleShoot from Apple menu and Windows system tray), the emphasis will all be on publishing. There's an untold story in there too -- if you're on the LittleShoot download page, try e-mailing those links to yourself (under "More.."). Now put that together with more robust publishing. Feel free to contact me any time about this -- I'd love to chat or at least stay in touch because you clearly understand what we're up to. In many ways LS is not about torrenting and all that -- it's about efficient, easy, and cheap publishing to the masses with the underlying technologies just being details. It'll ultimately work seamlessly for Flash movies or any content that gets served behind the scenes via p2p with the web site visitor just seeing it normally.

Anyway, shoot me an e-mail if you have a chance, and thanks for your insight in any case.

-Adam Fisk
LittleShoot