Introduction
++ The BitTorrent ecosystem is constantly evolving, and I'm always excited to discover new + projects that push the boundaries of what's possible. When I came across + Vortex, a Rust-based BitTorrent client + built on io_uring that claims to be 3x faster than Transmission, I knew I had to try it. +
++ As someone deeply interested in the BitTorrent ecosystem—through the Torrust project and + beyond—I wanted to understand how Vortex works, what makes it different, and share my + findings with others who are curious about modern BitTorrent implementations. This is a + hands-on exploration where I install Vortex, test it with a real torrent from the + Torrust Demo Index, and document everything + I learn along the way. +
+ +What is Vortex?
+
+ Vortex is an extremely fast, pure io_uring based BitTorrent library and
+ client built from the ground up for modern Linux systems. Unlike traditional BitTorrent
+ clients that rely on epoll for I/O, Vortex uses io_uring—the
+ next-generation Linux I/O API—to achieve exceptional throughput with minimal overhead.
+
Key characteristics:
+-
+
- + Repo: + https://github.com/Nehliin/vortex + +
- + Author: + Oskar Nehlin + +
- Stars: Growing community interest. +
- License: BSD-3-Clause +
- Language: Rust +
- Current Status: BETA +
-
+ Latest Releases:
+
-
+
- vortex-bittorrent: v0.4.0 (January 25, 2026) +
- vortex-cli: v0.3.0 (January 25, 2026) +
+
Overview
++ Vortex represents a fundamental rethinking of how BitTorrent clients should be built. By + embracing modern Linux kernel features and rejecting backward compatibility constraints, + Vortex achieves performance levels that traditional clients cannot match. +
++ The project is designed for users who prioritize speed and efficiency over universal + platform support, making it ideal for server deployments, high-performance workstations, + and enthusiasts who run modern Linux distributions. +
+ +Key Features
+ +vortex-cli (TUI Client)
+-
+
- Fully Trackerless: All peer discovery via DHT (mainline) +
- TUI Interface: Terminal-based UI built with Ratatui +
- + Real-time Metrics: Live graphs showing download/upload throughput + +
- Metadata Download: Support for downloading from info-hash alone +
- Seeding Support: Continues seeding after download completion +
- + XDG Directory Support: Follows Linux standards for config/data paths + +
vortex-bittorrent (Library)
+-
+
- io_uring Based: Zero-copy I/O with minimal syscall overhead +
- Custom Event Loop: No async runtime overhead +
- Parallel Hash Computation: Offloaded to thread pool +
- "Lockless" Design: Single I/O thread, leveraging Rust lifetimes +
- SSD/NVMe Optimized: No HDD head optimization overhead +
- Metrics Support: Integration with the metrics crate +
- Well Tested: Unit, integration, and fuzz tests +
BitTorrent Enhancement Proposals (BEP) Support
+Vortex implements many core BitTorrent protocols:
+-
+
- BEP 3: The BitTorrent Protocol Specification ✓ +
- BEP 6: Fast Extension ✓ +
- BEP 9: Extension for Peers to Send Metadata Files ✓ +
- BEP 10: Extension Protocol ✓ +
- BEP 20: Peer ID Conventions ✓ +
- BEP 21: Extension for Partial Seeds ✓ +
+ Notable omissions include tracker support (BEP 7, 12), PEX (BEP 11), uTP (BEP 29), and + BitTorrent v2 (BEP 52). These are intentional design decisions to keep the BETA release + focused. +
+ +Step 1: Checking System Requirements
++ Before installing any software, it's important to verify your system meets the + requirements. Vortex is picky—it only works on modern Linux systems. +
+ +Kernel Version
+First, check your kernel version:
+ +My system output:
+ ++ ✅ Result: My kernel is 6.17.0, which is well above the 6.1 minimum requirement. + If your kernel is older than 6.1, you'll need to upgrade before Vortex will work. +
+ +Rust Installation
+Vortex is distributed via cargo, so you need Rust installed:
+ +My output:
+ ++ ✅ I already had Rust installed. If you don't have it, install from https://rustup.rs. +
+ +Step 2: Installing Vortex
++ Now for the installation. Vortex can be installed from crates.io, which is the easiest + method: +
+ +What this command does:
+-
+
- Downloads the source code from crates.io +
- Compiles it for your specific system (this takes 2-5 minutes) +
- Installs the binary to
~/.cargo/bin/vortex-cli
+ -
+ The
--lockedflag uses exact dependency versions tested by the author +
+
+ I ran the installation command, and after compilation finished, I verified it was ready: +
+ ++ ✅ Success! Vortex 0.3.1 is installed and ready to use. +
+ +Step 3: Getting a Test Torrent
++ For this test, I'm using the Arch Linux ISO from the Torrust Demo Index. This is a + legitimate, legal torrent that's perfect for testing—it's about 1.5 GB, well-seeded, and + represents a real-world use case. +
+ +Torrent Details:
+-
+
- Name: Arch Linux 2026.02.01 x86_64 ISO +
- + Torrust Index Link: + + archlinux-20260201-x86-64iso + + +
- Info Hash:
8e3f4283d1c8360d2f18544a8b166813086675a1
+ - Size: 1.5 GB +
Starting the Download
++ One of Vortex's most powerful features is its ability to download torrents using just the + info hash, without needing a .torrent file. It discovers peers via DHT (Distributed Hash + Table), retrieves the metadata, and starts downloading: +
+ +What this command does:
+-
+
- Uses only the info hash (no .torrent file needed) +
- Discovers peers via DHT (Distributed Hash Table) +
- Downloads the torrent metadata from peers +
- Starts downloading the actual file +
- Shows a real-time TUI with graphs and statistics +
Alternative: Using a .torrent File
++ While DHT-only downloads are convenient, Vortex also supports traditional .torrent files. + You can download the torrent file from the Torrust Demo Index: +
+ +Then start the download with the torrent file:
+ +Benefits of using a .torrent file:
+-
+
- Contains tracker URLs for faster peer discovery +
- Includes metadata, so no DHT lookup needed +
- Can work in environments where DHT is blocked +
- Standard method compatible with all BitTorrent clients +
Step 4: Download Results
+ +The TUI Experience
++ Vortex's TUI (Terminal User Interface) immediately impressed me. Within seconds of + starting, I saw: +
+-
+
- Real-time throughput graphs showing download and upload speeds +
- Progress bar showing download completion +
- Peer count and connection information +
- Live updates without terminal flicker or performance issues +
+
+ + The interface is clean, informative, and doesn't get in the way of the actual downloading. +
+ +Performance Metrics
+Here's what I observed during the download:
+ +-
+
- File Size: 1.5 GB +
- Initial Peer Discovery: Nearly instant via DHT +
- Metadata Download: Completed within seconds +
- + Download Speed: Consistently high, fully saturating my fiber connection + +
- Download Completion: Very fast, completed in just over a minute +
- Final Status: Automatically switched to seeding mode +
File Verification
+After the download completed, I verified the file:
+ ++ ✅ Verification Success: The file is a valid ISO 9660 filesystem, correctly + identified as an Arch Linux bootable ISO. The download was successful and the file is intact. +
+ +Key Observations and Findings
+ +What Worked Really Well
+-
+
- + DHT Peer Discovery: Found peers almost instantly without any tracker—truly + impressive + +
- + Download Speed: Maxed out my connection with peak speeds near 60 MB/s + +
- + TUI Interface: Clean, informative, and responsive even at high speeds + +
- + Automatic Seeding: Seamlessly transitioned to seeding after download completed + +
- + No Configuration Needed: Worked perfectly with zero config files or tweaking + +
- + Resources Usage: Minimal CPU and memory usage throughout the download + +
Minor Quirks
+-
+
- + Download Directory Structure: Vortex creates a directory named after the + torrent and places the file inside it, rather than just saving the ISO directly. This makes + sense for multi-file torrents, but for single-file torrents it adds an extra directory level. + +
- + No Pause/Resume: As documented, you can't pause and resume downloads yet + (Issue #92). Once you start, you're committed until it finishes. + +
- + Seeding Exit: Had to manually quit (Ctrl+C) to stop seeding—no automatic + shutdown after a certain ratio or time period. + +
+ These are all minor issues, and most are documented as planned features or deliberate + design choices. +
+ +Comparison Context
++ The author claims Vortex is ~3x faster than transmission-cli (4.0.6). In my test, I was + limited by my network bandwidth rather than the client, so I couldn't verify the + performance multiplier. However, the fact that Vortex fully saturated my connection while + using minimal resources is impressive in itself. +
+ ++ For users on faster connections (10 Gbps+) or in data center environments, the + io_uring-based architecture would likely show even more significant performance + advantages. +
+ +Final Verdict
+ ++ Vortex delivers on its core promise: exceptional BitTorrent performance on modern Linux + systems. In my hands-on test, it successfully downloaded a 1.5 GB ISO in just over a + minute, maxing out my network connection with peak speeds near 60 MB/s. The DHT-only + approach worked flawlessly— peers were discovered instantly and the download started + without any trackers. +
+ ++ The TUI is clean and informative, providing real-time metrics without getting in the way. + Resource usage was minimal throughout—Vortex is clearly well-optimized. The automatic + transition to seeding after download completion shows thoughtful UX design. +
+ ++ Yes, it's BETA software. Yes, it lacks features like pause/resume. Yes, it's Linux-only. + But within its design constraints, Vortex is exceptional. It's a focused tool that does + one thing really well: download torrents fast on modern Linux systems. +
+ ++ The project is actively developed, the codebase is clean, and the BSD-3-Clause license is + permissive. I'll be watching Vortex's development with interest, and I recommend giving it + a try if you match the target audience. +
+ +What I Learned About the BitTorrent Ecosystem
+ ++ Testing Vortex reinforced something I already believed: the BitTorrent ecosystem is + healthier when we have diverse implementations with different goals and trade-offs. Vortex + makes bold architectural decisions—Linux-only, io_uring-based, DHT-only—that allow it to + excel in its niche. That's valuable. +
+ ++ Projects like Vortex, Torrust, Transmission, qBittorrent, and others serve different needs + and push the technology forward in different ways. Some prioritize cross-platform + compatibility, others focus on features, and some (like Vortex) optimize relentlessly for + performance on modern hardware. All of these approaches contribute to a robust ecosystem. +
+ ++ If you're interested in BitTorrent technology—whether as a user, developer, or just + someone curious about decentralized systems—I encourage you to explore different + implementations. Each one teaches you something new about protocol design, performance + optimization, and the various ways to solve the same fundamental problem. +
+ ++ Vortex is a great example of what's possible when you embrace modern technology and make + focused design decisions. I'm excited to see where the project goes, and I hope this + hands-on exploration helps others discover and learn from it too. +
+ +Useful Links
+-
+
- + GitHub Repository: + https://github.com/Nehliin/vortex + +
- + Library Documentation: + https://docs.rs/vortex-bittorrent/ + +
- + Crates.io: + vortex-bittorrent | + vortex-cli + +
- + Author: + Oskar Nehlin on GitHub + +