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μTorrent facts for kids
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| Original author(s) | Ludvig Strigeus | ||||||
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| Developer(s) | Rainberry, Inc. | ||||||
| Initial release | September 18, 2005 | ||||||
| Stable release(s) | |||||||
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| Preview release(s) [±] | |||||||
| 3.6.0 Beta (build 46588) (14 November 2022) | |||||||
| Written in | C++ | ||||||
| Operating system | Android, Linux (Server version only, only officially supports very old versions of Debian and Ubuntu), Microsoft Windows, macOS | ||||||
| Available in | 60+ languages | ||||||
| Type | BitTorrent client | ||||||
| License | Adware | ||||||
μTorrent, also known as uTorrent, is a special computer program called a BitTorrent client. It helps you download and share large files using the BitTorrent protocol. The program is owned by a company called Rainberry, Inc..
The "μ" in its name is a Greek letter called "mu." It stands for "micro-," which means very small. This name was chosen because μTorrent was designed to be tiny. It uses very little of your computer's power and memory. Even though it's small, it can do many of the same things as bigger programs like Vuze.
μTorrent has been updated regularly since it first came out in 2005. It was first created by Ludvig Strigeus. Later, in 2006, BitTorrent, Inc. bought the program. They even used μTorrent's code to make their own BitTorrent client (version 6.0 and newer). All versions of μTorrent are written in a programming language called C++.
Contents
History of μTorrent
How μTorrent Started
A person named Serge Paquet thought that many computer programs were too big and used too much computer power. He suggested to Ludvig Strigeus that he should create a smaller, more efficient program. Strigeus liked the idea and started planning. He didn't want to add too many fancy features at first.
Strigeus worked on μTorrent for about a month in late 2004, mostly in his free time. Then he stopped working on it for a whole year. He started again on September 15, 2005. Just three days later, on September 18, 2005, the very first public version (1.1 beta) was released. People started using it and giving feedback.
Changing Owners
On December 7, 2006, a company called BitTorrent, Inc. bought μTorrent. They paid an unknown amount of money to Spotify, which owned the software at that time.
Before this, the BitTorrent client (a different program by the same company) was "open source." This means its code was available for anyone to see and change. But after μTorrent was bought, BitTorrent version 6.0 came out in September 2007. This new version, based on μTorrent, was no longer open source.
In April 2017, Bram Cohen, who started BitTorrent, announced that the next version of μTorrent would work in your web browser. This new web-based μTorrent lets you watch or listen to files as they download, similar to how you stream videos online.
What Can μTorrent Do?
μTorrent has many helpful features:
- Magnet Links: These are special links that let you start downloads without needing a separate file. They were added in version 1.8 in 2008.
- IPv6 Support: It works with newer internet addresses.
- Fast Downloads (μTP): It has a special way to download files called Micro Transport Protocol (μTP) that helps make downloads quicker.
- Easy Setup (UPnP): It can automatically set up your network for better downloading.
- Secure Connections (PE): It uses something called Protocol Encryption to make your downloads more private.
- Sharing with Others (PEX): It can find more people to share files with, even if they use different BitTorrent programs.
- RSS Feeds: You can set it up to automatically download new content from your favorite websites.
- Trackerless Downloads (DHT): It can find files even without a central server, making it more reliable.
- Smart Caching: It uses your computer's memory to store parts of files, which helps speed things up.
- Proxy Support: You can use it with a proxy server for more privacy.
- Secure Tracker Support (HTTPS): It can connect to secure download sources.
- Bandwidth Scheduler: You can tell it when to download faster or slower, so it doesn't slow down your internet when you need it.
- Many Languages: It's available in over 60 different languages.
- Portable Use: You can put it on a USB drive and use it on different computers without installing it.
- WebUI: This is a special feature that lets you control μTorrent on one computer from another computer using a Web browser.
- Quick Resumes: If your download stops, it can easily pick up where it left off.
- Fun Easter Eggs: If you click the μTorrent logo in the "About" section, you'll hear a cool sound. If you type the letter "t", you can play a Tetris-like game called μTris!
How Small Is It?
μTorrent is designed to be very small. It comes as a single, tiny program file. It stays small by not using many large pre-made code libraries. Instead, its creators wrote special code just for μTorrent. The program file is then compressed to make it even smaller.
Which Computers Can Use It?
μTorrent works on many different computer systems:
- Microsoft Windows (Windows XP and newer)
- macOS (Snow Leopard and newer)
- Android (Android 5.0 and newer)
There's also a special version called μTorrent Server for Linux computers. This version is mostly for advanced users who want to control it using text commands or a web browser.
In 2019, μTorrent announced that users who update to Mac OS Catalina (and newer versions) would automatically get the web-based μTorrent. This is because newer macOS versions only support 64-bit programs.
How μTorrent Makes Money
μTorrent makes money in a few ways. In its free version for Windows, it shows advertisements. There's also a "pro" version that you can pay for. This paid version offers extra features and doesn't show ads.
Ads and Extra Programs
Sometimes, when you install the free version of μTorrent, it might offer to install other programs or toolbars. For example, in the past, it offered the Ask.com toolbar or the Bing Toolbar. You can usually choose not to install these extra programs during setup.
In 2012, μTorrent started showing ads inside the free program itself. Many users didn't like this. So, the company later made it possible for users to turn these ads off in the settings.
In March 2015, some people said that μTorrent was automatically installing a program called Epic Scale. This program would use your computer's power to create cryptocurrency in the background. μTorrent developers said that users could always choose not to install it. However, Epic Scale was later removed from the μTorrent installer completely.
How to Say "μTorrent"
The "μ" in μTorrent is the Greek letter "mu." It's pronounced like "myoo." So, most people say "you torrent" or "microtorrent." In Greece, where the letter μ is pronounced "mee," people often say "me torrent."
The symbol μ stands for "micro-," which means very small. This refers to how small the program was when it was first created.
Who Made μTorrent?
The original creator of μTorrent was Ludvig Strigeus from Sweden. Another person, Serge Paquet from Canada, helped with releases and managed the website and forum for a while.
After BitTorrent, Inc. bought μTorrent in 2006, different employees of BitTorrent, Inc. continued to develop it. Ludvig Strigeus is no longer involved with the program.
Images for kids
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μTorrent logo
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Screenshot of the macOS version of μTorrent
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Screenshot of μTorrent Server viewed in Firefox
See also
In Spanish: ΜTorrent para niños