AquaLime

AquaLime is a reworked version of LimeWire, a java based Gnutella client. LimeWire is open source, leaving the door open for people like myself to make whatever changes they think would be cool. I while ago I ran across the skinLF package that helps with skinning Swing based applications. I first used it for a database program I wrote for a friend, but then thought it would look cool on LimeWire. So, after slightly editing skinLF, I downloaded the LimeWire source, made some changes and applied SkinLF.

LimeWire has made many changes which are hopefully beneficial to the network. The large amount of changes is part of the reason there has not been a new version in a while. Things I have changed since the last version include the repeat search behavior. Now, repeating a search does not erase the old results (you can do that manually if you wish by choosing "Clear Results." You can also block more than one host at a time, useful for when there is a whole block of spammers.

AquaLime makes use of skins (in fact, it is skinned by default, though skins can be disabled) Skins run best with java 1.3.1. If you must have java 1.4 with its support of mouse-wheel scrolling, the GUI will respond quicker with skins disabled. (AquaLime must be restarted to deactivate skinning).

As you can see in the screenshots I have rearranged the layout some. Uploads and Downloads are now on the same tab, the 'transfers' tab. This leaves more room for search results in the 'search' tab. I put the incoming searches monitor in the same tab with the connections.  Connections never filled up a whole tab and were a waste of space. AquaLime also uses the old style layout of LimeWire with search input on the top. To take advantage of the new XML searches (which I rarely use) slide out the drawer from the right, as show below. 

Some of the AquaLime changes:

One change made to the UI that is not reflected in these outdated pictures is the re-addition of the 'download any' button. This is for when there are multiple versions of a file, and you don't care which you get, you just want one of them. Download Any will try one, and if it fails, try the next and cycle through until one and only one of them has finished. This saves you the trouble of trying them all and cancelling the rest when one finishes

Other chaages made include blocking many problem IPs by default, and star icons in the search page that change to green arrows when you start downloading the file they are next to, and with the latest version, flags in the connection tab. This new column shows the national flag of the host, or if the host is on a .net or .com, their ISPs logo (common ISPs only), or a mortarboard for .edu. It is also possible to import Shareaza security files, in Tools -> Options -> Security.

This version comes as both an exe installer and in a zipped version. They are hosted by Schwim of Husaberg.org. This version, like all others, is not suitable for the Macintosh. Being compiled from the CVS, AquaLime is of course ad and spyware free (for all of you looking for a clean LimeWire client).  Check here for updates. I plan to do an AquaLime at every major release of LimeWire, real life permitting. 

LimeWire has contacted me and given me their blessing, and as I said, have used tiny bits of my code. The latest version of skinLF which I use no longer has the menu checkbox problems that bugged me so, kudos to Fred, though I still look forward to a version that plays nice with Java 1.4