Feature request (Oscar download page)

[Jeff8356]

Currently there is no way to check if the file downloaded properly/completely.  Would it be possible to add the file size (ex: 16.9 MB)  and a checksum (sha256 or such) to the downloads page for each respective file?  Checksums could be consolidated into one *.txt file, or listed individually.

[unidee]

Downloading is reliable nowadays. In this week I downloaded 73 GB file dna raw data. It took 3 hours to download. No errors.

[SuperSleeper]

Although it's not a checksum, when I use Firefox and click on the download file, a dialog box comes up listing the file size.  Make a note of that file size and then check to see if it's the same size once download is completed.

Not exact, but should give you an idea of whether or not the download was complete.

[Jeff8356]

Unidee - I agree.  Downloading files has been much better after the days of dial-up.  I have d/l TB's of data over the years.  But it is not infallible.  This past December I d/l a copy of OSCAR and got a 0 byte file.  Might have been a server problem, browser problem, etc.  It does happen on occasion.

SleepRider - That's great for FF users!  But FF, IE & Edge, use the binary version of file size which tends to give you a smaller number of the files actual size.  I use Chrome on my Mac which doesn't give you any size before download.  Safari is even worse, it just downloads the file with no options at all.

Here are the browser differences in (using the OSCAR Mac .dmg as an example):

• MS IE -     15.9 MB
  
• MS Edge - 16.0 MB (presumably rounded)
  
• FF -          16.0 MB (Linux, rounded)
  
• Chrome -   No file size (Mac)
  
• Safari -      No file size (Mac)
  

• Mac Finder -                         16.7 MB (decimal notation, not binary)
  
• Mac Terminal -                      16,726,839 (decimal notation, not binary)
  
• Windows Command Prompt - 16,726,839 (decimal)
  
• Win File Explorer -                16,335 KB (binary)
  
• Linux Terminal -                    16,726,839 (decimal)
  

The actual file size is:
16.726839 MB (decimal)
15.951956748962402 MB (binary)

So the file size displayed would depend on what OS/Browser combo you were using, and whether the user knows the difference between binary and decimal (1024 -vs- 1000). But since the CLI in all 3 OS's shows the decimal version, it's something to go on, but not until you d/l the file.  Knowing the file size beforehand would be helpful.  The checksum would be a bonus for the integrity of the file d/l.


Excuse my ramblings, I had too much coffee this morning!

[Crimson Nape]

I too, thought that today's download capability was very reliable until I just experienced an "April Fool!" on a file download.   The file sizes were exactly same but the download had corrupted data within.  When I went to execute the program, features were either nonexistent or did very strange things. Only a checksum verification revealed the problem. This happens so infrequently that I get too relaxed and fail to check my downloads.

[SuperSleeper]

I don't know what you guys are worried about... so what if you're missing 0.01% of the file.... at least 'ya got most of those little 0's and 1's... 

I'd rather have 99% of a pie than less than 1/2 of one...   

If 'ya don't get the whole thing and it's supposed to have several thousand more bits, just add a few once 'ya download it.   Bits are cheap, now-a-days.