Problem starting to seed fresh torrent

[cantil]

I followed this guide and created & uploaded my torrent. I am now trying to start seeding, but instead of that, the clients (I tried 2) try to download from the torrent, even though the files are already there where I pointed the client to. Force rechecking does not help.

How can I get Transmission or Deluge to seed my torrent?

[Moe]

Quite simply the place you pointed your client to doesn't have the data described by the torrent file.

If you can't figure out how to point your torrent client at the data you want to seed, look at where the torrent client is trying to save the data, stop the client, replace the data with what you want to seed, and then do the force recheck.

[cantil]

As I said, I've already pointed the clients to where the data is. For example, Transmission says " /var/media/sda2-ata-ST2000DM005-2CW1/LSD - Problem Child and Wonder Drug/" as the file location, and a " ls /var/media/sda2-ata-ST2000DM005-2CW1/LSD\ -\ Problem\ Child\ and\ Wonder\ Drug/" lists the files. Or do you think it could be the spaces in the folder name?

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The Files tab of Transmission shows Files (0) and there are no files listed. Should I just recreate the torrent?

[Moe]

Keep in mind the container directory is part of the torrent too. You want be using the parent directory - /var/media/sda2-ata-ST2000DM005-2CW1/

If you look in the torrent client it will tell you where it is trying to save the files (or read them from) and you'll probably see the LSD directory twice right now because you are trying to save it within itself.

[cantil]

If you look in the torrent client it will tell you where it is trying to save the files (or read them from) and you'll probably see the LSD directory twice right now because you are trying to save it within itself.

Yes, I am in fact using the parent directory (which has worked fine so far even for subdirectories with spaces in the name). I tried manually specifying the subdirectory ("LSD" and so on), but, as you figured, that made it try to download to LSD[...]/LSD[...].

I've never had a problem like this before.

[Moe]

As I mentioned previously, start the torrent and see what directories and files it creates to save the data in. That'll tell you what path your data needs to be in to seed from and what file names it is looking for. You should be able to replace it with your data and then start seeding.

[cantil]

If I move the data directory away and try to start the torrent, it doesn't create any directories or files, even though I have pre-allocation set to on. If I move the data to where it's supposed to be looking from and force re-check, nothing happens.

[Moe]

Are you starting the torrent from the torrent file you created or the magnet link? You should be using the file you created.

I tried to grab the metadata from the swarm and even though there are near 30 peers, none have it, which means your client isn't even sharing that.

[cantil]

Ah! That was the problem. I was using the magnet link.

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Well, now it's seeding, but there are no trackers because the guide told not to put in any, that TPB would add them. This was the actual reason to use the TPB-supplied magnet link, I now remember.

So how to get the trackers in there and start connecting to peers?

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Well, I added trackers manually from another TPB torrent by copy-pasting them. But, no connections so far.

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Ok, it's seeding now. Thanks for the help!

[Moe]

Trackers aren't necessary so long as you have DHT enabled. But, yes, you can just copy the trackers from the magnet link and add those to the running torrent. Or some clients will auto add the trackers if you try to start the magnet link for an already running torrent.

DHT is a distributed tracker, and magnet links are not a replacement for the torrent file as they do not contain the torrent metadata - they a way to connect to peers that have the torrent metadata as an alternative to sharing the torrent file itself.