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Integrate TrackersList with Transmission using community-maintained scripts that automatically update trackers for your torrents. Multiple implementations are available in both Python and Bash.

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Overview

Transmission integration scripts connect to your Transmission daemon via RPC and add the latest TrackersList trackers to all active torrents. Several community-maintained options are available.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:
  • Transmission daemon running
  • Python 3.x or Bash shell
  • transmission-remote CLI tool installed
  • RPC access enabled in Transmission settings

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Available Scripts

Multiple community-maintained tools are available for Transmission integration:

Python Script

Full-featured Python implementation by blind-oracle

Bash Script 1

Lightweight bash script by AndrewMarchukov

Bash Script 2

Alternative bash implementation by oilervoss

Bash Script 3

Additional bash script by Jorman

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Python Script Installation

The Python script provides the most features and is actively maintained.
1

Install the script

Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/blind-oracle/transmission-trackers.git
cd transmission-trackers
2

Install dependencies

Install required Python packages:
pip install -r requirements.txt
Or manually install:
pip install transmission-rpc requests
3

Configure Transmission RPC

Ensure RPC is enabled in Transmission. Edit ~/.config/transmission-daemon/settings.json:
"rpc-enabled": true,
"rpc-username": "your_username",
"rpc-password": "your_password",
"rpc-port": 9091,
"rpc-whitelist-enabled": false
Restart Transmission daemon after changes:
systemctl restart transmission-daemon
4

Run the script

Execute the script with your RPC credentials:
python transmission-trackers.py \
  --host localhost \
  --port 9091 \
  --user your_username \
  --password your_password

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Bash Script Installation

For a lightweight solution without Python dependencies, use one of the bash scripts.

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Using AndrewMarchukov’s Script

1

Download the script

git clone https://github.com/AndrewMarchukov/tracker-add.git
cd tracker-add
chmod +x tracker-add.sh
2

Configure variables

Edit the script to set your Transmission settings:
nano tracker-add.sh
Update:
  • Transmission RPC host and port
  • Username and password
  • Tracker list URL (use TrackersList URL)
3

Run the script

./tracker-add.sh

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Using Jorman’s Script

1

Download the script

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Jorman/Scripts/master/addtransmissiontrackerssh
chmod +x addtransmissiontrackerssh
2

Edit configuration

nano addtransmissiontrackerssh
Configure Transmission connection details and tracker list URL.
3

Execute

./addtransmissiontrackerssh

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Automation

Schedule automatic tracker updates using cron or systemd timers.

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Cron Setup

1

Create a wrapper script

Create a script to run your chosen implementation:
cat > /usr/local/bin/update-transmission-trackers.sh << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
cd /path/to/transmission-trackers
python transmission-trackers.py --host localhost --port 9091 --user username --password password
EOF

chmod +x /usr/local/bin/update-transmission-trackers.sh
2

Add cron job

crontab -e
Add entry to run daily at 2 AM:
0 2 * * * /usr/local/bin/update-transmission-trackers.sh >> /var/log/transmission-trackers.log 2>&1

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Systemd Timer (Alternative)

1

Create service file

Create /etc/systemd/system/transmission-trackers.service:
[Unit]
Description=Update Transmission Trackers
After=transmission-daemon.service

[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/update-transmission-trackers.sh
User=transmission
2

Create timer file

Create /etc/systemd/system/transmission-trackers.timer:
[Unit]
Description=Update Transmission Trackers Daily

[Timer]
OnCalendar=daily
Persistent=true

[Install]
WantedBy=timers.target
3

Enable and start timer

systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl enable transmission-trackers.timer
systemctl start transmission-trackers.timer
systemctl status transmission-trackers.timer
Systemd timers are more reliable than cron and provide better logging and monitoring capabilities.

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Tracker List Selection

Choose your preferred TrackersList URL in the script configuration: 
TRACKER_URL="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ngosang/trackerslist/master/trackers_best.txt"

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Manual Integration

To manually add trackers using transmission-remote:
1

List all torrents

transmission-remote -n 'username:password' -l
2

Download tracker list

curl -o trackers.txt https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ngosang/trackerslist/master/trackers_best.txt
3

Add trackers to a torrent

# For a specific torrent ID (e.g., 1)
while read tracker; do
  transmission-remote -n 'username:password' -t 1 -td "$tracker"
done < trackers.txt
4

Add to all torrents

# Get all torrent IDs and add trackers
transmission-remote -n 'username:password' -l | sed -e '1d;$d;s/^\s*//' | cut -d ' ' -f1 | while read id; do
  while read tracker; do
    transmission-remote -n 'username:password' -t "$id" -td "$tracker"
  done < trackers.txt
done
Manual integration must be repeated for new torrents and doesn’t receive automatic tracker list updates.

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Troubleshooting

  • Verify Transmission daemon is running: systemctl status transmission-daemon
  • Check RPC settings in settings.json
  • Ensure correct host, port, username, and password
  • Check firewall rules if connecting remotely
  • Verify username and password in Transmission settings
  • Check that rpc-authentication-required is true in settings.json
  • Try resetting the password in Transmission settings
  • Verify internet connectivity
  • Check if the TrackersList URL is accessible
  • Try using a mirror URL from the TrackersList repository
  • Check for proxy or firewall blocking the request
Ensure you’ve installed the required dependencies:
pip install transmission-rpc requests
Or use a virtual environment:
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install transmission-rpc requests

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Additional Resources

Transmission Documentation

Official Transmission repository and documentation

transmission-rpc Docs

Python library documentation for Transmission RPC

TrackersList Repository

View all available tracker lists

transmission-remote Manual

Command-line reference for transmission-remote

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