A torrent is a way of distributing files using the BitTorrent protocol, in which downloaders fetch small pieces of a file from many other users (peers) at once and share the pieces they already have. A small .torrent file or a magnet link describes what to download and how to verify it.
Why it matters
Peer-to-peer distribution spreads bandwidth cost across all users, so popular large files can be shared without expensive servers. Linux distributions, game patches and open datasets often offer torrents for this reason. The protocol itself is neutral; legality depends on what is shared and on local law, which varies by country.
Example
A 4 GB ISO is split into pieces of, say, 2 MB each. Your client asks a tracker or the distributed hash table for peers, downloads different pieces from different peers, checks each piece against a hash in the torrent metadata, then starts uploading the pieces you hold to others. A "seed" is a peer with the complete file; a "leecher" is still downloading.
Common misconceptions
- Torrenting is not anonymous. Other peers can see your IP address unless you take extra steps.
- A torrent is not illegal by itself; copyright infringement depends on the content.
- Downloaded files are not automatically safe. Executables from unknown swarms can carry malware.
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यह पेज सामान्य जानकारी है, जिसे हमारी संपादकीय टीम ने लिखा है और दस्तावेज़ीकरण बदलने पर अपडेट किया जाता है। सर्वर और प्रदाता अलग-अलग होते हैं, इसलिए बदलाव पहले सुरक्षित तरीके से जाँचें। देखें: संपादकीय नीति और अस्वीकरण.