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Transmission (BitTorrent)
Encyclopedia
Transmission is a BitTorrent client
which features a simple interface on top of a cross-platform
back-end. Transmission is free software
licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License
(GPL), with parts under the MIT License
.
Mac OS X specific features include:
Transmission 1.60 and later removed support for Mac OS X v10.4
. Currently, Transmission 1.54 is the last version that runs on Mac OS X 10.4. Starting with Transmission 2.30 an Apple Mac with an Intel CPU is needed; PowerPC
-based systems are no longer supported natively.
The Transmission back-end (libTransmission) also serves as the basis of the Transmission daemon
. The daemon supports a web front-end called Clutch. Older versions have been ported to form the basis of the update system for the video game Metal Gear Online
on PS3, as well as the backend for ImageShack
's BitTorrent service.
and Unix-like
, Mac OS X
and BeOS
/ZETA; each operating system front-end is built using native widget toolkit
s.
An unofficial port
of Transmission using a command-line interface
(CLI) on the iOS was accomplished on March 3, 2008. In November 2010, iTransmission, another unofficial port, was released for jailbroken iPhones sporting a GUI
that is capable of downloading directly to the device over WiFi or 3G. A Transmission remote was released for Android, with the name of Transdroid but does not currently support downloading directly to devices.
On Windows
, Transmission-Qt can be built with MinGW, the daemon and console tools can be built with Cygwin, also there are two third-party GUI
s: Transmission Remote Dot Net and transmission-remote-gui, as well as unofficial full builds of Transmission's Qt Client.,
It is also ported to the Maemo
OS of the Nokia
N810 and N900 Internet tablets on which it does download the torrents to the device.
and Linux distribution
s, including Solaris
, Ubuntu
, Mandriva
, Mint
, Fedora
, Puppy
, CrunchBang
, Zenwalk
, and the GNOME
flavor of openSUSE
.
On Mac OS X
, it is the most popular BitTorrent client downloaded from Mac software websites MacUpdate
and VersionTracker
.
Fonera ships its routers with Transmission pre-installed.
CNET editor Paul Huges praised Transmission for its "simplicity, lightweight, as well as being feature-packed" and the software is currently ranked second in P2P downloads for Mac on CNET.
BitTorrent client
BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer program developed by Bram Cohen and BitTorrent, Inc. used for uploading and downloading files via the BitTorrent protocol. BitTorrent was the first client written for the protocol. It is often nicknamed Mainline by developers denoting its official origins. Since version...
which features a simple interface on top of a cross-platform
Cross-platform
In computing, cross-platform, or multi-platform, is an attribute conferred to computer software or computing methods and concepts that are implemented and inter-operate on multiple computer platforms...
back-end. Transmission is free software
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License
GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
(GPL), with parts under the MIT License
MIT License
The MIT License is a free software license originating at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . It is a permissive license, meaning that it permits reuse within proprietary software provided all copies of the licensed software include a copy of the MIT License terms...
.
Features
Transmission allows users to download files from the Internet and upload their own files or torrents. By grabbing items and adding them to the interface, users can create queues of files to be downloaded and uploaded. Within the file selection menus, users can customise their downloads down to components of individual files. Transmission also seeds—that is, it can re-upload downloaded content.- Low resource usage: During testing, Transmission used less than a quarter of the memory required by other BitTorrent clients.
- Prioritization to select which torrents, and which files inside those torrents, to download first
- Magnet links support introduced in 1.80
- Selective downloading
- Optionally move torrents to a different folder when they finish downloading
- Encrypted peer connectionsBitTorrent protocol encryptionProtocol encryption , message stream encryption , or protocol header encrypt are related features of some peer-to-peer file-sharing clients, including BitTorrent clients. They attempt to enhance privacy and confidentiality...
- Torrent file creation
- Peer exchangePeer exchangePeer exchange or PEX is a communications protocol that augments the BitTorrent file sharing protocol. It allows a group of users that are collaborating to share a given file to do so more swiftly and efficiently....
(compatible with VuzeVuzeVuze is a BitTorrent client used to transfer files via the BitTorrent protocol. Vuze is written in Java, and uses the Azureus Engine. In addition to downloading data linked to by .torrent files, Azureus allows users to view, publish and share original DVD and HD quality video content...
and μTorrent) - A built-in web server so that users can control Transmission remotely via the web (using RPC or WebUI)
- Automatic port mapping (using UPnPUniversal Plug and PlayUniversal Plug and Play is a set of networking protocols for primarily residential networks without enterprise class devices that permits networked devices, such as personal computers, printers, Internet gateways, Wi-Fi access points and mobile devices to seamlessly discover each other's presence...
/NAT-PMPNAT Port Mapping ProtocolNAT Port Mapping Protocol is an Internet Engineering Task Force Internet Draft, introduced by Apple Computer as an alternative to the more common Internet Gateway Device Standardized Device Control Protocol implemented in many network address translation routers. It was introduced in June 2005...
) - Fast Resume — with peer caching
- Blocklists for bad peersBlacklist (computing)In computing, a blacklist or block list is a basic access control mechanism that allows everyone access, except for the members of the black list . The opposite is a whitelist, which means allow nobody, except members of the white list...
, periodically updated with the same bluetack peer list used by PeerGuardianPeerGuardianPeerGuardian is a free and open source program developed by Phoenix Labs. It is capable of blocking incoming and outgoing connections based on IP blacklists...
and PeerBlockPeerBlockPeerBlock is a free software firewall application. PeerBlock is the successor to PeerGuardian . It blocks incoming and outgoing connections to Internet IP addresses that are included on blocklists accessible over the Internet which may be selected by the user, but also any addresses manually... - Single listening port for all torrents
- Scheduled bandwidth limits
- Global and per-torrent bandwidth caps
- Sorting/filtering options
- HTTPSHttpsHypertext Transfer Protocol Secure is a combination of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol with SSL/TLS protocol to provide encrypted communication and secure identification of a network web server...
tracker support - IPv6 support (partial) introduced in 1.50
- DHTDistributed hash tableA distributed hash table is a class of a decentralized distributed system that provides a lookup service similar to a hash table; pairs are stored in a DHT, and any participating node can efficiently retrieve the value associated with a given key...
(Mainline) support introduced in 1.70, IPv6 DHT implemented for 1.80 - Multiple line tracker list manipulation
- The usages of multiple trackers simultaneously
- Local Peer DiscoveryLocal Peer DiscoveryThe Local Peer Discovery protocol is an extension to the BitTorrent file-distribution system. It is designed to support the discovery of local BitTorrent peers, aiming to minimize the traffic through the Internet Service Provider's channel and maximize use of higher-bandwidth local area network...
support introduced in 2.00 - µTPMicro Transport ProtocolMicro Transport Protocol or µTP is an open UDP-based variant of the BitTorrent peer-to-peer file sharing protocol intended to mitigate poor latency and other congestion control issues found in conventional bittorrent over TCP, while providing reliable, ordered delivery.It was devised to...
support introduced in 2.30 - UDP trackerUDP trackerThe UDP tracker protocol is a high-performance low-overhead BitTorrent tracker protocol. It uses the stateless User Datagram Protocol for data transmission instead of the HTTP protocol regular trackers use...
support introduced in 2.30
Mac OS X specific features include:
- Transfer management
- Downloading and seeding queues
- Auto-seeding options
- Groups
- Dock and Growl notifications
- Quick LookQuick LookQuick Look is a quick preview feature developed by Apple which was introduced in their operating system, Mac OS X v10.5 "Leopard". It was announced and demonstrated at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference 2007.-Overview:...
technology built-in. (Mac OS X LeopardMac OS X v10.5Mac OS X Leopard is the sixth major release of Mac OS X, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. Leopard was released on 26 October 2007 as the successor of Tiger , and is available in two variants: a desktop version suitable for personal computers, and a...
and Snow LeopardMac OS X v10.6Mac OS X Snow Leopard is the seventh major release of Mac OS X, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers.Snow Leopard was publicly unveiled on June 8, 2009 at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference...
only) - Customizable toolbar
- Advanced progress box
- Automatic updates using SparkleSparkle (software)Sparkle is a free Mac OS X software framework designed to simplify updating software for the end user of a program. Sparkle supports checking for updates via appcasting.-Programs:It is used in over 100 programs, such as:* Adium* AppZapper* Bookends...
- Universal BinaryUniversal binaryA universal binary is, in Apple parlance, an executable file or application bundle that runs natively on either PowerPC or Intel-manufactured IA-32 or Intel 64-based Macintosh computers; it is an implementation of the concept more generally known as a fat binary.With the release of Mac OS X Snow...
Development
Mac OS X v10.4
Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger is the fifth major release of Mac OS X, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. Tiger was released to the public on 29 April 2005 for US$129.95 as the successor to Mac OS X Panther , which had been released 18 months earlier...
. Currently, Transmission 1.54 is the last version that runs on Mac OS X 10.4. Starting with Transmission 2.30 an Apple Mac with an Intel CPU is needed; PowerPC
PowerPC
PowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
-based systems are no longer supported natively.
The Transmission back-end (libTransmission) also serves as the basis of the Transmission daemon
Daemon (computer software)
In Unix and other multitasking computer operating systems, a daemon is a computer program that runs as a background process, rather than being under the direct control of an interactive user...
. The daemon supports a web front-end called Clutch. Older versions have been ported to form the basis of the update system for the video game Metal Gear Online
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
is a video game developed by Kojima Productions for the PlayStation 3 console. The game was directed by Hideo Kojima and made its worldwide release on June 12, 2008, ten years after the release of Metal Gear Solid and twenty years after the North American release of Metal Gear.Guns of the Patriots...
on PS3, as well as the backend for ImageShack
ImageShack
ImageShack is a free image hosting website. ImageShack has a subscription service but the majority of its revenue is produced from advertising related to its free image hosting. The imageshack.us Alexa ranking in September 25, 2007 was one of the top 40, but now as of September 25, 2011 it's...
's BitTorrent service.
Ports
There are several transmission clients for different operating systems including LinuxLinux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
and Unix-like
Unix-like
A Unix-like operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, while not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification....
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
and BeOS
BeOS
BeOS is an operating system for personal computers which began development by Be Inc. in 1991. It was first written to run on BeBox hardware. BeOS was optimized for digital media work and was written to take advantage of modern hardware facilities such as symmetric multiprocessing by utilizing...
/ZETA; each operating system front-end is built using native widget toolkit
Widget toolkit
In computing, a widget toolkit, widget library, or GUI toolkit is a set of widgets for use in designing applications with graphical user interfaces...
s.
An unofficial port
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
of Transmission using a command-line interface
Command-line interface
A command-line interface is a mechanism for interacting with a computer operating system or software by typing commands to perform specific tasks...
(CLI) on the iOS was accomplished on March 3, 2008. In November 2010, iTransmission, another unofficial port, was released for jailbroken iPhones sporting a GUI
Gui
Gui or guee is a generic term to refer to grilled dishes in Korean cuisine. These most commonly have meat or fish as their primary ingredient, but may in some cases also comprise grilled vegetables or other vegetarian ingredients. The term derives from the verb, "gupda" in Korean, which literally...
that is capable of downloading directly to the device over WiFi or 3G. A Transmission remote was released for Android, with the name of Transdroid but does not currently support downloading directly to devices.
On Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Transmission-Qt can be built with MinGW, the daemon and console tools can be built with Cygwin, also there are two third-party GUI
Graphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...
s: Transmission Remote Dot Net and transmission-remote-gui, as well as unofficial full builds of Transmission's Qt Client.,
It is also ported to the Maemo
Maemo
Maemo is a software platform developed by the Maemo community for smartphones and Internet tablets. It is based on the Debian Linux distribution, but has no relation to it...
OS of the Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
N810 and N900 Internet tablets on which it does download the torrents to the device.
Reception
Transmission is the default BitTorrent client of many UnixUnix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
and Linux distribution
Linux distribution
A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications...
s, including Solaris
OpenSolaris
OpenSolaris was an open source computer operating system based on Solaris created by Sun Microsystems. It was also the name of the project initiated by Sun to build a developer and user community around the software...
, Ubuntu
Ubuntu (operating system)
Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution and distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu...
, Mandriva
Mandriva Linux
Mandriva Linux is a Linux distribution distributed by Mandriva. It uses the RPM Package Manager...
, Mint
Linux Mint
Linux Mint is a Linux-based computer operating system best known for its usability and ease of installation, particularly for users with no previous GNU/Linux experience...
, Fedora
Fedora (operating system)
Fedora is a RPM-based, general purpose collection of software, including an operating system based on the Linux kernel, developed by the community-supported Fedora Project and sponsored by Red Hat...
, Puppy
Puppy Linux
Puppy Linux is a lightweight Linux distribution that focuses on ease of use. The entire system can be run from RAM, allowing the boot medium to be removed after the operating system has started...
, CrunchBang
CrunchBang Linux
CrunchBang Linux is a lightweight Debian based Linux distribution, created by Philip Newborough, designed to offer a good balance of speed and functionality.- Features :...
, Zenwalk
Zenwalk Linux
Zenwalk is a Linux distribution founded by Jean-Philippe Guillemin. It was originally based on Slackware. Since its creation, the distribution has become very different from Slackware in most regards while still maintaining compatibility with its binary packages...
, and the GNOME
GNOME
GNOME is a desktop environment and graphical user interface that runs on top of a computer operating system. It is composed entirely of free and open source software...
flavor of openSUSE
OpenSUSE
openSUSE is a general purpose operating system built on top of the Linux kernel, developed by the community-supported openSUSE Project and sponsored by SUSE...
.
On Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, it is the most popular BitTorrent client downloaded from Mac software websites MacUpdate
MacUpdate
MacUpdate is an Apple Macintosh and iPhone software download website, started in the late-1990s. As of summer 2009, it is the 114th fastest growing privately owned company in the USA, according to Inc. Magazine, which lists MacUpdate as the #1 fastest growing company in Michigan, and the 5th...
and VersionTracker
VersionTracker
VersionTracker was a website that tracked software releases. It began as a Mac OS software tracker, eventually expanding into Mac OS X, iPhone, Microsoft Windows and Palm OS software....
.
Fonera ships its routers with Transmission pre-installed.
CNET editor Paul Huges praised Transmission for its "simplicity, lightweight, as well as being feature-packed" and the software is currently ranked second in P2P downloads for Mac on CNET.