Torrent clients have been around since 2001 and built by large corporations with free and ad-based choices. What if we told you that you could build your 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 do not have any 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 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 can 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 torrent file contains all the information about which systems are part of the file-sharing process. It might also give you details on both files and folders you are downloading.
- The torrent client connects with the tracker, which holds the IP address of the devices in the swarm. The tracker forwards the address to all torrent clients to ensure that peers are connected.
- The torrent clients start downloading as it receive enough data 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 before sharing or downloading 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 sites. If you want security features, there are free-for-downloads, which are ideal for a premium client.
Once the Torrent client has been installed you need to download the tracker site which carries listings of torrent files. There are only repositories for torrent files and do not host content on their servers.
After this, you can search for the content you intend to download. Several files are returned during this process, and one is selected with many seeders so the download process 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 URL and information are found in the torrent file, allowing it to reach the peer. The magnet links allow you to download the torrent files, which leads to the files or media you request.
When choosing trackers, 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 logged into the tracker site.
Private Tracker:
This can be accessed only if you are a registered user 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 will be used 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 is where you download the torrent. You can use “libtorrent” which 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 torrent session, handle and status. These will allow you to pull information from a torrent file and manage it.
- If you are streaming videos and want subtitles, use the “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 2024 – 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 your 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 scheduling torrent downloads, limiting bandwidth use and managing paired devices.
It also allows private trackers which are not allowed on uTorrent. Moreover, web-based seeding, commenting and reviewing are all part of it.
For now, it has 5.4 million users each month, it is not only the oldest but also the favorite to download torrents fast in 2024.
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 access its third-party plug-in library, giving you complete control over the software and allowing you to customize the interface as you like.
The best feature is that it comes with torrent bundles, allowing IP filtering and limiting bandwidth. Moreover, it also offers magnet links and remote control.
With this get your desired torrent and stream the content using its playback feature. With a built-in torrent search engine, you can find any content you want within seconds.
Its free versions are Vuze and Vuze Leap whereas the paid one is Vuze Plus, which provides access to high-end features.
It has many features like built-in anti-virus and the ability to watch media files while downloading them.
You must be careful while downloading this as you do not want to install a bundled package. If you are new to all this, you might face issues 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.
