[Server-devel] Various / PDF resources in Moodle

[James Cameron]

On Thu, Dec 24, 2009 at 12:47:55PM +1100, David Leeming wrote:
> (2) At risk of seeming to make a fuss out of nothing, this issue has
> the potential to cause a lot of confusion and time wasting. After
> noticing some activities and collections failed to start or appear, I
> suspected that some of the downloads were incomplete. [...]

Were these downloads done with Browse on an XO, with Software update on
an XO, or on another system?

A partial HTTP download normally occurs if a connection is interrupted.

HTTP has a feature to support resuming from the point of interrupt.  I'm
not sure if Browse or Software update are doing this.

HTTP has a feature for detecting partial downloads, but the client side
(Browse, Software update, etc) has to choose to use it.  The HTTP header
sent by the server contains a total length value that can be checked
against what is received.

Both of these features may not work if the internet service provider
fails to take the care to support them.

-- 
James Cameron
http://quozl.linux.org.au/