TorrServer: stream torrents before the whole file downloads

TorrServer retrieves data from a torrent swarm, caches it and sends it to a media player over HTTP. Playback can begin before the whole file arrives. The server can run on the computer you watch on, another device at home or a remote machine.

What “without downloading” means

The data still downloads and uses bandwidth. You avoid waiting for the complete film to be saved before watching. A UseDisk setting provides disk caching, so writes to storage depend on the configuration. Settings and logs may also be saved to disk.

For a first attempt, we recommend running it locally: this makes the torrent and player easier to check. A remote server is useful when you want it running independently of your home computer. The video still has to travel over your home internet connection.

Local installation: Windows and Linux

On Windows, open Releases in the official YouROK/TorrServer repository. For a Windows x64 computer, download and run TorrServer-windows-amd64.exe. Keep the process running while you watch.

On Linux with systemd, you can use the official installer. You need bash, curl and sudo privileges. Download the script first:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/YouROK/TorrServer/master/installTorrServerLinux.sh -o installTorrServerLinux.sh

Review the downloaded file in a text editor, then start the installation:

sudo bash ./installTorrServerLinux.sh --install

Choose the standard build and keep port 8090. Enable authentication and set a username and password. The installer creates the torrserver service and enables it at startup. Check its status with:

systemctl status torrserver --no-pager

On the server computer, open http://127.0.0.1:8090. Enter your credentials if authentication is enabled. From another device at home, use the computer’s LAN address, for example http://192.168.1.10:8090. This IP is an example; any firewall rule should allow access to the port only from your trusted network.

Start watching

• Add a magnet link or a .torrent file in the web interface. Wait for the torrent information to arrive.
• Open its file list and select the video, particularly when a torrent contains several episodes.
• Copy the playback link and open it as a network stream in VLC or another compatible player. Allow the initial buffer to fill.

The player must be able to reach the address in that link. The address 127.0.0.1 refers to the device using it: copying a link with that address from a computer to a TV will not connect the TV to the computer’s server.

Remote installation: Docker and an SSH tunnel

This example lets you watch on a computer through an SSH tunnel. The remote Linux machine needs Docker Engine 28 or later and working SSH access. The viewing computer needs an SSH client. Before renting a server, check the provider’s BitTorrent policy and traffic allowance.

Connect to the server over SSH. If TorrServer is not already installed there, run:

sudo docker run -d --name torrserver --restart unless-stopped --pull always -p 127.0.0.1:8090:8090 -v torrserver-data:/opt/ts ghcr.io/yourok/torrserver:latest

The container runs in the background. The torrserver-data volume stores settings outside the container. Port 8090 is published on the server’s 127.0.0.1 address; this setup does not require opening that port to the internet.

On the viewing computer, open a separate terminal. Replace USER with your SSH username and SERVER with the server’s IP address or domain:

ssh -N -o ExitOnForwardFailure=yes -L 127.0.0.1:18090:127.0.0.1:8090 USER@SERVER

Keep the terminal open and visit http://127.0.0.1:18090 in your browser. Add a torrent and open its playback link in a player on this same computer. The connection between your computer and the server travels through the encrypted SSH tunnel. Closing the tunnel ends access.

This tunnel is available only on the computer running the SSH command. A TV or several devices will need a separately configured connection, for example through a VPN. Copying a link containing 127.0.0.1 to those devices is not sufficient.

If playback keeps stopping

• Check whether the torrent has available peers and how fast data arrives. As a practical guide, sustained throughput should exceed the video bitrate, with room for fluctuations.
• Adjust the cache gradually while watching available memory. A larger buffer can absorb brief slowdowns; it cannot fix a connection that is consistently too slow.
• For a remote setup, check both stages: the server receiving torrent data and sending video to your home. Account for the VPS’s outbound traffic.
• If data arrives but the picture or sound is missing, check the player’s support for the format and codecs. Try opening the same link in VLC.