μTorrent
This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2015) |
Original author(s) | Ludvig Strigeus |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Rainberry, Inc. |
Initial release | September 18, 2005 |
Stable release(s) | |
Preview release(s) [±] | |
3.6.0 Beta (build 46588) (14 November 2022[±][4] | )|
Written in | BitTorrent client |
License | Adware |
Website | www |
μTorrent, or uTorrent (see
The program has been in active development since its first release in 2005. Although originally developed by Ludvig Strigeus, since December 7, 2006, the code is owned and maintained by BitTorrent, Inc.[12] The code has also been employed by BitTorrent, Inc. as the basis for version 6.0 and above of the BitTorrent client, a re-branded version of μTorrent. All versions are written in C++.[5]
History
Early development
Out of general discontent with
PeerFactor SARL
On March 4, 2006, PeerFactor SARL announced the signing of a six-month contract with Strigeus for the development of "new content distribution applications on the Web."[13] PeerFactor SARL is a relatively new company formed by former employees of PeerFactor, which was a subsidiary of the French anti-piracy organization Retspan.
Ludde stated that his coding for PeerFactor SARL was to use his expertise in the optimization of the BitTorrent
Ownership change
On December 7, 2006, μTorrent was purchased by
On September 18, 2007,
In April 2017, BitTorrent founder Bram Cohen announced that the next version of μTorrent would be web browser based. This μTorrent version allows users to stream torrents from the default web browser, similar to a regular streaming site.[17]
Features
Features present in μTorrent include:
- Magnet Links (URIs), added in version 1.8, released on August 9, 2008.[18]
- Teredo tunneling / IPv6 support
- Micro Transport Protocol (µTP) preliminary support as of 1.8.2 with full-support added in 2.0
- UPnP support for all versions of Windows, without needing Windows XP's UPnP framework
- Protocol encryption (PE)
- Peer exchange (PEX) with other BitTorrent clients:
- Deluge or qBittorrenthave full μTorrent PEX support
- Transmission and clients based on libTransmission have full μTorrent PEX support
- KTorrent has full μTorrent PEX support as of 2.1 RC1
- Vuze, formerly Azureus, has full support as of version 3.0.4.3
- RSS ("broadcatching")
- "BitTorrent client and BitComet
- User configurable intelligent disk caching system
- Full proxy server support
- HTTPStracker support
- Configurable bandwidth scheduler
- Localized for 67 languages.[19]
- Initial seeding of torrents
- Customizable search bar & user interface design.[20]
- Configuration settings and temporary files are stored in a single directory, allowing portable use
- LAN, using a Web browser
- Embedded Tracker: a simple tracker designed for seeding torrents, lacking a web interface or list of hosted torrents. It is not designed for secure or large-scale application.[21]
- Quick-resumes interrupted transfers
- Two LifeHacker.[25]
- The ability to use encryption of all traffic to bypass torrent blocking on the network.[26]
Size
μTorrent is shipped as a single stand-alone
Operating system support
μTorrent is available for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Android.[6][27] A μTorrent Server is also available for Linux.[28]
The first test version for macOS, running on Mac OS X Leopard, was released on 27 November 2008.[29]
On September 2, 2010, the native
As of 2020, μTorrent server for Linux supports
On August 1, 2019, μTorrent announced that users who upgrade to
Currently, μTorrent supports Windows XP or later, Mac OS X Snow Leopard or later, and Android 5.0 or later.[27]
Revenue
In early versions, Strigeus had built in a web redirection via nanotorrent for search queries entered through the search bar that displayed advertisements in a frame on the web browser. Some users thought this suspicious because tracking could be implemented by recording the IP addresses of those downloading/receiving the advertisements, and the search functionality could easily be used to track user queries through whichever web interface the client is going through to execute the search. After a short trial period, the advertising was disabled, mitigating possible concerns.[33]
A later version of the software has, instead of ads, a "search all sites" feature, which is a keyword-based search bar that delivers listings of torrent files at different trackers. A frame at the top displays advertisements (server-side) in the browser when the search function is used. In version 1.5, no ads are present in the program itself.
As of build 463, a redirect bypass feature became available in the Advanced options.
As of version 1.8.2, the μTorrent installer gives the user the option to download and install the
Currently, μTorrent generates revenue through in-content advertisements (in the free version for Windows) and the "pro" version, which is available in 3 bundles (available for both classic & web client for Windows).[36]
Toolbars
In late 2010, some controversy arose with the release of μTorrent which included
Paid version
On July 15, 2011, BitTorrent announced that they would offer a paid version of μTorrent called "μTorrent Plus". This new version would offer extra features, such as integrated file conversion, anti-virus, and a built-in media player.
Ads and malware
In August 2012, BitTorrent announced the addition of advertising in the free version of µTorrent which could be individually dismissed by users.[42] Due to response from users, a few days later, the company stated that ads could be optionally turned off.[43] A user-created tool known as "Pimp My µTorrent" was also created to simplify the process of disabling ads in the Windows version.[44] Starting with µTorrent version 3.2.2, the software also contains in-content advertisements described as "Featured Torrent".[45] As with ads, it is possible to disable this content.[45]
In March 2015, it was alleged that μTorrent had automatically installed a program known as Epic Scale: a program classified as "
Yandex Browser and other Yandex-produced software are being advertised to Russian and Ukrainian users of μTorrent.[51]
Pronunciation
An admin on the μTorrent forums wrote in 2005, "I don't really know how it's pronounced... ...I usually say 'you torrent' because it looks like a u", while stating they were not sure, they also mentioned the correct pronunciations for "μTorrent" "microtorrent", "mytorrent" (as "my" [myː] is the Swedish pronunciation of the Greek letter μ) and "mutorrent".[52] In Greece, where the software is widely used, it is called 'me torrent',[citation needed] since the letter μ of the Greek Alphabet is pronounced [mi] in modern Greek.[53] The symbol μ is the lowercase
Contributors
The original development was performed by Ludvig Strigeus ("ludde", from Sweden), the creator of μTorrent. Serge Paquet ("vurlix", from Canada) acted as release coordinator, and had intended to work on Linux and macOS ports. He maintained the μTorrent website and forum up until the end of 2005 but is no longer affiliated with μTorrent.
Since its purchase in 2006, development has been performed by various employees of Bittorrent Inc. Strigeus is no longer affiliated.
Reception
μTorrent has been praised for its small size and minimal computer resources used, which set it apart from other clients.
In November 2009, 52 million users were reported to be using the application,[68] and in late 2011, 132 million.[69]
According to a study by Arbor Networks, the 2008 adoption of IPv6 by μTorrent caused a 15-fold increase in IPv6 traffic across the Internet over a ten-month period.[70]
See also
References
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Stable 1.8.7 Build 45548
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Solving math problems for weather prediction, physics simulations, cryptography (including cryptocurrency mining) and more has real-world value. We solve these problems on behalf of our trusted partners, and donate proceeds to your favorite charities.
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{{cite web}}
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External links
- Official website
- μTorrent on Google Play
- uTorrent: A Beginner's Guide to BitTorrent Downloading Archived 2009-03-08 at the Wayback Machine by Jared M
- p2pnet uTorrent interview Archived 2012-12-20 at archive.today by Alex H
- Can great software live in 130 kilobytes? by George Ou
- Glasnost test BitTorrent traffic shaping (Max Planck Institute for Software Systems)