Torrent Streaming Server

A Node.js server that allows streaming of torrent files via HTTP, built with WebTorrent and Express. The server handles torrent downloads and provides video streaming capabilities with support for range requests.

Features

• Torrent metadata fetching
• Video streaming with range request support
• Automatic torrent cleanup
• Error handling with retry mechanism
• Resource management for active torrents and streams
• Graceful shutdown handling

Prerequisites

• Node.js (version 14 or higher)
• npm or yarn package manager

Installation

1. Clone the repository
2. Install dependencies:

npm install

Required dependencies:

• webtorrent
• express
• cors

Configuration

The server uses several configuration constants that can be modified in the code:

const MAX_RETRIES = 3         // Maximum number of retry attempts for adding torrents
const RETRY_DELAY = 5000      // Delay between retry attempts (in milliseconds)
const CLEANUP_DELAY = 120000  // Delay before cleaning up inactive torrents (2 minutes)

API Endpoints

Add Torrent

GET /add/:magnet

Adds a new torrent to the server. The magnet URI should be URL encoded.

Parameters:

• magnet: URL-encoded magnet link

Response:

{
  "files": [
    {
      "name": "filename.mp4",
      "length": 1234567
    }
  ]
}

Stream File

GET /stream/:infoHash/:fileName

Streams a file from the specified torrent.

Parameters:

• infoHash: Torrent info hash
• fileName: URL-encoded name of the file to stream

Supports range requests for seeking in video players.

Error Handling

The server implements several error handling mechanisms:

• Retry logic for failed torrent additions
• Stream error handling
• Client disconnect handling
• Resource cleanup for inactive torrents

Resource Management

The server tracks:

• Active torrents
• Active streams
• Retry attempts

Resources are automatically cleaned up when:

• Streams end or encounter errors
• Clients disconnect
• Torrents become inactive

Usage Example

1. Add a torrent:

curl "http://localhost:3000/add/magnet%3A%3Fxt%3Durn%3Abtih%3AINFOHASH..."

2. Stream a file:

curl "http://localhost:3000/stream/INFOHASH/video.mp4"

Running the Server

Start the server:

node server.js

The server will listen on port 3000 by default.

Safety Notes

• The server includes built-in cleanup mechanisms to prevent resource leaks
• Torrents are automatically destroyed when inactive
• The server handles graceful shutdown on SIGINT (Ctrl+C)

Limitations

• Streams only video files as MP4 format
• Torrents are stored temporarily and cleaned up after inactivity
• Maximum web connections per torrent is set to 30