whatisgithub

What is rtorrent?

rakshasa/rtorrent — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-06-26

★ 4,772C++Audience · ops devopsComplexity · 3/5LicenseSetup · moderate

In one sentence

rTorrent is a terminal-based BitTorrent client for servers and headless machines. Written in C++, it runs entirely in a text interface and pairs with the libtorrent library for protocol handling. No graphical interface needed, ideal for low-resource or remote systems.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((rTorrent))
    Interface
      Terminal only
      ncurses panels
      No GUI needed
    Core Engine
      libtorrent paired
      BitTorrent protocol
      libcurl transfers
    Setup
      Build from source
      autoconf automake
      Prebuilt releases
    Use Cases
      Server downloads
      Headless machines
      Low resource systems
    License
      GNU GPL
      Mozilla NSS code
    Project
      Solo maintainer
      Donation supported
      External wiki docs
Click or tap to explore — scroll the page freely

Code map

Detail Auto

An interactive map of this repo's files and how they connect — its source is parsed live in your browser. Click Visualize to build it.

filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Run a torrent client on a remote server or headless machine without any graphical desktop

USE CASE 2

Automate downloading of torrents on low-resource hardware like a home server or Raspberry Pi

USE CASE 3

Manage torrents entirely from a terminal or SSH session without installing a GUI

USE CASE 4

Integrate torrent downloading into a self-hosted media or file management setup

What is it built with?

C++ncurseslibtorrentlibcurlautoconfautomake

How does it compare?

rakshasa/rtorrentmaximegmd/cyberenginetweaksclangen/musikcube
Stars4,7724,7774,764
LanguageC++C++C++
Setup difficultymoderatemoderateeasy
Complexity3/53/52/5
Audienceops devopsdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 1h+

Must match rTorrent and libtorrent versions exactly. Building from source requires autoconf, automake, libcurl, and ncurses dev libraries. Prebuilt packages available for major Linux distros.

Open source under the GNU GPL license. A small portion of cryptography code from Mozilla NSS carries a separate triple license. You can use and modify it freely but must share changes under the same license.

So what is it?

rTorrent is a BitTorrent client designed to run in a terminal window rather than as a graphical desktop application. It was built for high performance and is controlled entirely through a text-based interface using the ncurses library, which draws panels and menus inside a standard command line shell. This makes it popular on servers, headless machines, and low-resource systems where a graphical interface is not available or practical. The project is written in C++ and is closely paired with a companion library called libtorrent, which handles the actual BitTorrent protocol work. The two projects must always be on the same version, so updating one requires updating the other at the same time. Beyond libtorrent, rTorrent also depends on libcurl for network transfers and ncurses for its terminal display. Building rTorrent from source requires a handful of standard Unix build tools, including autoconf and automake. After cloning the repository, you run a script to generate the build configuration, then follow the usual compile-and-install steps. Prebuilt releases are also available for those who do not want to compile it themselves. The project is open source under the GNU GPL license, with one small section of cryptography code borrowed from Mozilla's NSS library that carries its own triple license. The README is brief and directs users to an external wiki for the full usage guide and configuration documentation. Development is maintained by a solo creator who accepts donations through PayPal, Patreon, and several cryptocurrency addresses to keep the project going.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I want to use rTorrent on a remote Linux server over SSH. Walk me through installing it, adding a torrent file, and checking download progress from the terminal.
Prompt 2
How do I write an rTorrent configuration file to set a download folder, limit upload speed, and auto-start torrents when they are added?
Prompt 3
rTorrent and libtorrent must be on the same version. How do I check which versions I have installed and update both at the same time on Ubuntu?
Prompt 4
I want to build rTorrent from source on a Debian-based system. Give me the exact commands from cloning the repo through running make install, including installing dependencies.
Prompt 5
How can I run rTorrent inside a screen or tmux session so downloads keep running after I disconnect from SSH?

Frequently asked questions

What is rtorrent?

rTorrent is a terminal-based BitTorrent client for servers and headless machines. Written in C++, it runs entirely in a text interface and pairs with the libtorrent library for protocol handling. No graphical interface needed, ideal for low-resource or remote systems.

What language is rtorrent written in?

Mainly C++. The stack also includes C++, ncurses, libtorrent.

What license does rtorrent use?

Open source under the GNU GPL license. A small portion of cryptography code from Mozilla NSS carries a separate triple license. You can use and modify it freely but must share changes under the same license.

How hard is rtorrent to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 1h+ to a first successful run.

Who is rtorrent for?

Mainly ops devops.

Open on GitHub → Ask about another repo

This repo across BitVibe Labs

Verify against the repo before relying on details.

What are similar repos?