LinuxCommandLibrary

transmission-cli

Download torrents from the command line

TLDR

Download a specific torrent

$ transmission-cli [url|magnet|path/to/file]
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Download a torrent to a specific directory
$ transmission-cli [[-w|--download-dir]] [path/to/download_directory] [url|magnet|path/to/file]
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Create a torrent file from a specific file or directory
$ transmission-cli --new [path/to/source_file_or_directory]
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Specify the download speed limit (in KB/s)
$ transmission-cli [[-d|--downlimit]] [50] [url|magnet|path/to/file]
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Specify the upload speed limit (in KB/s)
$ transmission-cli [[-u|--uplimit]] [50] [url|magnet|path/to/file]
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Use a specific port for connections
$ transmission-cli [[-p|--port]] [port_number] [url|magnet|path/to/file]
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Force encryption for peer connections
$ transmission-cli [[-er|--encryption-required]] [url|magnet|path/to/file]
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Use a Bluetack-formatted peer blocklist
$ transmission-cli [[-b|--blocklist]] [blocklist_url|path/to/blocklist] [url|magnet|path/to/file]
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SYNOPSIS

transmission-cli [options] [filename|url]

PARAMETERS

-h, --help
    Show command-line options and exit.

-a, --add
    Add torrent file or URL.

-o, --output
    Set output directory for downloads.

-p, --port
    Specify Transmission's port number. (default: 9091).

-u, --username
    Set Transmission username.

-v, --password
    Set Transmission password.

-l, --list
    List all torrents.

-i, --info
    Show detailed information about a torrent.

-s, --start
    Start torrent(s).

-t, --stop
    Stop torrent(s).

-r, --remove
    Remove torrent(s).

-g, --get
    Download only selected files from torrent(s).

-d, --delete
    Delete torrent and data.

-V, --version
    Show version number and exit.

-e, --debug
    Enable debug mode.

-f, --force
    Force operation.

DESCRIPTION

transmission-cli is a powerful command-line interface for interacting with the Transmission BitTorrent client. It allows users to manage torrents, add new torrents, start, stop, and remove torrents, and monitor the download and upload progress from a terminal.

It's useful for automating torrent management tasks, especially on headless servers or systems where a graphical user interface isn't available. Using transmission-cli, administrators can control their Transmission daemon remotely or integrate it into scripts for automated seeding and downloading workflows.

The command communicates with a running Transmission daemon (transmission-daemon) instance to perform its actions. It offers a wide range of options to customize the behavior and retrieve detailed information about torrents. Through proper configuration, it is a stable and reliable way to manage torrent transfers.

CAVEATS

The Transmission daemon (transmission-daemon) must be running for transmission-cli to work. Authentication is required if the daemon is configured to require it.

TORRENT ID

Many options require a 'torrent id'. You can find this id using the -l option to list all the torrents currently in Transmission. The ID is a numerical value assigned to each torrent.

CONFIGURATION

transmission-cli uses the same configuration file as the Transmission daemon. Settings like download directory, port, and username/password are configured there, typically located in ~/.config/transmission-daemon/settings.json.

HISTORY

The transmission-cli command has been developed as part of the Transmission BitTorrent client project. It provides command line access to Transmission's functions, allowing users to manage torrents from terminal environments. It evolved alongside the GUI clients to provide a full suite of options to manage torrents.

SEE ALSO

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