File sharing via P2P
File sharing provides a way to give and receive files between individuals without requiring special servers or other complicated configurations. This is particularly the case with decentralized peer to peer networks where, unlike earlier P2P predecessors such as Napster, no centrally controlled systems are required at all in order to establish a vast network upon which people can share music, video and other data via P2P applications. Most free (as in freedom) p2p clients can connect to multiple networks.
File sharing can also refer to traditional LAN file sharing (not P2P, which works mainly over WAN networks like the Internet). Traditional file sharing protocols that work with Linux include Samba and NFS.
Specific applications
FastTrack (KaZaA)
Gnutella
eDonkey
BitTorrent
The following applications allow for accessing the BitTorrent netWork: