File sharing Bit Torrent client ported to RISC OS

A BitTorrent client has been successfully ported to RISC OS by Theo Markettos using the GCCSDK. The peer-to-peer file sharing program can fetch and upload large files from the Internet, from Linux distribution CDs to videos of films and TV shows - allowing users to download and enjoy episodes of their favourite shows, such as Lost, pictured.

To use the BitTorrent network, users must first search for and download a .torrent file which the client will use to fetch a particular file from other BT users. The file is gradually downloaded in bits from other clients until it is complete. At the same time, you will be expected to share files with other BT users.

Theo's RISC OS port of the enhanced ctorrent client runs from the command line, and can download files as well as share them with other bit torrent users. For example, to download a GNU/Linux Ubuntu ISO, run in a taskwindow:

*wget http://releases.ubuntu.com/6.10/ ubuntu-6.10-desktop-i386.iso.torrent
*ctorrent ubuntu-6.10-desktop-i386.iso.torrent


Theo told us: "You can successfully fetch a file from a torrent, and letting other people leech it works too. Somebody is doing so right now. I haven't tested creating torrent files, as I'm not sure I have anything I want to upload to the world."

He ported the software, written in C++, after RISC OS Open staffers discussed using peer-to-peer file sharing networks to spread the load of distributing the RISC OS 5 source code.

Theo said: "I decided to port ctorrent partly because lots of Linux distributions and similar projects are supplying files by torrent these days, and it's only polite to download by a method that costs them less bandwidth.

"But it's also as a result of a discussion on the RISC OS Open forums a month or two ago where I suggested peer-to-peer as a means of distributing big source tarballs like the RISC OS sources."

A binary build for punters to run is expected to be made available via the GCCSDK Autobuilder shortly. GCCSDK users can read Theo's post below to port the software by hand using the Autobuilder.