rTorrent

aMuTorrent connects to rTorrent via XML-RPC, supporting three connection modes:

• HTTP — via an XML-RPC HTTP proxy (nginx, Apache, or ruTorrent)
• SCGI (direct TCP) — connect directly to rTorrent’s SCGI port without a proxy
• SCGI (Unix socket) — connect directly to rTorrent’s SCGI Unix domain socket

Alternative: aMuTorrent also supports qBittorrent, Deluge, and Transmission. You can use multiple BitTorrent clients simultaneously.

Requirements

• rTorrent with XML-RPC enabled
• For HTTP mode: a web server (nginx, lighttpd, or ruTorrent) to proxy SCGI to HTTP
• For SCGI modes: direct access to rTorrent’s SCGI TCP port or Unix socket (no proxy needed)

Connection Modes

HTTP Mode (default)

Connects via an HTTP proxy that translates HTTP requests to rTorrent’s SCGI protocol. This is the traditional setup used with ruTorrent or nginx.

SCGI Mode (direct TCP)

Connects directly to rTorrent’s SCGI TCP port, bypassing the need for an HTTP proxy. Requires rTorrent to be configured with network.scgi.open_port:

# In .rtorrent.rc
network.scgi.open_port = 127.0.0.1:5000

SCGI Socket Mode

Connects directly to rTorrent’s SCGI Unix domain socket. Requires rTorrent to be configured with network.scgi.open_local:

# In .rtorrent.rc
network.scgi.open_local = /path/to/rtorrent.sock

Configuration

Via Settings UI

1. Go to Settings in aMuTorrent
2. Expand the BitTorrent Integration section
3. Enable rTorrent integration
4. Select the Connection Mode:
   • HTTP (XML-RPC proxy): Host, Port, Path, optional Username/Password, SSL
   • SCGI (direct TCP): Host, Port
   • SCGI (Unix socket): Socket Path

Via Environment Variables

HTTP mode (default):

RTORRENT_ENABLED=true
RTORRENT_MODE=http
RTORRENT_HOST=localhost
RTORRENT_PORT=8000
RTORRENT_PATH=/RPC2
RTORRENT_USERNAME=user
RTORRENT_PASSWORD=pass
RTORRENT_USE_SSL=false

SCGI direct TCP mode:

RTORRENT_ENABLED=true
RTORRENT_MODE=scgi
RTORRENT_HOST=127.0.0.1
RTORRENT_PORT=5000

SCGI Unix socket mode:

RTORRENT_ENABLED=true
RTORRENT_MODE=scgi-socket
RTORRENT_SOCKET_PATH=/path/to/rtorrent.sock

Via config.json

HTTP mode:

{
  "clients": [{
    "type": "rtorrent",
    "enabled": true,
    "mode": "http",
    "host": "localhost",
    "port": 8000,
    "path": "/RPC2",
    "username": "",
    "password": "",
    "useSsl": false
  }]
}

SCGI direct TCP:

{
  "clients": [{
    "type": "rtorrent",
    "enabled": true,
    "mode": "scgi",
    "host": "127.0.0.1",
    "port": 5000
  }]
}

SCGI Unix socket:

{
  "clients": [{
    "type": "rtorrent",
    "enabled": true,
    "mode": "scgi-socket",
    "socketPath": "/path/to/rtorrent.sock"
  }]
}

rTorrent Setup

Using ruTorrent’s XML-RPC (HTTP mode)

If you’re running ruTorrent, XML-RPC is already exposed. Use HTTP mode with the same host/port as ruTorrent and path /RPC2.

Direct SCGI Connection (no proxy needed)

Configure rTorrent to open an SCGI port or socket:

# TCP SCGI (in .rtorrent.rc)
network.scgi.open_port = 127.0.0.1:5000

# Or Unix socket (in .rtorrent.rc)
network.scgi.open_local = /tmp/rtorrent.sock

Then use SCGI or SCGI Socket mode in aMuTorrent — no nginx or web server required.

Standalone rTorrent with nginx (HTTP mode)

Add to your nginx configuration:

location /RPC2 {
    scgi_pass unix:/path/to/rtorrent.sock;
    include scgi_params;
}

Or for TCP:

location /RPC2 {
    scgi_pass 127.0.0.1:5000;
    include scgi_params;
}

Docker Compose Example

services:
  rtorrent:
    image: crazymax/rtorrent-rutorrent:latest
    container_name: rtorrent
    ports:
      - "127.0.0.1:8000:8000"  # XML-RPC (localhost only)
      - "6881:6881"            # BitTorrent
      - "6881:6881/udp"        # BitTorrent DHT
      - "50000:50000"          # Incoming connections
    volumes:
      - ./data/rTorrent/config:/data
      - ./data/rTorrent/downloads:/downloads
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=Europe/Rome
    restart: unless-stopped

  amutorrent:
    image: g0t3nks/amutorrent:latest
    environment:
      - RTORRENT_ENABLED=true
      - RTORRENT_HOST=rtorrent
      - RTORRENT_PORT=8000
      - RTORRENT_PATH=/RPC2
    volumes:
      # Download directories (optional): Required for moving/deleting files
      - ./data/rTorrent/downloads:/downloads
    ports:
      - "4000:4000"
    restart: unless-stopped

Categories

Categories created in aMuTorrent map to rTorrent labels. When a category has a configured path:

1. New downloads with that category are saved to the category path
2. Existing downloads (active or completed) can be moved to their category path via the UI

Using Multiple BitTorrent Clients

You can run multiple BitTorrent clients simultaneously (rTorrent, qBittorrent, Deluge, Transmission), including multiple instances of the same client type. When multiple clients are connected:

• A client selector appears when adding downloads, letting you choose the target client
• The ED2K/BT filter in the header groups all BitTorrent clients together
• Statistics combine speeds and totals from all connected clients
• Prowlarr search results can be sent to any connected BitTorrent client
• Additional instances can be added through the Settings page

Troubleshooting

Connection Failed

• Verify rTorrent is running and XML-RPC is accessible
• Test with curl: curl http://host:port/RPC2
• Check firewall rules between containers/hosts
• Verify username/password if authentication is enabled

Downloads Not Appearing

• Ensure rTorrent integration is enabled in Settings
• Check the aMuTorrent logs for connection errors
• Verify the XML-RPC path is correct (usually /RPC2)

Permission Issues

• Ensure aMuTorrent can write to download directories
• Check that rTorrent and aMuTorrent share the same UID/GID in Docker