Using the `transmission-daemon` Command (with examples)

Starting a headless transmission session

transmission-daemon

Motivation

Using the transmission-daemon command without any additional arguments starts a headless transmission session. This means that the transmission application will run in the background without any graphical user interface. This is useful when you want to use transmission on a server or access it remotely.

Explanation

The transmission-daemon command starts the transmission application as a daemon (a background process). Without any additional arguments, it uses the default settings and starts the transmission session.

Example Output

[23:14:12.256] Transmission 3.00 (bb9b13dd69) started (session.c:771)
[23:14:12.256] RPC Server Successfully listened on address 0.0.0.0:9091 (rpc-server.c:1023)
[23:14:12.256] RPC Server  (authentication) websockets: disabled (rpc-server.c:1057)
[23:14:12.256] RPC Server  (proxy) websockets: disabled (rpc-server.c:1082)
[23:14:12.257] RPC Server  (authentication) http: disabled (rpc-server.c:1036)
[23:14:12.257] RPC Server  (proxy) http: disabled (rpc-server.c:1061)
[23:14:12.257] DHT: "Mainline" (dht.c:228)
[23:14:12.257] DHT: Starting IPv4 bootstrap (dht.c:362)
[23:14:12.257] Using settings from "/home/user/.config/transmission-daemon/settings.json" (daemon.c:554)
[23:14:12.257] Saved "/home/user/.config/transmission-daemon/settings.json" (variant.c:1276)

Watching a specific directory for new torrents

transmission-daemon --watch-dir path/to/directory

Motivation

The --watch-dir option allows you to specify a directory that transmission will monitor for new torrent files. This is convenient when you want transmission to automatically start downloading torrents as soon as they are added to a specific directory.

Explanation

The --watch-dir option followed by the path to a directory tells transmission to watch that directory for new torrent files. When a new torrent file is added to the directory, transmission will automatically start downloading it without any manual intervention.

Example Output

[23:23:45.389] Using inotify to watch directory "/path/to/directory" (WatchDirectory.c:71)

Dumping daemon settings in JSON format

transmission-daemon --dump-settings > path/to/file.json

Motivation

The --dump-settings option allows you to export the daemon settings of transmission in JSON format. This can be useful for backing up or sharing your transmission configuration.

Explanation

The --dump-settings option followed by a file path directs transmission to dump its current settings into a JSON file. The settings include preferences such as download and upload limits, speed limits, and directory paths. The JSON file can then be used to restore or transfer these settings.

Example Output

The output of this command would be a JSON file containing all the transmission daemon settings.

Starting with specific settings for the web interface

transmission-daemon --auth --username username --password password --port 9091 --allowed 127.0.0.1

Motivation

The transmission web interface allows you to manage your downloads and settings remotely through a browser. By specifying specific settings for the web interface, you can enhance its security and restrict access to authorized users.

Explanation

The --auth option enables authentication for the web interface, requiring a username and password. The --username and --password options set the desired values for the username and password. The --port option sets the port on which the web interface will be accessible (9091 is the default). The --allowed option restricts access to specific IP addresses (127.0.0.1 allows only local access).

Example Output

[23:35:14.482] Saved "/path/to/.config/transmission-daemon/settings.json" (variant.c:1276)