RuTorrent
Contents
RuTorrent
ruTorrent is a web application that serves as a web front-end for the rTorrent BitTorrent client. It provides a GUI for managing rTorrent, which is primarily a CLI application, making it more accessible and user-friendly, especially for remote management.
Developed as open-source under the MIT License, ruTorrent is a popular choice for users who run rTorrent on a headless server, seedbox, or home server and prefer to interact with it through a web browser rather than directly via the command line.
Relationship with rTorrent
It is important to note that ruTorrent is not the BitTorrent client itself. It is a separate program that communicates with a running instance of the rTorrent client, typically installed on the same server.
rTorrent is known for being a lightweight, efficient, and powerful BitTorrent client designed to run on servers, often controlled via a command-line interface or through inter-process communication. ruTorrent provides a user-friendly web interface that connects to rTorrent's control layer, allowing users to manage torrents, change settings, and monitor activity via a web browser from any location. This separation leverages rTorrent's backend efficiency while providing a convenient GUI through ruTorrent.
Key Features
ruTorrent offers a comprehensive set of features for managing rTorrent and BitTorrent downloads:
- **Torrent Management:** Easily add, remove, start, stop, and recheck torrents.
- **File Management:** View the list of files within a torrent, select which files to download, and access completed files (often via integrated file Browse).
- **Bandwidth Control:** Monitor upload and download speeds, set global or per-torrent speed limits, and configure seeding ratios.
- **RSS Support:** Add RSS feeds to automatically download content.
- **Plugin Architecture:** Supports a wide range of plugins that extend its functionality, adding features like automatic labeling, email notifications, file extraction, and integration with other software (e.g., Filebrowser, Jellyfin).
- **Web-Based Access:** Accessible from any modern web browser, providing convenient remote management.
- **Detailed Information:** View detailed information about torrents, connected peers, trackers, and server status.
Technology
ruTorrent is typically deployed as a web application running on a web server installed on the same server as rTorrent. It is primarily written in PHP and utilizes JavaScript for its dynamic web interface. Common web servers used to host ruTorrent include Nginx and Apache.
Usage
ruTorrent is highly popular in environments where a rTorrent instance is running on a headless system without a direct graphical display or where remote access is required. This includes:
- Seedboxes: Many commercial and self-hosted seedboxes use rTorrent as the backend client with ruTorrent providing the primary user interface for managing torrents and files.
- Home Servers: Users running rTorrent on a home server may install ruTorrent for easier management via a web browser from within their home network or remotely.
- Dedicated Servers and VPSs: Administrators using rTorrent on dedicated servers or VPSs for various purposes often install ruTorrent to gain a convenient GUI for management.
Licensing
ruTorrent is free and open-source software, distributed under the MIT License. This allows users to use, copy, modify, and distribute the software freely.
See Also
References
- ruTorrent GitHub Repository - The official source code repository and primary project page.
- rTorrent Community Wiki - Provides information and guides related to rTorrent, often including ruTorrent setup.
- FileBrowser Documentation - Example documentation for a software often integrated with ruTorrent.
- Jellyfin Documentation - Example documentation for a software often used alongside ruTorrent on servers.
