FOSS Torrents Is Your Gate For Linux Distributions Torrents

Torrents are very common between users downloading a Linux distribution. Typically, a Linux distribution’s ISO size varies between 1GB and 4.9GB, with 2.5GB being the average. Hence, normal HTTP connection could take a long time to finish downloading it.

Torrents on the other hand are much faster, because users are downloading from their peers, who are other users also downloading and/or seeding the same file. Those peers might be closer to them geographically than the original uploader/seeder of the file, which overall results in better download speeds.

Moreover, torrents can be easily resumed or fixed in the case of a connection error or an MD5 mismatch (Meaning that the file is corrupted). By just selecting the same download path, most torrent programs can continue downloading the corrupted or missing parts automatically.

Today we’ll introduce you to FOSS Torrents, an independent torrent service which provides torrents for various Linux distributions and other open source software, for free.

Download Linux Distributions Torrents With FOSS Torrents

On the main homepage of the website at fosstorrents.com, you’ll be able to browse different lists of available Linux distributions torrents.

Additionally, you may find different available versions of the same Linux distribution, and hence, you can choose whatever version you desire (Either based on architecture or other types):

To download a torrent form using FOSS Torrent, follow these steps:

1. Search for the torrent you want via the available lists or the search form.
2. Download the corresponding .torrent file you want from that page.
3. Use any torrent program on your OS to open the .torrent file (E.g BitTorrent or Transmission… etc).
4. The torrent will start and the file will be downloaded.

Don’t forget to check the integrity of the downloaded file using MD5 hash. You can do this on Linux using the md5sum command line tool to display the current MD5 hash of the file and compare it with the one given to you on the website. Read more about the Linux command line if are a newbie.

If you are on Windows, then you can use the WinMD5 program to verify the MD5 hash.

In the case of any connection error or hash mismatch issue, just restart the download to the same path of the old file and your torrent program will automatically continue downloading it and repair the missing parts.

Open Source Software Torrents

FOSS Torrents does not just provide Linux distributions torrents, but torrents for other ordinary open source software as well.

While very few people may need a torrent for downloading a ~100MB file, it could be useful for the cases where the corresponding file is larger in size. E.g in the case of open source games, where the downloaded file can reach hundreds of megabytes in size, as in 0. A.D. FOSS Torrents provides a place to download open source games too.

You can head to the games and software sections on the website, and browse the available torrents to download them. Or you may simple search for the ones you need using the search box. The steps to download these open source torrents are all the same.

You may not find torrents for all the open source software categories out there like open source ERP or open source project management tools and others, but again, not everyone needs a torrent for these things.

Community Effort for Providing Torrents to Open Source

FOSS Torrents is totally free, it takes no money neither from users nor from the makers of open source software. So all these torrents you see on the website are being seeded and made available to everyone voluntarily by the people to run that website.

That’s why it is important that you consider supporting their efforts in different ways:

• Supporting them financially, either via a one-time payment using PayPal and other methods, or joining their recurring Patreon campaign.
• Helping them in seeding the torrent files. Anyone can join in seeding these software to other users, and all what you’ll need is a stable and fast Internet connection.
• Spreading the word, so that other users can visit the website and take use of it.

If you are an open source software project owner, then you can reach out to FOSS Torrents and ask them to provide torrents for your project. The process is absolutely free and they take no fees from any projects they serve. Some of these projects include Xubuntu, Nitrux, Ubuntu Unity and Ubuntu Cinnamon editions.

M.Hanny Sabbagh

Hanny is a computer science & engineering graduate with a master degree, and an open source software developer. He has created a lot of open source programs over the years, and maintains separate online platforms for promoting open source in his local communities.

Hanny is the founder of FOSS Post.