TorrentFlux Review

very good
key review info
application features
  • Upload Torrents via URL or File Upload
  • (5 more, see all...)

The BitTorrent protocol has grown to be one of the most popular file distribution protocols used all around the world. What made it so popular was its ability to widely distribute large amounts of data without incurring the corresponding consumption in costly server and bandwidth resources. For one to start downloading a file through the BitTorrent protocol, he will need to download the torrent file first and open it with a torrent client. Such clients are available in different forms, shapes and for every operating system. One of these clients is called "TorrentFlux" and it's a little more special than the others. What makes it special is the fact that it's a PHP based client that runs on a web server, allowing users to manage all their torrent downloads through a browsers, from any computer connected to the Internet.

To install TorrentFlux, your system will need to have a web server installed, with PHP and MySQL support. You'll also need to have Python installed (at least 2.2). Installing it is a very simple process, you'll only have to extract the TorrentFlux package into your web server root directory, create the mysql database and change the config file. However, for more detailed instructions, follow this Softpedia guide: Installing TorrentFlux and XAAMP.

The first time you'll access the TorrentFlux web client, you'll be prompted for a username and a password. Currently, there's none set so keep in mind that whatever login details you use now, they will be stored and related to the administrator's account. The next time you login, you'll have to use the same login details used now.

After the login step, you will be presented with a list of preferences, each with a green or red glowing button right next to them. The green button indicates that the current setting is correct, while the red one will obviously indicate that something is wrong. The first setting allows you to configure the destination path where the downloaded files will be stored to. Make sure that the directory is chmoded to 700 unless you want a red button glowing.

You are now able to start using TorrentFlux by downloading files through the BitTorrent protocol. To do this, you'll have to load the torrent file, which contains the metadata about the files to be shared, and about the tracker, which is the computer that coordinates the files distribution. To load a torrent, either use the upload filed, which enables you to load a torrent file you already have on your hard drive, or, upload a torrent file from a specific web location. There's also the possibility to search for torrent files using one (or more) of the search engines such as Google, isoHunt, TorrentSpy and so on. The best thing about this feature is that the results will be included into the application and you will be able to immediately load the torrent files, without opening new browser windows and so on.

Once the torrent file has been uploaded, you'll need to start the download by clicking on the blue "Begin download" button. This button will open a new window where you can fine tune the download's options. You can change options like the maximum upload and download speed, the request interval, the port range and which files to download if several are available. Once you press the "Run torrent" button, TorrentFlux will attempt to connect to peers and download the files.

In the main window, you'll see the download details: the torrent size, its status (download speed and progress completed), the estimated time until completion and three administration buttons: torrent details, stop/start and delete. Underneath the torrents list, you'll see the global download and upload speed, how much free space is remaining and the server load. The main page will automatically refresh in 60 seconds (default value) to update the values.

TorrentFlux also offers a file browser which allows you to browse through your download directory. Through it you can download the finished files, as well as the whole directories, which are first zipped into a zip or tar archive. To access the file browser, click on the 'directory' button at the top of the main page. From the same navigation menu, you can access the history page which will list your activity for the past 30 days, the profile page, where you can modify your password, theme and language. The next button, messages, will take you to your messages page, where you can read and manage the received messages, as well as compose new ones. Finally, the last button, admin, will take you to the administration page, which is divided into several other sections. The admin section will list the activity for all users for the past 30 days. Next section, settings, will allow you to change various preferences, some of them from the start torrent page. The queue section will allow you to enable or disable the queue manager, as well as set the maximum number of torrents each user is allowed to run, maximum user threads and the polling interval. Next sections include search settings, activity, link and user management, as well as the backup section which will send you the zipped file of your TorrentFlux database. There's also the possibility to insert a torrent RSS feed, which will be available through the RSS torrents button from the main page.

The Good

TorrentFlux is a web based torrent client which runs on a web server, allowing you to manage your torrents from any computer with Internet access. It has all the basic features one would expect to find in a torrent client, and more. For instance, you'll have the ability to manage the queue for each user, as well as RSS support and detailed event history.

The Bad

Unfortunately, a very large number of trackers require user authentication before downloading and using their torrents; so, in order to use torrents from those web sites, you will need to both download the torrent and load it in a client from the same computer (IP).

The Truth

For what is worth, TorrentFlux is a great torrent client, as long as you use it to download torrents from public trackers. Loading torrents from private trackers in TorrentFlux could prove a difficult task for inexperienced users, so for them, it's probably more recommended to use a normal torrent client.

Check out some screenshots below:

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user interface 4
features 5
ease of use 3
pricing / value 5


final rating 4
Editor's review
very good
 
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