For our February “Staff Pick” Project of the Month, we selected Xtreme Download Manager, a powerful download accelerator and video downloader. Recently we caught up with creator and developer Subhra Das Gupta, who shared some thoughts about the project’s history, purpose, and direction.
SourceForge (SF): Tell me about the Xtreme Download Manager project please.
Subhra Das Gupta (SDG): XDM is an open source download accelerator and video downloader / converter for Windows, Linux and Mac OS. It was designed to provide all the functionality of a commercial / paid application.
SF: What made you start this?
SDG: When I started this project, no free download accelerators were providing all the functionality (available in paid applications), you needed to buy a commercial application. And most of them were available for Windows only. I myself used some of the paid/trial ware, and it seemed a good idea to write a free program which would offer those features on Linux as well.
SF: Has the original vision been achieved?
SDG: Yes I think.
SF: Who can benefit the most from your project?
SDG: Anyone who is looking for a reliable Download Accelerator or Video downloader.
SF: What core need does Xtreme Download Manager fulfill?
SDG: Downloading files from the internet with the fastest possible speed; saving videos from the internet and converting them to different formats for playing on mobile phone or TV.
SF: What’s the best way to get the most out of using XDM?
SDG: Installing XDM and browsing the internet from your favorite browser. XDM will automatically handle downloads.
SF: What has your project team done to help build and nurture your community?
SDG: Supporting users and answering their problems/questions on the project’s forum.
SF: Have you found that more frequent releases helps build up your community of users?
SDG: Yes. Frequent releases are needed to provide bug fixes and add new features suggested by users.
SF: What was the first big thing that happened for your project?
SDG: Releasing version 5 with a completely new UI.
SF: What helped make that happen?
SDG: Lots of users suggested to improve the UI.
SF: How has SourceForge and its tools helped your project reach that success?
SDG: SF and its tools helped greatly. The project is solely hosted on SF, and the SF forums are used to assist users.
SF: What is the next big thing for Xtreme Download Manager?
SDG: Releasing version 8.
SF: How long do you think that will take?
SDG: 3 months at least.
SF: Do you have the resources you need to make that happen?
SDG: Yes.
SF: If you had to do it over again, what would you do differently for Xtreme Download Manager?
SDG: Create a more user-friendly UI.
SF: Is there anything else we should know?
SDG: XDM is being constantly under-developed and updated. So new feature suggestions and submitting bug requests are greatly appreciated. Submitting a translation for a new language will also help XDM to serve more users.
Good job SDG