Setting up a bittorrent server(not a tracker) using Vuze

From openSUSE

Introduction

Hello and welcome to this guide that lets you set up a torrent server, as in ONE computer that handles all the bittorrent files to the people you create an account for.

The idea is to have the server run Vuze(formerly known as Azureus) a bittorrent client that will handle all the bittorrent traffic, and the clients will run the AzSMRC a program that connects to Vuze on the server and allows you to add new downloads. Since both the client and server applications are written in in java they run on practically any platform so you can have a mix of different operating systems. I, myself am running the client application from both openSUSE 11.0 KDE4.1 and Vista Business.

Server

The server will need to have the Vuze application installed with the AzSRMC plugin, so we'll start off with installing Vuze. Fire up Yast Software management and make sure you have the [Packman] repository enabled. Now search for Vuze and mark the checkbox so it gets installed when you hit the accept button.

Or you can make use of this one click installer:

After or while Vuze is being installed download the following files from the websites you get to when you click on the link

• [azsmrcPlugin_x.x.x.jar]
• [pluginLibraries.zip]

After you have downloaded both files open up your filebrowser (Dolphin or Nautilus) and use it to navigate to the following folder /home/username/.azureus/plugins (replace username with the username you use to log in). In this folder right-click and choose New > Folder and name it azsrmc. Now in this newly created folder simply copy over the .jar file and extract the contents of the zip file. If Vuze was running while you did this, close it down and start it up, if it wasn't just simply start it up. Once it's done loading it will show you a new tab AzSMRC and prompts you to enter a user name and password, enter the following: (If you can't see the new tab, click plugins in the menu and select the AzSMRC option)

• User name: admin
• Password: azsmrc

These are the default user name and password, you're advised to change both to something of your own choice. After you log in you can add users with the green plus sign, please do so as you'll need one in order to test. The automatic import directory for user: field can be left blank if you do not wish to make use of it.

Optimization

Always keep Vuze closed down to the systemtray as it uses less resources if it doesn't have to update the GUI. If you do not have any use for the Vuze content layer which is most likely the case on a server you can disable it. To do so, start up Vuze as you start up any other program and once it's done loading click the Tools menu option in the tab that's opened up on the lefthand side select Mode (1 in the picture) and select the user proficiency Advanced. Now click Save : on the bottomleft to apply the changes. Unfold the Interface option and select Start (highlighted in the picture), in the new window find the "Display Vuze UI Chooser" line and the Show button behind it(Number 3 in the picture). In the window that pops up select Classic Interface and hit OK, you will have to restart Vuze for the changes to take effect.

In case you completely want to disable the gui, please follow this link Vuze Wiki: ConsoleUI

Client

Linux

Download the following files:

• [AzSMRC_x.x.x.jar]
• [clientLibraries_1.1.zip] (It's hidden untill you click Client Libraries)
• [swt-Read_the_text_next_to_this] Click the topmost link under "Latest releases" and then on the next page search for (ctrl+f) swt- which helps you locate the link to the zipfile you will need. (Most likely "Linux (x86_64/GTK 2)" for newer computers or "Linux (x86_64/GTK 2)" for older computers.

If everything went well you should have downloaded 2 zip files and one .jar file. Now create a new folder called AzSMRC in your home folder (/home/username/AzSMRC) and copy the AzSMRC_x.x.x.jar file over to this folder. Now extract the contents of the 2 zip files to the same folder and start up a console window. In KDE4/Dolphin hit f4 to bring up the console, in gnome rightclick and choose "open this folder in a terminal". Execute the following command (it's safe to copy/paste)

java -classpath launcher.jar  -Djava.library.path=. lbms.tools.launcher.Launcher 

If you get an error make sure you have all of the following installed in the AzSRMC directory:

If you do not have java installed, I suggest paying a visit to the [java on SUSE page]

Tip

To allow easy access to the program you can create a text file called AzSMRCremote with the following content:

#!/bin/sh
cd $HOME/AzSMRC
java -classpath launcher.jar:/usr/local/lib -Djava.library.path=. lbms.tools.launcher.Launcher

After you put in the above text, right-click it and under the permissions tab select "is executable"

There should also be an easy way to automatically open all .torrent files with it, however I am unable to find out how to do it.. if someone does know, please edit this article. However in the options of the client you can enable the option to monitor the clipboard so that when you copy a link that leads to a .torrent file AzSMRC will automatically pop up (if it's running) to ask you if you want to add the download or not.

Windows

Download and install [AzSMRC_0.9.9.exe], just follow the instructions and it will install into your Program Files/AzSMRC/ directory (or Program Files (x86)/AzSMRC/ if your windows version is 64 bits). If it doesn't work, you most likely do not have the java RunTime Environment installed. You can however get this free of charge from its [creators site]

Mac, Solaris, other

For most other Operating systems it's most likely similar to the Linux method, except for the last download for which you'll need to pick one matching your platform.

Screenshot

On any platform the GUI of the client should look similar to the screenshot below, as you can tell from the difference in the download speed shown on the bottom part of the screen (489..3KB/s) and the "Down speed" (456.1KB/s) there are actually more torrents running than the one shown here. However a user can only see his/her own torrents.

Completed torrents access

So you managed to set up both the server and the client software to enable your users to download bittorrent files on the server, however they have no way of accessing them once they download is done. To make the files accessible trough the network you'll need to make a NFS and/or SMB share. Luckily openSUSE allows you to do both.

• NFS Linux/Other
• SMB Windows

External Resources

Below is a listing of a external recources that might proof useful:

• Azureus Wiki A less specific how-to focusing on just how to install the plug in and the client (Not Vuze itself)
• Vuze.com Homepage of the Vuze bittorrent client. ( You are adviced to get it from the packman repository instead of here though )
• Sourceforge: AzSMRC Sourceforge page of AzSMRC