RTorrent

rTorrent is a BitTorrent client running via console, offering SCGI/XML-RPC for integrating with 3rd party software to control the instance. See official site libtorrent.rakshasa.no. rTorrent is most commonly used in conjunction with an GUI, such as ruTorrent.

RTorrent

rTorrent is a fast and efficient free and open-source BitTorrent client. It is primarily known for its command-line interface (CLI) using the Ncurses library, making it well-suited for headless systems and servers. rTorrent is built around the libtorrent library (note: this is a different library than libtorrent-rasterbar used by clients like qBittorrent and Deluge).

Unlike many other BitTorrent clients with graphical user interfaces, rTorrent runs directly in a text-based terminal. Its design emphasizes low resource consumption (CPU, RAM), making it a popular choice for environments where resources are limited or where remote management via SSH is the primary method of interaction.

Interface

The main interface of rTorrent is curses-based, displayed within a terminal window. This interface shows torrents being downloaded and seeded, their progress, speeds, and other relevant information. Users interact with rTorrent by using keyboard shortcuts within this terminal interface.

Because it runs in the terminal, rTorrent is often used in conjunction with terminal multiplexers like GNU Screen or Tmux. These tools allow the user to start rTorrent in a session, detach from the session while rTorrent continues to run in the background on the server, and reattach later via SSH to manage the client. This is a key reason for its popularity on servers and seedboxes.

Architecture

rTorrent's architecture is based on the libtorrent library, which handles the complex details of the BitTorrent protocol. rTorrent provides the user interface and management layer on top of this library.

A significant feature of rTorrent is its XMLRPC interface. This allows external applications to communicate with and control a running rTorrent instance remotely. This interface is the foundation for many web-based frontends that provide a graphical way to manage rTorrent without directly using its CLI interface.

Key Features

rTorrent supports a wide range of standard BitTorrent features:

• **Resource Efficiency:** Designed to be lightweight and consume minimal system resources.
• **CLI Interface:** Fast and efficient interaction via keyboard in the terminal.
• **Headless Operation:** Easily runs in the background on servers, often within a terminal multiplexer.
• **XMLRPC Interface:** Enables remote control via external applications and web UIs.
• **Protocol Features:** Supports DHT, PEX, LSD, protocol encryption, file prioritization, and bandwidth control.
• **Torrent Management:** Adding, removing, starting, stopping torrents, and viewing detailed information.

Relation to ruTorrent

ruTorrent is a very popular web-based front-end specifically designed for rTorrent. ruTorrent provides a feature-rich graphical interface accessed through a web browser, making it much easier for users who prefer a GUI over the CLI to manage their rTorrent client running on a remote server or seedbox. ruTorrent communicates with the rTorrent instance using the XMLRPC interface. It's important to understand that ruTorrent is *not* the BitTorrent client itself; it's just a separate application that controls and monitors rTorrent.

Usage Scenarios

rTorrent's characteristics make it particularly popular in certain use cases:

• **Seedboxes:** It is one of the most common BitTorrent clients used on commercial and private seedboxes due to its efficiency and suitability for headless server environments, often paired with ruTorrent for easy management.
• **Headless Servers:** Running on servers without a graphical environment for continuous seeding and downloading.
• **Remote Management:** Controlled via its XMLRPC interface by custom scripts, web UIs like ruTorrent, or other remote management tools.
• **Resource-Constrained Devices:** Used on devices with limited processing power or memory where a full graphical client would be too demanding.

In summary, rTorrent is a powerful, efficient, and flexible BitTorrent client favored in server and headless environments for its command-line interface and remote control capabilities, often managed via the popular ruTorrent web interface.

See Also

• BitTorrent
• Torrent client
• ruTorrent
• Libtorrent
• Ncurses
• Command-line interface
• Headless system
• Seedbox
• Web interface
• XML-RPC

References

• Official rTorrent Website - Primary source for information and downloads.
• Official rTorrent Wiki - Provides documentation and guides.
• rTorrent XMLRPC Setup Wiki - Details on setting up the remote control interface.
• Official LibTorrent Library (rtorrent) GitHub - The underlying library used by rTorrent.
• Official ruTorrent GitHub - The popular web interface for rTorrent.