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. If git-annex is not built using the haskell torrent library to parse 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. Multi-file torrents are supported; to handle them, `git annex addurl` will add a directory containing all the files from the torrent. It's hard to say if a torrent is healthy enough to let a file be downloaded from it, and harder to predict if a torrent will stay healthy. So, git-annex takes a cautious approach and when dropping a file, won't treat this special remote as one of the required [[copies]]. It's probably a good idea to configure git-annex to fully distrust this remote, by running `git annex untrust bittorrent` This feature is available only from version `5.20141219`.