WebTorrent is best described as a BitTorrent client for the web. It allows people to share files directly from their browser, without the need to configure or install any additional software.
Now WebTorrent Desktop has arrived, offering a lightweight yet feature-rich streaming experience and moldable on Windows, Linux and Mac.
Every day, millions of internet users use a desktop-based BitTorrent client to download and share everythingFrom documentaries, TV shows, tutorials, books to the latest Linux distributions.
The exchange of multimedia content is achieved mainly by using a desktop client such as uTorrent, BitTorrent, qBittorrent or Transmission.
WebTorrent is a BitTorrent client for the web. Instead of using standalone apps like the ones mentioned above that allows people to share files directly from their browser, without having to install any additional software.
“WebTorrent is the first torrent client built for the Web. It is written entirely in JavaScript - the language of the web - and uses WebRTC for true peer-to-peer transport. There is no browser plug-in, the extension or installation is required, ”.
WebTorrent Desktop is an alternative to the controversial PopCorn Time. It also allows you to watch streaming torrents while they are downloading.
But unlike the latter, it does not include a catalog of pirated movies and TV series, and is therefore perfectly legal.
It's for those who have a good internet connection, but don't want to wait for a file to fully download.
It is ideal for an impromptu session. Depending on your download speed, you can start watching in seconds or at most minutes.
You can even cast to an Apple TV, Chromecast, or DLNA TV.
The software is only available in English, but its features are limited enough that it's not a big deal.
WebTorrent Desktop is based on the popular Node.js package . WebTorrent is fully written in JavaScript and uses WebRTC for peer-to-peer transport. Therefore, you do not need to install any browser plug-ins or extensions.
How to install WebTorrent Desktop on Linux?
If you want to install this application on your system, you must follow the instructions that we share below according to the Linux distribution you are using.
In the case of those who are users of Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint or any distribution derived from these.
You can download the package corresponding to your system architecture.
If they are users of 64-bit systems should download the following package with:
wget https://github.com/webtorrent/webtorrent-desktop/releases/download/v0.20.0/webtorrent-desktop_0.20.0-1_amd64.deb
While for those who are 32-bit system users download:
wget https://github.com/webtorrent/webtorrent-desktop/releases/download/v0.20.0/webtorrent-desktop_0.20.0-1_i386.deb
To install the downloaded package, just run:
sudo dpkg -i webtorrent*.deb
If they are Arch Linux and derivative users can install the application from AUR with the following command:
aurman -S webtorrent-desktop
For all other 64-bit Linux distributions can download the zip file with:
wget https://github.com/webtorrent/webtorrent-desktop/releases/download/v0.20.0/WebTorrent-v0.20.0-linux.zip
Y for 32-bit systems:
wget https://github.com/webtorrent/webtorrent-desktop/releases/download/v0.20.0/WebTorrent-v0.20.0-linux-ia32.zip
Solo They must unzip the folder and execute the file that is inside the folder:
./WebTorrent
How to use WebTorrent Desktop?
Basically alone it is enough to open the application in the system and with the help of a torrent file that you find in the network, you must add to the program or just copy and paste a magnet link and in a matter of seconds the application will allow you to view the torrent file, if it is a multimedia file.
The fairly basic built-in player, but it has all the necessary controls to navigate within a video. This is where WebTorrent Desktop excels.
Even without the entire video file being downloaded it is possible to jump from one side of the timelineWith the DMT, it will look for the corresponding pieces of the demand file for reproduction almost instantaneously.
This jumps into the last minutes of a movie or sporting event, for example. (Of course, all this depends almost on your connection to the network).