nicotine

Start Nicotine+

$ nicotine

$ nicotine [[-n|--headless]]

$ nicotine [[-r|--rescan]]

$ nicotine [[-h|--help]]

nicotine-plus [OPTIONS]

nicotine [OPTIONS]

-h, --help
    Show program's help message and exit.

--version
    Show program's version number and exit.

--debug
    Enable verbose debugging output.
This sends detailed log information to the console, useful for troubleshooting.

--profile
    Specify an alternative user profile directory.
Allows running the client with different settings and data, separate from the default location.

Nicotine+ is a popular, open-source graphical client for the Soulseek peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing network.
It allows users to search for and download files from other users, share their own files, participate in chat rooms, and manage a wishlist of desired files.
Unlike the official Soulseek client, Nicotine+ is written in Python and GTK, providing a cross-platform solution primarily used on Linux and other Unix-like systems, though it can run on Windows and macOS.
It offers a comprehensive set of features, including advanced search filters, bandwidth control, buddy lists, and private messaging.
Nicotine+ aims to provide a stable, efficient, and user-friendly experience for connecting to the Soulseek network, facilitating a community-driven approach to music and media discovery and sharing.
Its development focuses on maintaining compatibility with the Soulseek protocol while offering enhancements and bug fixes.

Nicotine+'s functionality is inherently tied to the Soulseek network and its protocol, which can evolve, potentially leading to temporary compatibility issues until updates are released.
As with any P2P client, users must be mindful of the legal implications and potential security risks associated with sharing and downloading copyrighted content.
Performance can be dependent on network conditions and the availability of other users on the Soulseek network.
Occasional connectivity problems with the Soulseek server or specific users might occur, requiring network or application restarts.

Nicotine+ typically stores its configuration, user profiles, and downloaded files in a directory within the user's home directory, often ~/.nicotine/ or ~/.config/nicotine/.
This includes settings, chat logs, and cached data.

As an open-source project, Nicotine+ benefits from community contributions, allowing for transparency, security audits, and continuous improvement.
It is usually distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL).

Nicotine+ communicates using the proprietary Soulseek protocol, which operates over TCP/IP.
Users may need to configure port forwarding on their routers for optimal connectivity and sharing capabilities.

Nicotine originated as an independent open-source client for the Soulseek P2P network, written in Python and GTK.
It was developed as an alternative to the official, closed-source Soulseek client, aiming to provide a cross-platform solution primarily for Linux users.
Over time, the original Nicotine project became less actively maintained, leading to the emergence of Nicotine+ (Nicotine-plus).
Nicotine+ continued the development, incorporating bug fixes, new features, and maintaining compatibility with changes to the Soulseek protocol.
It has become the de facto open-source client for the Soulseek community on Linux and other platforms, known for its stability and active development.
Its longevity highlights the community's desire for an open and adaptable client for the niche Soulseek network.

Soulseek (The underlying P2P network and protocol), qBittorrent(1) (A popular BitTorrent client, another P2P protocol), Deluge(1) (Another BitTorrent client), netstat(8) (Display network connections, routing tables, interface statistics, etc.), lsof(8) (List open files, including network connections)