Low resource torrent client

Message

goweropolis · #1 Post by **goweropolis** » 2007-03-12 14:50

I'm looking for opinions on a torrent client. Here are my priorities:

* Can handle multiple torrents at once
* Low in resource usage
* Native to Linux
* Easy to configure

I was using Rtorrent and loved it, but it seems to be having some conflicts with the kernel. After I've finished downloading, as much as 1/3 of it is corrupted and fails the hash check so I need to download again. So I am looking for something to replace it.

Utorrent with Wine works good, but I would prefer to use something native (partially because I'm running AMD64, so utorrent is using Wine through a 32 bit chroot).

Azureus uses Java which I'm assuming is why it seems very very heavy on resource usage.

I tried Qtorrent quickly but I couldn't find how to configure the port usage.

Does anyone use Ktorrent? Hash checking seems to take ages on it.

Anyways, enough rambling, what do other folks use?

garrincha · #2 Post by **garrincha** » 2007-03-12 15:18

I have used Ktorrent before, nevertheless I purged it because the client seems to be too slow especially with files of over 100MB. I use azureus but run it in my debian unstable/sid HDD installation.

Perhaps you could try Deluge. It is written in Python and GTK+ and is native to linux and other *nix environmemnt with full-features. It uses Rasterbar's version of libtorrent.

Edit: Old version is available in debian sid:

Code: Select all

apt-cache policy deluge-torrent
deluge-torrent:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 0.4.1-2
  Version table:
     0.4.1-2 0
        500 http://ftp.uk.debian.org sid/main Packages

Grifter · #3 Post by **Grifter** » 2007-03-12 15:19

i use rtorrent, how exactly does the kernel interfere with it?

goweropolis · #4 Post by **goweropolis** » 2007-03-12 15:33

I have used Ktorrent before, nevertheless I purged it because the client seems to be too slow especially with files of over 100MB.

Good to hear that it not just me!

Perhaps you could try Deluge. It is written in Python and GTK+ and is native to linux and other *nix environmemnt with full-features. It uses Rasterbar's version of libtorrent.

I think that Rtorrent uses Rasterbar's libtorrent. So wouldn't I have the same problem with downloads as I was having with Rtorrent?

i use rtorrent, how exactly does the kernel interfere with it?

http://kerneltrap.org/node/7504
I use Etch's kernel, so I am still at 2.6.18. It sounds like they are fixing the problem in kernel 2.6.20, so unless I compile my own kernel (for one program, it doesn't seem worth it) I could be waiting awhile for it to work properly.

Have you not had any hash checking problems with Rtorrent? What kernel version do you use?

garrincha · #5 Post by **garrincha** » 2007-03-12 15:40

goweropolis wrote: I think that Rtorrent uses Rasterbar's libtorrent. So wouldn't I have the same problem with downloads as I was having with Rtorrent?

I have no idea since I have never tried the deluge-torrent client.

Dargor · #6 Post by **Dargor** » 2007-03-12 18:55

have used Ktorrent before, nevertheless I purged it because the client seems to be too slow especially with files of over 100MB.

Good to hear that it not just me!

i was thinking it was my shitty isp's fault. they limmit torrents.

Amber · #7 Post by **Amber** » 2007-03-13 03:12

Try this one: http://packages.debian.org/testing/net/transmission

thamarok · #8 Post by **thamarok** » 2007-03-13 15:43

That's odd.. I just downloaded a new daily-built DVD of Debian with KTorrent and it wasn't slow.. it did download the file with maximum speed all the time (102 Kb/s)

garrincha · #9 Post by **garrincha** » 2007-03-13 18:16

Note though that the last time I used the ktorrent client was last autumn, around October, so maybe it's better now.

Telemachus · #10 Post by **Telemachus** » 2007-03-13 18:30

I shopped around but ended up back at Azureus. I hate that it has such a large footprint, but I found other torrents very slow (gnome, KTorrent) or minimally functional (gnome) or just bad (Deluge says it can choose parts of multiple file torrents, but when I tried, the resulting finished "piece" was always corrupt and not fully downloaded).

What we need is for someone to port Mu-torrent to Linux (http://www.utorrent.com/). That lovely little program is the only reason I miss Windows.

Dargor · #11 Post by **Dargor** » 2007-03-13 19:11

i just had a torrent going at 30k/s(azureus). the max i had in ktorrent seemed to be 10k/s.
im useing(or running) etch.

goweropolis · #12 Post by **goweropolis** » 2007-03-13 19:23

Amber wrote:Try this one: http://packages.debian.org/testing/net/transmission

Thanks for that. Unfortunately, it looks like it's a misbehaving client and is banned from many servers. Apparently it pings the server too frequently or something. A fix is in the works but has not been released yet.

Re: the last three comments about ktorrent being slow. Debian Etch and Unstable both currently have version 2.0.3+dfsg1-2. The latest version is 2.1.2 and they say one of the new features is "Improvements in down and upload performance". We can either compile from the source or there are packages here: http://svn.debian.org/~modax-guest/ktorrent/ which was linked from http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=400186

Actually my original comment was not clear enough. My problem with ktorrent wasn't its download speed (although it must be an issue because many of you mentioned it) but with the resource usage. It seemed to take ages to do hash checking and running multiple torrents seemed to consume a lot of resources.

I think I shall try the new version above and see if I prefer it to Azureus.

Telemachus · #13 Post by **Telemachus** » 2007-03-13 20:09

goweropolis wrote:Actually my original comment was not clear enough. My problem with ktorrent wasn't its download speed (although it must be an issue because many of you mentioned it)

Fair enough, but it's slow - I mean slooooow...

thamarok · #14 Post by **thamarok** » 2007-03-13 21:01

nemonullus wrote:What we need is for someone to port Mu-torrent to Linux (http://www.utorrent.com/). That lovely little program is the only reason I miss Windows.

Not exactly a native port, but might be interesting: http://forum.utorrent.com/viewtopic.php?id=6353
EDIT: I think you don't need to buy Cedega, because you can try CVS Cedega (CVS Cedega is a free but limited version of Cedega): http://www.linux-gamers.net/modules/wiw ... dega%20CVS
But if you don't want to use CVS Cedega, you can try running µTorrent in Wine..

goweropolis · #15 Post by **goweropolis** » 2007-03-13 21:14

On my AMD64 box, utorrent worked with Wine in a couple of minutes with no issues. On my older slower i386 box, wine does not want to work at all (winecfg and winefile both spit up big long errors), which is why I was asking in the first place about low resource usage, native clients. I figured it was easier than troubleshooting wine!

~Micke · #16 Post by **~Micke** » 2007-03-14 20:26

Transmission is really great, it´s in the repos if you´re using testing or unstable.

Here´s the homepage:
http://transmission.m0k.org/

Pobega · #17 Post by **Pobega** » 2007-03-14 23:42

btdownloadcurses. End of topic.

plugwash · #18 Post by **plugwash** » 2007-03-15 00:51

Pobega wrote:btdownloadcurses. End of topic.

i heared that had major cpu use problems when used at the very high connection counts needed to properly utilise a 100 megabit internet connection.

Grifter · #19 Post by **Grifter** » 2007-03-15 01:07

yeah it gobbles up resources

Pobega · #20 Post by **Pobega** » 2007-03-15 01:36

plugwash wrote:
Pobega wrote:btdownloadcurses. End of topic.
i heared that had major cpu use problems when used at the very high connection counts needed to properly utilise a 100 megabit internet connection.

I've never had it take up more than an idle terminal emulator myself.