Torrent clients have been around since 2001 and have been built by large corporations with free and ad-based choices. What if we told you that you could build your own torrent client in Python using freely available libraries? We have a step-by-step process that you can follow to get started in creating your own coded uTorrent or BitTorrent alternative.
How Currently Available Torrent Clients Work
Torrent clients not have any kind of dependency on a centralized server for storing files however it bit of data is saved from individual files in participating computers (peers) in a network in order to facilitate the first process of sharing files. P2P communication control such as BitTorrent breaks the files into pieces and moves them from uploaders to downloaders through the torrent client, a separate program that is able to read all the information in the .torrent file and then connect the users with the exchange data.
It has a check and balance system which has been described below and is applied to make the process foolproof:
- The torrent file which is .torrent carries all the information telling you which systems are part of the file-sharing process. It might also give you details on both files and folders which you are downloading.
- The torrent client makes a connection with the tracker which holds the IP address of the devices there in the swarm. What the tracker does is forwards the address to all torrent clients to make sure that peers are connected.
- Download is started by the torrent clients as it receives enough data it starts to upload the file for your benefit.
The working of torrent clients is surprisingly not very complicated and very simple.
First, you need to select and install the torrent client even before you begin to share or download files. Make the selection carefully as many might come with adware that can cause problems with the system or device. We suggest that you directly download from the client side to avoid downloading malware from third-party sides. If you want security features then there are free-for-downloads then it is ideal go for a premium client.
Once the Torrent client has been installed you need to download the tracker site which carries listings of torrent files. For torrent files, there are only repositories and do not host content on their servers.
After this you can search for the content you intend to download. During this several files are returned, and select ones which have many seeders so the process of the download goes faster. Check to see if you can run the file before downloading.
As files are compatible with programs installed you can begin downloading the content. You can get multiple files but it is good that you prioritize your downloads.
How To Build Your Own Torrent Client Software Using Python
Before building a torrent client you need to know about the .torrent file, peers and the magnet. You require files such as:
- .Torrent file
- Magnet links
The torrent file is where the URL and information are found that allows it to reach the peer. The magnet links allow you to download the torrent files which then lead to the files or media that you are requesting.
When you are choosing trackers, make sure you know the difference between a Public and a Private torrent tracker. Private tracker site registration is exclusive most of the time and by invite only. It also needs you to seed torrents after every download or you may get banned.
Public Tracker:
This is open to all and has a large user base. You can download a shared file from this site even if you are not registered or currently logged into the tracker site.
Private Tracker:
This can be accessed only if you are a registered user who is vetted for trustworthiness (which means you are not online pirating or sharing any copyrighted material) before giving membership.
What you need to get started:
- A Python IDE such as Ninja-IDE or PyCharm to write, edit and compile the code.
- Internet access.
- A Windows or Linux computer to test your client on or use a virtual machine.
Below are the steps required to build your own torrent client using Python:
- You require magnet links for your torrent files for this you can use available APIs such as Py1337x.
- Now, the most important part, this is where you download the torrent. You can use “libtorrent” that works on any operating system. This is C++ focused and is heavily documented for ease of implementation. It is also very stable and if you decide to use it for your Windows 10 or 11 implementation, it doesn’t suffer from constant crashing and unexpected errors.
- To build basic torrent client functions you can use custom-made variables such as for torrent session, handle and status. These will allow you to pull information of a torrent file and manage them.
- If you are streaming videos and would like to have subtitles you can use “subliminal library” and “GuessIt library” to give user-friendly names to the files you download.
Note: Use the above only as guidance and a starting-point and feel free to use it as a project.
ALSO SEE: EZTV Proxy Sites for 2023 – A Huge List.
4 Ready-Made Torrent Clients that you can use instead of making your own
BitTorrent Client
It comes with in-built bandwidth which allows downloading either torrent files or magnet links.
It comes in free but might frustrate you with ads. With BitTorrent pro you can be ad free and watch media in HD by using a torrent downloader.
It has a simple and easy-to-use interface. Find you desired content by searching using the in-built search engine. It has drag and drop feature through which you can quickly and easily customize the interface.
Other features include schedule torrent downloads, limit bandwidth use and managing paired devices.
It also allows private trackers which are not allowed on uTorrent. Moreover, web-based seeding, commenting and reviewing is all part of it.
For now it has 5.4 million users each month, it is not the oldest but also the favorite to download torrent fast in 2022.
qBittorrent
It is one of the best in the market and is simple to use, comes in free and highly functional cross-platform torrent client.
The best thing about this is that it is free of ads. It provides support to queuing torrents, prioritizing torrents, IP filtering yes it is a media player too.
It shall not take too much RAM when downloading files and get regular updates too.
Moreover, it interface is neat which means whether you are a pro or a newbie you won’t have issues using it.
It comes with RSS feed support, bandwidth scheduler and extensions like encrypted connection and support for magnet links.
BitLord
It comes with a minimalistic interface which both if you are a new user or a professional won’t face any difficulty. The main aim is to be simple. The interface is free from all the disruptive content.
With this you can download content as well as stream it at the very same time. You can also stream the content in a media player or Chromecast.
If you are a fan of subtitles while watching movies and TV shows then it automatically generates them.
The best this is that it offers you password protection and torrent creation. Moreover, you can organize downloads into a playlist for easy access.
Vuze
It is an easy-to-use software that even if you are a beginner won’t have any issues. The developers have designed an engaging, intuitive and neat interface. Moreover, with this you can have access to its third-party plug-in library, handing you complete control over the software and allowing you to customize the interface as you like.
Out of many the best feature is that it comes with torrent bundles that allow IP filtering and bandwidth limiting. Moreover, it also offers magnet links and remote control.
With this get you desired torrent and stream the content by using its playback feature. With built-in torrent search engine, you can find any content you want within seconds.
Its free versions are Vuze and Vuze Leap whereas paid one is Vuze plus which provides access to high-end features.
It has many features like in-built anti-virus and the ability to watch media files while downloading them.
You need to be careful while downloading this as you do not want to install bundled package. If you are new to all this then you might face issues with setting it up.
Other projects and software you can build yourself:
- Tutorial to build the Pacman Game easily in C language.
- Python SMS Sender Free Download (With Script).
- Download Weather Forecast Python Project and Predict future weather.
Conclusion
Torrents are not complicated pieces of software if built with simplicity in mind. This article explained in a step-by-step manner how you can create a working torrent client to download torrents and stream your favorite media. This uses various open source libraries such as libtorrent, py1337x and GuessIt.
Do let us know in the comments section if you have ever created such a project or any project to do with p2p networks or clients.
