A simple qBittorrent remote command-line client based on the bash, curl and jq binaries for a Linux-compatible environment (including Cygwin and Termux). It uses the last WebUI API https://github.com/qbittorrent/qBittorrent/wiki/WebUI-API-(qBittorrent-4.1)
The file bin/qbc is a bash-script which invokes a bash-subshell after an authorization to the server. Usage:
qbc [(-k | -c CERTFILE)] [-l USERNAME] [-p PASSWORD] URL [BASH_OPT1] [BASH_OPT2] ...The option -k implies an insecure https connection. The option -c is for pointing the self-signed cerificate of qBittorrent Web UI. The default value for USERNAME is "admin". If PASSWORD parameter is set to "-" then the password will be asked from stdin. The expected value for URL is either "http://host[:port]", or "https://host[:port]". Alternatively, there is a possibility to use presets specific for each connection defined in ~/.qbcrc file (see .qbcrc_template).
In the invoked subshell a number of bash functions are defined which realize a client functionality (see the function description below). All these functions can be called through the qbc options in the bash syntax, for example:
qbc -p 'adminadmin' http://localhost:8080 -c "qbprefedit -s web_ui_max_auth_fail_count 10"It is very convenient to use ssh- or mosh-access with the qbc installed on the qBittorrent server itself. To add a torrent file remotely one can use a stdin redirection of ssh-command:
ssh user@host qbc -p "'adminadmin'" "'http://localhost:8080'" -c "'qbadd -f -'" <filename.torrent(or) cat filename.torrent | ssh user@host qbc -p "'adminadmin'" "'http://localhost:8080'" -c "'qbadd -f -'"
Any bug reports, improvements, forks, alternative shell function systems are welcome.
The code is tested on:
bash 5.0.18
curl 7.73.0
jq 1.6
qBittorrent 4.3.4.1 (WebUI API 2.8.1)
All functions have the prefix qb-. If the name of a function is started by "qbtor" then it works only if a specific torrent is selected (i.e., the variable QBhash is set to the hash of the torrent). To select a torrent one can use the function qbselect.
qbc usage help
Usage: qbhelp [(list | [-u] FUNCTION)]
Usage: FUNCTION (-h|--help)
Options:
list - list of available FUNCTIONs
-u FUNCTION - the usage of FUNCTION
FUNCTION - the help for FUNCTION
Prints the versions of used software
Usage: qbversion [(app|api|build [qt|libtorrent|boost|openssl|bitness])]
Shows the general network status of the server
Usage: qbnetwork
Shows the value of specified preference property, or print all preferences
Usage: qbpref [(-r PREF_PROPERTY | PREF_PROPERTY_1 [PREF_PROPERTY_2 ...])]
With the "-r" option the function returns the raw value of a property
Sends new values of specified preference properties
Usage: qbprefedit [-s] [-n] PREF_PROPERTY_1 NEW_VALUE_1 [PREF_PROPERTY_2 NEW_VALUE_2 ...]
The option -n prevents an additional check the values from the server after the request. The option "-s" forces "-n" and also prevents any output or user confirmations except (may be) error messages
To change the WebUI password by a secure way (from stdin) just omit the NEW_VALUE_1 argument in "qbprefedit web_ui_password". A change of web_ui_password property together with another options is not supported.
Shows editable options not included into the preferences:alternative speed mode, existing categories and tags
Usage: qbmenu [-r] [altspeed|categories|tags]
Option "-r" for a raw output of requested values
Changes alternative speed mode, categories and tags
Usage: qbmenuedit altspeed (true|false|toggle)
Usage: qbmenuedit categories -d NAME #(remove a category)
Usage: qbmenuedit categories NAME PATH #(create or edit a category)
Usage: qbmenuedit tags [-d] NAME #(create or remove a tag)
Adds a torrent by a URL (use quotes), or by a torrent FILE.
Usage: qbadd ( -u 'URL'| -f FILE) [ARG_1=VALUE_1] [ARG_2=VALUE_2] ...
If FILE='-' then the content of a torrent file will be read from stdin.
If URL='-' then one line with the url will be read from stdin.
The available ARGs are listed in WebUI API https://github.com/qbittorrent/qBittorrent/wiki/WebUI-API-(qBittorrent-4.1)#add-new-torrent
List of torrents with a short info.
Usage: qblist [-r] [--jqselect FILTER] [--jqsort FILTER] [--jq FORMAT] [INDEX_1] [INDEX_2]
Option -r: raw output
Without options prints info of all torrents. The torrents are sorted by the addition time and indexed by numbers
Arguments INDEX_1 and INDEX_2 determine an interval of torrents to be shown
Advanced options: --jqselect and --jqsort for inserting "select" and "sort_by" jq-filters. E.g.,
qblist --jqselect '(.category=="My Category")' --jqsort '(.name)|reverse'
Advanced option: --jq enables a possibility to define an own jq-format for output lines
E.g., the following command prints hashes and names of torrents which have the tag "My tag":
qblist --jqselect '(.tags|split(", ")|.[]|select(.=="My tag"))' --jq '.hash+"/"+.name'The default format of qblist is defined in the variable
QBlistjq='(.index|tostring)+". "+.name+", "+(.progress*100|trunc|tostring)+"% of "+(.size /1048576|trunc|tostring)+"Mb, state:"+.state'Pause, resume, recheck, reannounce, force start and priority change of the torrents
Usage: qbdo COMMAND [-i [--jqselect FILTER] [INDEX_1] [INDEX_2]]
COMMAND=pause, resume, recheck, reannounce, setForceStart, increasePrio, decreasePrio, topPrio, bottomPrio
With the option "-i" the function does the action for the torrents within the qblist index interval, "-i" without INDEX_1 and INDEX_2 does the global action
Advanced option: --jqselect for inserting the "select" jq-filter. For example:
qbdo pause -i --jqselect '(.state=="downloading")'Without "-i" the function does the action for the selected torrent (see qbselect --help)
Selects the torrent with the specified index from qblist
Usage: qbselect [-s| [-r] [--jq FORMAT]] [INDEX]
Option -s: silent mode
Option -r: raw output
Advanced option: --jq enables a possibility to define an own jq-format for output info on the selected torrent
The deafult format is defined in the variable
QBselectjq='.name+", "+(.progress*100|trunc|tostring)+"% of "+(.size /1048576|trunc|tostring)+"Mb, "+.state+", "+(.dlspeed/1024|trunc|tostring)+" Kb/s"'Remove the selected torrent.
Usage: qbtordel [-s] [-d]
Option "-s" is for a silent removing without an interactive confirmation. # qbtordel: Option "-d" is for removing also the downloaded data
Get the specified information of the selected torrent, or print it completely
Usage: qbtorinfo [(-r INFO_PROPERTY | INFO_PROPERTY_1 [INFO_PROPERTY_2 ...])]
Get editable properties of the selected torrent, or print all editable properties
Usage: qbtormenu [(-r VAR | VAR_1 [VAR_2 ...])]
The option "-r" is for the raw output of a property
Change an editable property of the selected torrent
Usage: qbtormenuedit PROPERTY VALUE # if the PROPERTY is a single-valued
Usage: qbtormenuedit PROPERTY VALUE_1 VALUE_2 ... # if the PROPERTY is a multi-valued object
Usage: qbtormenuedit tags [-d] TAG # add or delete("-d") the TAG
Scaled piece states string
Usage: qbtorblock [-n [NUMBER_OF_BLOCKS]] [(-o FILE_INDEX | -i FILE_INDEX1 [FILE_INDEX2])]
Print a fixed number of symbols showing the state of pieces blocks of the selected torrent.
Without the "-n" options the number of blocks equals to $COLUMNS (of the current terminal).
If the option "-n" is present then the default number equals to the number of pieces of the torrent (so block=piece).
The meaning of symbols:
"#" - completely downloaded block
"+" - partially downloaded block
"v" - downloading block
"-" - not downloaded (empty) block
The option "-o" specifies the index of a file, whose only pieces will be shown.
The option "-i" specifies the qbtorcontent interval of file indices (alphabetical and generic) whose pieces will be shown among other pieces. The pieces of files outside the interval will be marked by the dot (".")
See "qbtorcontent --help" for a more info on generic and alphabetical indices
Get the specified general properties of the selected torrent, or print all of them
Usage: qbtorgeneral [(-r GEN_PROPERTY | GEN_PROPERTY_1 [GEN_PROPERTY_2 ...])]
Trackers info of the selected torrent
Usage: qbtortrack
Edit trackers of the selected torrent
Usage: qbtortrackedit (-d URL | URL_1 [URL_2])
Options:
-d URL - Delete the tracker URL
URL_1 [URL_2] - Add the tracker URL_1, or replace URL_2 by URL_1
List of connected peers of the selected torrent with a short info
Usage: qbtorpeer [--jqselect FILTER] [--jqsort FILTER] [--jq FORMAT]
Advanced options: --jqselect and --jqsort for inserting "select" and "sort_by" jq-filters. E.g,
qbtorpeer --jqselect '(.progress>0)' --jqsort '(.dl_speed)'The default --jqsort value is '(.progress)'
Advanced option: --jq enables a possibility to define an own jq-format for output lines. E.g.,
qbtorpeer --jqsort '(.progress)|reverse' --jq '.ip+":"+(.port|tostring)'The default format of qbtorcontent is defined in the variable
QBtorpeerjq='(.progress*100 | trunc | tostring)+"% "+.ip+" "+.country_code+" "+(.dl_speed /1024 |trunc|tostring)+"Kb/s "+.client+"("+.connection+")"'The available fields: .client,.connection,.country,.country_code,.dl_speed,.downloaded,.files,.flags,.flags_desc,.ip,.port,.progress,.relevance,.up_speed,.uploaded
Add a peer
Usage: qbtorpeeradd PEER
Alphabetically sorted list of the names and priorities of files of the selected torrent with a short info
Usage: qbtorcontent [--jqselect FILTER] [--jqsort FILTER] [--jq FORMAT] [INDEX_1] [INDEX_2]
Without option prints info of all files with alphabetical (0,1,2,...) and generic ([0],[1],[2]...) indices.
The generic indices do not depend on renaming of files, they are shown in square brackets.
The alphabetical indices depend on the names, they may be more convenient than generic ones.
E.g., the record "3[1]. /Folder/file2 ..." means that the generic index of file2 is [1], while it's alphabetical index is 3.
Arguments INDEX_1 and INDEX_2 are either alphabetical (without brackets), or generic (in square brackets) indices of the same type. They determine an interval of files to be shown
Advanced options: --jqselect and --jqsort for inserting "select" and "sort_by" jq-filters. E.g,
qbtorcontent --jqselect '(.priority==7)' --jqsort '(.progress)|reverse'Advanced option: --jq enables a possibility to define an own jq-format for output lines. E.g.,
qbtorcontent --jqsort '(.gen_index)' --jq '"["+(.gen_index|tostring)+"] "+.name'The default format of qbtorcontent is defined in the variable
QBtorcontentjq='(.alph_index|tostring)+"["+(.gen_index|tostring)+"]. "+.name+" <prio:"+(.priority|tostring)+">, "+(.progress*100|trunc|tostring)+"% of "+(.size /1048576|trunc|tostring)+"Mb, "+(.availability*100|trunc|tostring)+"% online"'Change the names and priorities of files of the selected torrent
Usage: qbtorcontentedit filename NEW_NAME INDEX [OFFSET]
rename the file with INDEX
OFFSET is the number of directory levels up for the new name of the file (default=1)
Usage: qbtorcontentedit dirname NEW_NAME [INDEX] [DIR_INDEX] [OFFSET]
rename a directory in the path of the file with INDEX
DIR_INDEX is the number of directory levels from the file to the targeted directory (default=1)
OFFSET is the number of directory levels up for the new name of the directory (default=1)
Usage: qbtorcontentedit prio NEW_PRIORITY [INDEX_1] [INDEX_2]
qbtorcontentedit prio without arguments INDEX_1 and INDEX_2 does a global change of file priorities
qbtorcontentedit prio with arguments INDEX_1 INDEX_2 sets a new priority to the files in the specified interval, the same as in qbcontent
See "qbcontent --help" for more info on generic and alphabetical indices
Get the full info of the specified file of the selected torrent
Usage: qbtorfile INDEX [(-r PROPERTY | PROPERTY_1 [PROPERTY_2 ...])]
INDEX can be either alphabetic or generic
For example, "qbtorfile [n] -r alph_index" gives the alphabetic index of the generic index [n], while "qbtorfile n -r gen_index" does the reverse transformation
Try "qbtorcontent --help" for a more info on generic and alphabetical indices