Whirlpool

G'day,

I've tried searching for an answer to this, but I really dont know how to word the query even...

Basically what I want to do is run a torrent client on my linux server box to download during off peak hours. But since the server has a very limited GUI (16 colour bare x win :P) and it hasnt even got a mouse connected to it atm, I want to find and queue the torrents from one of two windows boxes on the network.

I'm assuming that theres a linux torrent client that supports starting downloads based on .torrent files appearing in a directory? Thats my best guess at a solution so far - run that client monitoring a directory, and just save the .torrent file for anything I want to download there. And...err..hope it works without any sort of feedback.

What I'd LIKE to happen... is be able to connect to the torrent client and get an indication of speeds and completion % etc etc. Like, uTorrents remote control.... But for linux torrent cleitn, with a windows queuing client :P

Any thoughts?

Azereus Should do all you need it to

a couple others to try are

torrefluxb4rt
rTorrent
torrentflux

hope they suit

Ditto for Azureus.

Here is a complete list fo Linux BT clients, I hear TorrentFlux is giving good results.

index.cfm?a=wiki&tag=BitTorrent%20Clients

Red Krawler writes...

uTorrents remote control.... But for linux

why not give utorrent under wine ago?

The important issue here is the lack of a decent GUI, which rules out a lot of clients.

Console based would be best.

I'll run through the linux list and find a console one that supports the options I'm chasing - AFAIK Azereus = java = GUI?

EDIT: Torrent Flux looks the goods, I'll give that a go and report back in :P

pwt writes...

Azereus Should do all you need it to

a couple others to try are

torrefluxb4rt
rTorrent
torrentflux

Well I ran down the list... Azereus was a total hog, the server is a SC430 Poweredge so plenty of grunt, but only has 256mb of RAM and a pissweak excuse for video. Azereus pretty much destroyed it, that and X is pretty limited anyway so I gave up on that one.

Tried torrentflux, and found it to be very CPU intensive. Not sure whats going on there, but it used far more CPU than any other process without loading a single torrent. With 3 x 8gb torrents running, it was as bad as azereus.

Moved onto rTorrent. Now that client rocks :D Strongly recommended. Takes a bit of getting used to the limited display (hey, its console!) and the config file is worse than .htaccess.... But its so light weight, and so full of features. Currently running scheduled torrents to take advantage of offpeak, moves torrents when finished and seeded (currently set at 200%), deletes .torrent file when finished, etc etc. It just monitors a directory for .torrent files, and when it sees one appears it queues you up. If you delete the .torrent, it stops and removes the download.

So yeah. Vote 1 for rTorrent in this situation, great client. Just RTFM, cause its a doozy.

I have 3 torrents (19gb, 24gb and 25gb) running seeding at 6mb/s at the moment under torrefluxb4rt without any issues.... I think it also depends what client you decide to use with it.

Red Krawler writes...

With 3 x 8gb torrents running, it was as bad as azereus.

Any bloody wonder, try one at a time.

Any bloody wonder, try one at a time.

What for?

rTorrent is handling the exact same torrents and doesnt even appear on the first page of 'top' :P

Muad'Dib writes...

Any bloody wonder, try one at a time.

One torrent at a time? I've had upwards of 40 different torrents running simultaneously for the past year on my torrentflux box. On a private tracker, that's about the only way to keep a decent ratio.

I use the mainline client and screen on my server.
Can happily seed at 30+mbits on moderate hardware.

Glad rtorrent does what you need..

Curly. writes...

One torrent at a time? I've had upwards of 40 different torrents running simultaneously for the past year on my torrentflux box.

Good for you, the OP was talking about CPU resources.

Red Krawler writes...

Tried torrentflux, and found it to be very CPU intensive.

Just a quick update... I thought I'd really test rTorrent out by giving it 21 x 8gb torrents.

It now shows up in top at position 4, using 2% CPU (2.8Ghz Pentium D) and 27% of 256mb RAM... behind X, smbd and snorts port scan detector (Im about to fix that, gotta stop it snooping all the torrent packets).

Pretty happy with rTorrent, A+++ will use again.

BitTornado (IIRC TorrentFlux uses this as well)