[How to] rtorrent & ntorrent

[mancub]

I figured I'd try to write a brief how to on getting the rtorrent/ntorrent working together since I've went through it recently in desperation (my Transmission is acting up and downloading really slow, with only half a dozen peers per torrent and no obvious problems to fix).

This is meant for those who wish to run an alternative BT (rtorrent) and do not mind using a client side interface (ntorrent) on their desktop to manage their torrents.

ntorrent is a Java based application and will work on any platform supporting Java >= 1.6. Go to its page and download the binary package to your desktop, it's in the featured downloads (bz2 file and any language addition you need).

Anyways, this might not be exactly step-by-step since I'm recollecting my journey and I might miss a step so please pitch in with your comments.

Oh, if you mess up your router I am not responsible - you have been warned!

I will assume that everyone has a similar setup, WL500gP, /opt and oleg's firmware/feeds.

First of all make sure you got everything up to date:

ipkg update
ipkg upgrade

Then we need to grab rtorrent, it will also install libtorrent and bunch of other things (xmlrpc etc) but no worries you need those as well

ipkg install rtorrent

We'll need to run apache or lighttpd to have scgi, so let's install the later:

ipkg install lighttpd

Also, we need screen:

ipkg install screen

...and bash

ipkg install bash

Now we are ready to do some configurating, first lighttpd, the config file for it is in /opt/etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf so edit it:

vi /opt/etc/lighttpd/lighttpd.conf

I have kept most things default, you may change the port from default 8081 to something else if you like.
I didn't, what I added was mod_scgi in the server.modules list (I added around the end, you can add anywhere as long as it's not commented):

#                               "mod_rrdtool",
                                "mod_scgi",
                                "mod_accesslog" )

At the very end of the file I've added the following:

scgi.server = (                                                            
        "/RPC2" =>                                                         
                ( "127.0.0.1" =>                                             
                        (                                                    
                                "socket" => "/opt/var/run/rpc.socket",       
                                "check-local" => "disable",                  
                                "disable-time" => 0,  # don't disable scgi if connection fails
                        )                                                    
                )                                                            
        )

This will enable passing the socket connection from rtorrent via lighttpd to our remote ntorrent client via http:// protocol.

Save and exit the file.

Let's make rtorrent config file next, I will use a non default location for it (it usually sits in your home dir as .rtorrent.rc but I want it on my mounted drive):

vi /opt/etc/rtorrent.conf

And these are some of the settings, you can adjust more settings by reading the rtorrent manpage

scgi_local = /opt/var/run/rpc.socket
session = /opt/share/torrent/work
port_range = 10000-11000
directory = /opt/share/torrent/dl
check_hash = yes
encryption = prefer_plaintext
stop_on_ratio = 100
upload_rate = 50
max_uploads = 5

I have used ports 10000-11000 for it, but you can use any port range you like. Remember that you will have to open these ports in your firewall, so...

vi /usr/local/sbin/post-firewall

This is what you should have, at least:

#!/bin/sh

## FIREWALL
## set default policy
iptables -P INPUT DROP
## deny ftp access from WAN
iptables -I INPUT 1 -p tcp -i "$1" --syn --dport 21 -j DROP
## Allow access to various router services from WAN
## open 10000-11000 for rtorrent
for P in 10000:11000; do
  iptables -I INPUT 1 -p tcp --syn -i "$1" --dport $P -j ACCEPT
done

You might wanna change your pre-shutdown as well, I used the one wirespot posted (thanks!).

vi /usr/local/sbin/pre-shutdown

...and add the following:

#!/bin/sh
# This one is simple. I send signal INT to rtorrent
# to tell it to do a graceful shutdown that will make
# it save its hashes and full status. (You need to
# enable sessions with session=dir in rtorrent.rc
# for this to work!):
/bin/kill -INT $(/bin/pidof rtorrent) &
# Then I wait for 10 seconds to be sure it died
# gracefully. The rtorrent docs say it dies in 5,
# I just wanna make extra sure.
/bin/sleep 10

Since we made the change to flashfs this needs to "stick" after reboot so:

flashfs save && flashfs commit

[mancub]

Next let's look at the script that starts rtorrent:

vi /opt/etc/init.d/S99rtorrent

I had to change it because I did not use su, my user already has root privileges so I'm pasting the entire script without comments, so replace what you have with code below:

#!/opt/bin/bash 
# Do not proceed unless some apps are available.
test -x /opt/bin/screen || exit 0
 
##Start Configuration##

# the full path to the filename where you store your rtorrent configuration
config=("/opt/etc/rtorrent.conf")
 
# set of options to run with each instance, separated by a new line
options=("-n -o import=/opt/etc/rtorrent.conf")

# default directory for screen, needs to be an absolute path                           
base="/opt/share/torrent"                                                              
                                                                                       
# name of screen session                                                               
srnname="rtorrent"                                                                     
#######################                                                                                                                                
PATH=/opt/local/bin:/opt/sbin:/opt/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin                   
DESC="rtorrent"                                                                        
NAME=rtorrent                                                              
DAEMON=/opt/bin/$NAME                                                                  
SCRIPTNAME=/opt/etc/init.d/S99rtorrent                                                 
                                                                                       
# Gracefully exit if the package has been removed.                                     
test -x $DAEMON || exit 0                                                              
                                                                                       
checkcnfg() {                                                                          
  for (( i=0 ; i < ${#config[@]} ;  i++ )) ; do                                        
        if ! [ -r "${config[i]}" ] ; then                                              
                echo "cannot find readable config ${config[i]}. check that it is there and permissions are appropriate">&2
                exit 3                                                                                                    
        fi                                                                             
        session=$(cat "${config[i]}" | grep "^[[:space:]]*session" | sed "s/^[[:space:]]*session[[:space:]]*=[[:space:]]*//")
        if ! [ -d "${session}" ] ; then                                                                                      
                echo "cannot find readable session directory ${session} from config ${config[i]}. check permissions">&2   
                exit 3                                                                                                       
        fi                                                                                                                
  done                                                                                                                       
}                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                             
d_start() {                                                                                                                  
logger "Starting."                                                                                                           
  [ -d "${base}" ] && cd "${base}"                                                                                           
  stty stop undef && stty start undef                                                                                        
  screen -ls | grep .${srnname}[[:space:]] > /dev/null || screen -dm -S ${srnname}                                           
  for (( i=0 ; i < ${#options[@]} ; i++ )) ;  do                                                                             
    sleep 3                                                                                                                  
    screen -S ${srnname} -X screen rtorrent ${options[i]}                                                                    
  done                                                                                                                       
}            
d_stop() {                                                                                                                   
  for (( i=0 ; i < ${#config[@]} ; i++ )) ; do                                                                            
        session=$(cat "${config[i]}" | grep "^[[:space:]]*session" | sed "s/^[[:space:]]*session[[:space:]]*=[[:space:]]*//")
        pid=$(cat ${session}/rtorrent.lock | awk -F: '{print($2)}' | sed "s/[^0-9]//g")                                      
        # make sure the pid doesn't belong to another process                                                                
        # skip the pid otherwise                                                                                             
        if ps | grep ${pid}.*rtorrent > /dev/null ; then                                                                     
                kill -s INT ${pid}                                                                                           
        fi                                                                                                                   
  done                                                                                                                       
}                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                          
checkcnfg                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                             
case "$1" in                                                                                                                 
  start)                                                                                                                     
        echo -n "Starting $DESC: $NAME"                                                                                      
        d_start                                                                                                              
        echo "."                                                                                                             
        ;;                                                                                                                   
  stop)                                                                                                                      
        echo -n "Stopping $DESC: $NAME"                                                                                      
        d_stop                                                                                                               
        echo "."                                                                                                             
        ;;                                                                                                                   
  restart|force-reload)                                                                                                      
        echo -n "Restarting $DESC: $NAME"                                                                                    
        d_stop                                                                                                               
        sleep 1                                                                                                              
        d_start                                                                                                              
        echo "."                                                                                                             
        ;;                                                                                                                   
  *)                                                                                                                         
        echo "Usage: $SCRIPTNAME {start|stop|restart|force-reload}" >&2                                                      
        exit 1                                                                                                               
        ;;                                                                                                                   
esac                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                             
exit 0

Hmm, so I guess that's it, let's reboot to make sure everything starts on its own, firewall applies new rules etc...

[mancub]

After reboot, do ps and you should see lighttpd running as well as screen with your rtorrent attached to it including the -n -o import=...rtorrent.conf.

Now, go to your browser and connect to the lighttpd:

http://routerIP:8081

You should see "lighttpd server is running." Excellent!

Next connect to the socket interface:

http://routerIP:8081/RPC2

You should see an empty screen (as in white...) but that's good. Otherwise if you get 500 Server error, then something is wrong. Either rtorrent isn't running, or lighttpd isn't passing RPC through the socket. Hard to say, you will have to troubleshoot it...

We are ready to connect to our rtorrent now. Unpack the downloaded ntorrent binary somewhere (C:\Program Files\ntorrent, /Applications/ntorrent, /opt/ntorrent ...) and run it. The *ix users can use .sh file included, Winblows users should double-click on the .jar file.

You will see a Profiles dialogue, select http from the protocol drop-down.

Under host enter the IP of your router.

Connection port is 8081 (default for lighttpd or whatever else you set it to).

Mountpoint is /RPC2 (remember that's what we told lighttpd to use as an interface between the rtorrent socket and the Web).

Username is your user on the router, and Password is its password.

Tick "Remember Password" and click "Save profile".

In a moment you should be connected. Look at the bottom of the ntorrent window, there are some numbers there. You should see the Port: 10000-11000 (range we have set earlier), and your Ping: 2 sec or so...zomg it worked, you lucky, you !

So, "File/Add torrent" and off you go, it's pretty simple to use - you'll figure it out on your own.

Happy Holidays!

P.S. This is how I've done it (to best of my knowledge/recollection) so if you run into trouble you are on your own...

[polde]

Hello,

What can i say it is relay great tutorial for rtorret and ntorrent.

I LIKE IT

and yeah UPLOAD IS WORKING NORMAL now. With transmission i have big problems 0 upload 200 download :S so my ratio was f...... up

THX m8

[al37919]

Why not use:

iptables -I INPUT 1 -p tcp --syn -i "$1" --dport 10000:11000 -j ACCEPT 

instead of:

for P in 10000:11000; do
  iptables -I INPUT 1 -p tcp --syn -i "$1" --dport $P -j ACCEPT
done 

Finally, are you sure that rtorrent needs that much ports to be opened? I guess the default value is something like 4-10 ports.

Actually I suggest the following rework of the minimalistic post-firewall file:

#! /bin/sh

## FIREWALL
## set default policy
iptables -P INPUT DROP
# remove last default rule
iptables -D INPUT -j DROP

## Allow access to various router services from WAN
## open 10000-11000 for rtorrent
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --syn -i "$1" --dport 10000:11000 -j ACCEPT 

This allows painless addition of the new rules in the end of the INPUT chain which is generally more correct way in comparison with inserting them in the beginning.

However, strictly speaking this method implies a requirement to set: Internet Firewall - Basic Config - Logged packets type: NONE

[polde]

Hello,

Default configuration is following:

# Port range to use for listening.
port_range = 51777-51780 

i use this port range and this iptables WHY? I have set ssh and other ports to open state.

example:

for P in 22 8008 10000:11000; do
  iptables -I INPUT 1 -p tcp --syn -i "$1" --dport $P -j ACCEPT
done 

Some one know what is this seating

# Set whetever the client should try to connect to UDP trackers.
use_udp_trackers = yes 

[darkside40]

Is the stop_on_ratio setting working for you?

In my /opt/etc/rtorrent.conf i have the line stop_on_ratio = 120 but this morning i recognized that there was a torrent with a ratio over 2,2 and still seeding?

So it seems that this command was not recognized by the client.

Edit:
The stop_on_ration command like it is showed all pver the Thread is simply wrong. It has to be combined with a scheduler Task, like it is explained in the sample rtorrent.conf.

[msj33]

Can someone please just post a WORKING guide from start to end!

The existing guide must be OUT-OF-DATE, because I(and others) keep getting Time-out issue!

I tried to sum up what everyone has written in this thread, and sofar i got nowhere.

I'm getting annoyed in using Enhanced Torrent, because its SO buggy!

Please help, thanks

/Morten

[cupacup]

Everyone says, that its a firewall issue - but where? I opened both ports in IPTABLES and my Modem/router.

My ASUS is NOT setup like a router - Only as an Access point - Don't know if this has any effect to the issue.

Are you sure you also forwarded ports on internal router to you access point. Opening port on your router will not work , for other devices behind router.

[msj33]

cupacup> Yes I portforwarded port 10000-11000 to 192.168.1.10 which is my ASUS - Then furthermore did the IPTABLES changes as suggested in the guide.

Can someone working post:
Guide

or

Firmware version
Rtorrent/Libtorrent versions
etc.

Thanks

/Morten

[msj33]

Whooooo.........somehow i got it working!!?!?!?

I don't know how, but i would guess, that it is cause by a update.

I did a "ipkg update" and afterwardx a "ipkg upgrade" and then did gouryella's setup again and everything is working fine now - no longer timeout issue.

Thanks goes out to the ones who tried to help me out

/Morten