If any group has embraced the possibilities and power of BitTorrent for distribution, it is the Linux community. Virtually every distribution is available via torrent download and many even ship with a BitTorrent client in the default configuration. While the BitTorrent Python code has always been available for Linux users and uTorrent runs very well for many with Wine, a resounding number of BitTorrent fans have asked for a native µTorrent for Linux. When we started our Idea Bank a few months ago, a Linux version was immediately the most requested feature, and has stayed #1 ever since. We’ve heard you loud and clear, and today, we’ve taken a notable first step toward making it a reality.

This morning, we are announcing a preview release of the first of two new products for Linux users. µTorrent Server, an alpha version available immediately for download here, is intended for users seeking a fast, powerful and lightweight BitTorrent client without the need of the full features and complexity of the native GUI. The server is a daemonizable 32-bit binary of the µTorrent core, built for x86 compatible Linux. It can be managed programmatically via an HTTP API or interactively by using the (included) customized version of the popular uTorrent Web user interface. µTorrent Server is a native Linux build from the same codebase as our very latest clients, featuring µTP support and all of the protocol improvements and extensions µTorrent users expect.

Today, we are distributing this as an archive to users who know their way around Linux and can help us test it and improve it before a wider release as a package for specific distros. If you are comfortable with extracting tar archives, running programs from the command line, and manually configuring a settings file then we invite you to download and try the alpha.

Today’s version is only the first step, and we will continue to support the Linux user community with new versions in the near future. If you prefer to stick to more conventional user experience, rest assured we are working hard to build a full-featured client, coming soon. µTorrent Linux will offer the same clean and full featured UI that millions of users of of µTorrent on Windows have enjoyed. We are hoping to get this out to you for testing in a few months. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, we look forward to hearing what you think of µTorrent Server – please join us in our forums and continue to help shape the future of µTorrent through the Idea Bank, or share your thoughts below.









– Brett –