Gnutella is a file sharing network that allows users to send
and receive files over the Internet. The first part of its name comes from the
GNU General Public License, which originally allowed the source of the program
to be made available to the public. The Gnutella network is a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, which allows users on different networks to share files.
Gnutella is a network protocol, not an actual program.
Therefore, to access other computers on the Gnutella network, you must install
a P2P program that supports Gnutella. Each user still must connect to an
"ultrapeer," which is a server that lists files shared by connected
users. This makes it possible to search for files across hundreds or even
thousands of other computers connected to the network.
Some popular Gnutella clients include Acquisition for the
Mac and BearShare and Morpheus for Windows.
