The Secrets of a Running A BitTorrent Tracker
Written by enigmax on September 14, 2008Most site admins go about their business in secret, which makes it difficult for enthusiastic outsiders to make the leap from user to site owner, since they can’t get the benefit of the accrued knowledge of others. Now that has changed with TorrentFries – a unique website demystifying the running of a tracker.
CurlyFries has been running a tracker for around two years. His site is called ‘TorrentFries’ and already you’re reading this saying “Who? I’ve never heard of this site?” and quite rightly so. Although CurlyFries is a real site admin (as are his pair of co-admins), for security reasons they’re using pseudonyms. CurlyFries describes himself as idealistic and unmotivated, OnionRings is a general Linux and security geek, while Ketchup is “the only one that isn’t too lazy busy to deal with the finances and research.”
TorrentFries is the codename for a medium-sized tracker that thousands are using right now, and the inspiration behind a brand new site which is a must-read for potential tracker owners of the future.
The TorrentFries blog is a unique insight into the inner-workings of running a tracker, via a retrospective look at the actual developments in the two year lifespan of a real-life site. “We need more trackers out there, and it’s up to you to make them,” says CurlyFries. “So, learn from my mistakes and the things I’ve accidentally done right and you’ll do just fine.”
The first post on TorrentFries sets the scene and provides some of the background, with further posts covering many aspects of running a BitTorrent tracker. From conception, to choosing the right software, staff management, contingency plans, finance, and techniques for getting traffic to the site. Further updates are promised at regular intervals.
TorrentFreak caught up with CurlyFries who told us: “I think it’s something that the torrent community has needed for a while.”
Indeed, the site truly is unique and a very interesting read, invaluable for anyone looking to expand their knowledge before taking the plunge into tracker ownership. TorrentFreak spoke with someone taking his first steps as a site admin and asked him what he thought of the site: “I’m pleased to see this blog. I’ve lurked on the TBDev site for a while but found it a bit intimidating and felt embarrassed of my noob-ness so I’m happy to get these tips.”
CurlyFries is promising an update every 5 days to the site, until he runs out of things to say.
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35 Responses
Very good.
Awesome stuff – nice to see this info being put out there and good luck with the project guys! :)
Thanks also to the other great BT blog of course – TorrentFreak and it’s contributors of course.
Excellent idea!
What we need is powerful numbers!
Looks very interesting :)
Quote from their site blog
As mentioned in the title, the point I want to make is specifically related to how to tell when members are ready to be promoted. Your mother probably told you something about strangers on the internet, and it’s true, albeit with a lot less paranoia in the equation. You never do know who someone you’re talking to online really is, but honestly, I don’t care. If someone is reliable online, I don’t care if they’re a pedophile or serial killer in real life. I’m going to be dealing with their online persona exclusively, so the fact that I can rely on them online is all that’s important from a staff perspective.
This is very disturbing. Not caring, is bad unless he meant to say “there is no way of finding out, what kind of person, the staff member is”.
Who the fek are these idiots?
@5
I believe what he’s refering too is that when it comes to “knowing” someone online, you are limited to their online persona, not who they are in real life. If you apply this to the topic he was talking about, I believe he’s saying that when it comes to promoting someone to a higher position of authority, one can’t put all kinds of time into finding out what kind of person they are in real life. You have to take their abilities based on their behavior and go from there. So in essence it doesn’t matter who you are in real life. If you get the job done online, then that’s all one can really bother to worry about.
Still it needs big investment :(
and if every teksavvy.com user put up a tracker for canada
would they sue everyone of the 50000 users
woudl they get the fraking hint
would your country.
A tracker for every person on earth that uses bittorrent wold really send the message
what is the torrentfries tracker website url?
Nice!
I am in an argument right now about the virtues of copyright law here, but I am alone in arguing in favor of file-sharing:
http://www.fstdt.com/forums/thread.aspx?t=18111&page=1
Can any of you guys help me in arguing my point?
Everyone in the United States – if you have enough money, start your own torrent tracker. A good way to protest against the MPAA etc.
Anyways, so often is it that in other forums, we get caught up in arguments relating to file-sharing and copyright, and unfortunately, in this case, I am the only one to argue in favor of file-sharing:
http://www.fstdt.com/forums/thread.aspx?t=18111&page=1
Can anyone here help me argue my point to those people?
I am just thinking here, “wow, these people are real ignorant, thinking that the rights holder should have absolute control over distribution, pricing, derivative works, public performance, etc., thinking that it is all about the money incentive, thinking that it is stealing, etc.”
running a bittorrent tracker is all about the money!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbM9EP2G0LM
Damn, I finally figured why google returned no results for “TorrentFries” . .i mean no adress .. yeah I was wondering what the site was all about.
anyways..
Great idea. More importantly the info provided is very good.
I agree with what everyone is saying, however if 5000 new trackers were to start up tomorrow, although the ‘BitTorrent Hydra’ rears its beautiful head again, isn’t it just spreading out the BitTorrent community?
Slower speeds, less uploads…
Not necessarily a good thing.
However I think this idea is brilliant all the same. Nice.
@17
Spreading out is definitely a good thing – more trackers doesn’t necessarily mean more bittorrent websites. Hosting torrent files and tracking them aren’t the same thing, so perhaps The Pirate Bay or a similar website can do that.
@17
Perhaps it might bring about a revival in U.S.-based trackers after the fall of LokiTorrent and EliteTorrents. They may have arrested the people at those two trackers, but if 5000 trackers spring up, they will have to go after 5000 of them, perhaps even more.
Where can i get a php based tracker script?
Its a torrent tracker, not fooking black ops. This is why some private sites suck. They have some asshat admins who think the more covert you are the l33t3r you be. WRONG. It only makes you look like a twat. Grow some balls instead of hiding behind fast food pseudonyms you losers.
Oh and BTW Azureus/Vuze allows any idiot with a couple of brain cells to run their own tracker as well as a tracker web ui for remote control, has done for years, yet I bet virtualy noone who uses it even bothers with it. Fact is most people dont give a crap about running their on tracker even when it is practicaly ready out of the box.
An interesting read. Nice to see that perspective of things. Definitely not a waste of time reading. thank you torrentfries and enigmax both for sharing this with us.
I DISLIKE PRIVATE SITE
It’s good for other people to learn from others mistakes. We can find new ways to crush those homosexual anti-piracy agency’s.
Nice blog but where can we get actual technical details if we want to start from scratch a torrent tracker like for example how the coding is done and all because what they have written about is too advanced.
Yeah !!!
LOL< Would you like a side of Torrent Fries with your order sir? LMAO!
Jiff
http://www.anonymize.us.tc
@23
It’s not black ops and that’s the whole point of that blog, I think. If you actually read it, you would know that.
@24
There’s a good reason that no one’s using Azureus for a tracker. It’s not a suitable solution for even a small site. Once again, if you read the link, you’d know what it was about.
if a dude is interested in their own tracker then start your reading at filesoup. then go look at one of the major code sources tbdev, tt, or btit (all of these have been in development for years and have large active communities in support)
get yourself a test server and install a tbdev site, a tt site, and a btit site. you wont be running a busy tracker on a free webhost but it will do for a test. play with the site, decide which one you like, which one works for you
visit the community forum for the code and post your questions. get a feel for which community is helpful. find a home and make friends who are also building their own trackers
here it is again in brief:
1. read filesoup
2. install on a test box
3. play with it
4. discover the owner communities
you will never look back
final hint: choose a theme for your tracker that nobody else is doing, be unique. dont make another mininova clone, there is only one mininova
Thank you for the ‘plug’ and recommending Filesoup h33t :)
Here is a direct link for the specific section you referred to on filesoup:
http://filesoup.com/forum/tracker_listing_search_site_software-f33.html
Lots of other info is also available on Filesoup, covering various aspects of BitTorrent and just file sharing in general.
Cheers!
of a running a bittorrent tracker?
Warez scene FTW
way do all site owners hide behind a name there is 1 site i know of that the owner let members use his name on there and the staff on there always help you on there ( not like some other sites that are happy to ban members for no reason and the staff talk to members like crap ). i’ve never known a site like it. there should be more sites like it open and friendly staff that want to help and not trash a member who really needs help. have a look http://www.totalchaos.me.uk/
no no
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