# buildtorrent

# 2.1 buildtorrent-0.9.1

Released 2024-08-21.

Changes since buildtorrent 0.9 (2024-08-20):

• Breaking changes:
  • old -C option replaced by -B
• Fixed bugs:
  • infinite loop on some platforms
• New features:
  • override created by (-b)

# 2.2 buildtorrent-0.9

Released 2024-08-20.

Changes since buildtorrent 0.8 (2010-01-31):

• Breaking changes:
  • old -s -S options replaced by -v -vv
• Fixed bugs:
  • current maintainer email and home page
  • groff(1) warning fix by Jari Aalto
  • md5 license
  • md5 final clear
  • differing-sign comparisons
  • overlength strings
  • updated obsolete autotools usage
• New features:
  • verbosity control (-q, -v, -vv)
  • sorted directory listings (-s) by Dave “WormFood”
  • override creation date (-d)
  • trackerless torrents (-a can be omitted)
  • add DHT nodes (-N)
  • show magnet link (-M)
• New homepage:
  • https://mathr.co.uk/web/buildtorrent.html
• New repository:
  • browse https://code.mathr.co.uk/buildtorrent
  • git clone https://code.mathr.co.uk/buildtorrent.git

The transition from 0.8 to 0.9 involved a cascade of code simplifications due to deciding to exit on out of memory. This may have introduced bugs, but given that those changes were made in late 2010, hopefully they will have surfaced and been fixed by now. If you find a bug, please report it.

# 2.3 buildtorrent-0.8

Released 2010-01-31.

Changes since buildtorrent 0.7 (2008-04-13):

• Fixed bugs:
  • announce-list segfault on 64bit
• New features:
  • webseed url-list (-w)
  • piece length as a power of 2 (-L)
  • torrent name (-n)
  • external file list (-f)
• New homepage:
  • (obsolete url removed)
• New repository:
  • (obsolete url removed)

The transition from 0.7 to 0.8 involved some extensive code reorganisation to make it possible to add the new features: as with any such extensive change, this may have introduced new bugs. If you find a bug, please report it.

# 3.1 Name

buildtorrent - a torrent file creation program.

# 3.2 Synopsis

buildtorrent [OPTIONS] input output
buildtorrent [OPTIONS] -f filelist -n name output

# 3.3 Description

buildtorrent is a torrent file creation program. Given appropriate options and an input file or directory, buildtorrent generates an output .torrent file that can be used by torrent clients.

# 3.4 Options

-a url, --announce=url

Announce URL. Can be omitted for trackerless torrents (BEP-5).

-f filelist, --filelist=filelist

A text file (or - for standard input) containing a list of files to add to the output torrent file, together with the path to use inside the torrent. Using this option requires that the --name option be used. One file is given per line, use / as path separator for the torrent path, use | to separate the filesystem path from the torrent path. Backslash \ can be used to escape newlines and | characters inside names. For example:

/data/files/linux.iso|bin/linux.iso
/data/files/linux.txt|doc/linux.txt

-n name, --name=name

Specify the name for the torrent. Usage of this option is required when the --filelist option is used, in which case it specifies the name of the torrent directory. Usage without a file list overrides the name of the directory or file given on the command line.

-A announces, --announcelist=announces

Additional announce URL list (BEP-12). Use , to separate outer level lists, and | to separate inner level items; for example:

a,b1|b2,c

-N nodes, --nodes=nodes

DHT nodes list (for trackerless torrents) (BEP-5). Use , to separate items, and | to separate host from port; for example:

127.0.0.1|6881,example.com|1337

-w webseeds, --webseeds=webseeds

Additional WebSeed URL list (BEP-19). Use , to separate items; for example:

a,b,c

-l length, --piecelength=length

Piece length in bytes (default 262144).

-L length, --piecesize=size

Use 2^size as piece length (default 18) (overrides -l).

-c comment, --comment=comment

User comment (omitted by default).

-p private, --private=private

Private flag (either 0 or 1) (BEP-27).

-d timestamp, --date=timestamp

Override creation date field with a UNIX timestamp (number of seconds since 1970 epoch).

-D, --nodate

Omit the creation date field entirely.

-b creator, --createdby=creator

Override created by field.

-B, --nocreatedby

Omit the created by field entirely.

-m, --md5sum

Add an md5sum field for each file.

-s sortorder, --sort=sortorder

Filename sorting method (only when in filesystem directory mode): any one of Unsorted, Alpha, Version (when available).

-M, --magnet

Show a magnet link for the generated torrent file.

-q, --quiet

Quiet operation with reduced output.

-v, --verbose

Verbose operation with increased output (may be used multiple times for more verbosity).

-V, --version

Show the version string.

-h, --help

Show a help screen with brief usage information.

# 3.5 Notes

The previous -s and -S options have been removed; use -v and -vv instead.

# 3.6 See Also

• createtorrent(1)
• mktorrent(1)
• https://wiki.theory.org/BitTorrentSpecification
• http://bittorrent.org/beps/bep_0005.html
• http://bittorrent.org/beps/bep_0012.html
• http://bittorrent.org/beps/bep_0019.html
• http://bittorrent.org/beps/bep_0027.html