Similar to the [[web]] special remote, git-annex can use BitTorrent as
a source for files that are added to the git-annex repository.

It supports both `.torrent` files, and `magnet:` links. When you run `git
annex addurl` with either of these, it will download the contents of the
torrent and add it to the git annex repository.

See [[tips/using_the_web_as_a_special_remote]] for usage examples.

git-annex uses [aria2](http://aria2.sourceforge.net/) to download torrents.
It also needs the `btshowmetainfo` program, from either
bittornado or the original BitTorrent client.

## notes

Currently git-annex only supports downloading content from a torrent; 
it cannot upload or remove content.

Torrent swarms tend to come and go, so git-annex defaults to *not*
trusting the bittorrent special remote.

Multi-file torrents are supported; to handle them, `git annex addurl`
will add a directory containing all the files from the torrent. To
specify a single file from a multi-file torrent, append "#n" to its url;
"#1" is the first file, "#2" is the second, and so on.