Downloading torrents using the Terminal on a Mac is a powerful and efficient method for users who prefer command-line tools over graphical interfaces. This approach leverages the flexibility and control of the Terminal, allowing you to manage downloads with precision.
Understanding Torrents and Command-Line Tools
Torrents are a popular method for sharing large files over the internet. They rely on a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, where users download and upload pieces of the file simultaneously. While graphical torrent clients like Transmission or qBittorrent are common, command-line tools offer a lightweight and scriptable alternative.
Command-line tools such as aria2 and rtorrent are widely used for downloading torrents. These tools are efficient, consume fewer system resources, and can be integrated into automated workflows. For Mac users, installing these tools via Homebrew is the most straightforward method.
Installing Homebrew and Torrent Clients
Homebrew is a package manager for macOS that simplifies the installation of command-line tools. To install Homebrew, open the Terminal and run the following command:
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"Once Homebrew is installed, you can proceed to install a torrent client. For example, to install aria2, use the following command:
brew install aria2Alternatively, you can install rtorrent with:
brew install rtorrentDownloading Torrents Using aria2
aria2 is a lightweight and versatile command-line download utility. To download a torrent file, use the following command:
aria2c [torrent file or magnet link]For example, if you have a torrent file named example.torrent, the command would be:
aria2c example.torrentIf you have a magnet link, simply paste it after the aria2c command. The download will begin immediately, and you can monitor its progress in the Terminal.
Downloading Torrents Using rtorrent
rtorrent is another powerful command-line torrent client. Unlike aria2, it operates in an interactive session. To start rtorrent, simply type:
rtorrentOnce inside the rtorrent interface, you can load a torrent file or magnet link by navigating to it and pressing Enter. The download will start, and you can manage it using the on-screen commands.
Automating Downloads with Scripts
One of the advantages of using command-line tools is the ability to automate tasks. You can create scripts to download multiple torrents or schedule downloads at specific times. For example, a simple Bash script using aria2 might look like this:
#!/bin/bash
aria2c -i torrents.txtIn this script, torrents.txt contains a list of torrent files or magnet links. Running the script will initiate all downloads sequentially.
Managing and Monitoring Downloads
Both aria2 and rtorrent provide options to monitor and manage downloads. In aria2, you can pause, resume, or remove downloads using specific commands. For example, to pause a download, use:
aria2c --pause [GID]In rtorrent, you can use the interface to manage downloads interactively. Pressing Ctrl+S pauses a download, while Ctrl+D removes it.