⚡ ZapTorrent

ZapTorrent is a high-performance, command-line BitTorrent client written in Python. It allows users to:

• Parse .torrent metadata
• Retrieve peer lists from trackers (HTTP tracker support only)
• Download files piece-by-piece using the BitTorrent protocol

ZapTorrent is designed for efficiency and includes features to optimize peer selection and download throughput.

Performance Optimization Used (in main.py)

• Parallel download workers choose a peer and piece to download.
• If a peer responds successfully, it’s moved to the front of the queue (preferred).
• If a peer fails, it's sent to the back of the queue (penalized).
• Failed downloads are retried by a dedicated Failed Piece Worker Pool using an end-game strategy — request from all peers and cancel others when one succeeds.
• If a piece still fails, it's added back for future retry.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have Python installed (preferably Python 3.8+).

Install required dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Usage

Run the following command to see available options:

python src/main.py --help

Parsing a Torrent File

To parse and display metadata of a .torrent file, including file details and tracker URLs:

python src/main.py --parse <path_to_torrent_file>

Example:

python src/main.py --parse ubuntu.torrent

Downloading a Torrent File

To start downloading the file(s) from a torrent:

python src/main.py --download <path_to_torrent_file> [--output <download_directory>] [--verbose]

• --output (optional): Specify the directory where the files should be saved. Defaults to Downloads at the project root.

• --verbose (optional): Enables detailed logging for debugging and tracking download progress.

Example:

python src/main.py --download ubuntu.torrent --output /home/user/Downloads --verbose

License

This project is open-source and available under the MIT License.