BitTorrent makes use of its personal particular set of buzzwords to explain varied facets of how the system works. If you wish to actually perceive what’s taking place, it helps to know what the phrases imply.
Seed: That is the machine that initially distributes the shared file. Technically, any peer that has 100% of the shared file additionally turns into a seed.
Peer: This can be a machine that downloads the shared file after which shares elements of the file to different friends. Once you run a BitTorrent shopper in your machine to get a file, you are working a peer.
Piece: A part of a shared file, to be mixed with different items when reassembled right into a usable entire.
Torrent: Torrent is utilized in two methods. When specified with the phrase file (as in “torrent file”), this can be a file containing metadata describing all the items of the shared file and its checksum (validation) information. When used by itself (as in “I downloaded a torrent of Ubuntu”), it means the shared file (and all its items).
Swarm: That is the total community that is sharing a file, consisting of all of the friends and seeds.
Tracker: This can be a server that retains observe of the seeds and friends within the swarm. A tracker is usually not concerned within the precise switch of information, however acts as extra of an index or search engine for individuals searching for torrents. Trackers are sometimes the goal of authorized motion, as a result of they’re seen because the enablers of illicit file sharing.
Leech: This can be a time period for a peer that doesn’t share items of a shared file. Principally, that is somebody who desires to obtain a file utilizing BitTorrent, however will not be prepared to do their half to help the swarm. Some leeches on very low-bandwidth connections cannot obtain and share, in order that they obtain first, then share. However most leeches merely select to be a “bit piggy” and obtain information with out giving again.
Well being: Don’t confuse the BitTorrent time period “well being” with high quality or security of a file. In BitTorrent, well being means how a lot of a file is out there to obtain (something lower than 100% well being means you are not getting a full file immediately). Don’t assume one thing that reveals 100% well being is, for instance, freed from viruses. This additionally spotlights one of many downfalls of torrenting: Not all information are absolutely obtainable to obtain. You might have to attend till a peer reveals up with the lacking items or, for much less common information, you could by no means get these lacking items.
Pretend: A file that spoofs what it claims to have. Usually, it is a file that comprises malware or simply junk bytes, designed to both assault customers or enhance the uploader’s ratio.
Ratio: This can be a measure of how a lot you have uploaded. It’s generally utilized by trackers to permit extra entry to extra information.
TOR: Of us typically get confused by this. TOR stands for The Onion Router and is unrelated to BitTorrent. As a result of TOR is a means of speaking over the Web anonymously, some individuals do run torrents over TOR. However the TOR Challenge and BitTorrent are utterly separate beasts.
Have I missed any essential phrases for torrents? If I did, tell us within the feedback under.
