Since I use Windows Vista and Ubuntu on my machine, I wanted to have a torrent client in Ubuntu so that I would be able to continue the downloads that I had started in Windows Vista. Now I could have just used ktorrent, rtorrent, Deluge or any other Linux client and force check the files in the client every time when I boot in the respective OS. Needless to say this is a big pain. In addition, I wanted the torrent clients to share the same stats, so that every time I download/upload in one client, the same stats would be reflected in the other. This is impossible for different clients, so I decided to run utorrent under Wine in Ubuntu.
Here is a guide I have searched and compiled. With this guide you will be able to share the stats between utorrent in Windows XP or Vista and utorrent in Linux without doing anything after it has been set up. So let’s get started.
Step 1: utorrent in Windows
Obviously you should be having utorrent installed and running in Windows. Make sure you have the installation setup file stored somewhere (or you can download it later).
Step 2: Taking Backup
Before we start doing anything, it’s a good idea to backup your settings and stats of utorrent in case you mess up somehow. Although I don’t think there would be any way you could mess it up, but still it’s a precaution for all of you who have a habit of screwing things.
For Windows XP:
If you are using Windows XP, this is the folder location.
[Windows partition]/Documents and Settings/Username/Application Data/uTorrent
For Windows Vista:
If you are using Windows Vista, this is the folder location.
[Windows partition]/Users/Username/AppData/Roaming/uTorrent
where Username is your username in Windows.
Copy this utorrent folder somewhere else as a backup.
Step 3: Installing Wine in Linux
Now it’s time to boot into Linux and set everything up. First we will need to install Wine. You can install Wine using the package manager in your respective Linux flavour. In Ubuntu, you can install Wine using the Synaptic Package Manager.
Step 4: Setting up Wine
We have to setup Wine to map the correct drives to the correct drive letters. Before going ahead, make sure all the partitions you want are properly mounted in Linux. Go to the Wine settings in Applications>>Wine>>Settings. Or alternatively you can type the following in the terminal.
You will see a screen like this.
Select the version of Windows you are using in the drop menu.
Now, don't just add your application yet. We first we will map the drives to the correct drive letters. Select the 'Drives' tab and you will get something like this.
You will see a list of the partitions you have mounted. We now have to map the drive letter used in Windows to the correct drive in Linux. You can click on 'Autodetect' to map the drives. Autodetect didn't work for me, so I manually edited the path. If some drive letters are missing, you can add them using the 'Add' button. Select the drive letter, and click on browse. Then give the path to the corresponding drive, which would be under /media/your_drive. For example, in my case, Data_1 is D: drive in Windows while Data_2 is E: drive. Leave the C: drive as it is. This is not the actual C: drive Windows partition. It is a virtual Windows drive created by Wine.
Step 5: Installing utorrent in Linux under Wine
After mapping all your drives to the correct drive letter, we have to install utorrent in Linux. Go to the utorrent installation setup file location or download it from the website and save it in an easy location like the desktop. As a precaution, I have used the same version of utorrent on both Windows and Linux. So make sure you are using the same version as well. Go to the path you have the installation file stored and double click it. It should start the setup. If it doesn't start, fire up the terminal and type:
where path_of_installation_file is the path where you have saved the utorrent installation .exe file.
If you have downoaded to the desktop, then type
where your_username is your username in Linux
Complete the installation like you normally do in Windows. When it asks for the installation path, leave it as C:\Program Files. This will install utorrent to the virtual C: drive created by Wine.
Step 6: Adding utorrent in Wine
Go back to the Wine configuration settings. Under Applications tab, click on 'Add application...'.
Give the path of utorrent.exe you just installed. The path would be
where username is your username in Linux.
Step 7: Creating a Symbolic Link
After installation, start utorrent to make sure it is running. After knowing it is running fine exit the program. We now have to create a ‘symbolic link’ of the utorrent folder in Linux to the utorrent folder in Windows. This is very easy. Just type in the following commands.
where Linux_username is your username in Linux and Windows_username is the username you use in Windows.
This command would delete the utorrent folder for the Linux installation. Don't worry, we will replace this in the next command.
For Windows XP:
where Linux_username is your username in Linux and Windows_username is the username you use in Windows.
For Windows Vista:
where Linux_username is your username in Linux and Windows_username is the username you use in Windows.
This command creates the symbolic link between Windows and Linux utorrent folders. You might be wondering what this symbolic link exactly is? Well, it simply is a file/folder that contains a reference to another file/folder. What this basically means is that, the utorrent in Linux will try to access the settings stored in the utorrent folder in virtual C: drive created by Wine. Now with this symbolic link, we give the reference to the utorrent folder in Windows. So when utorrent under Linux accesses the files, it actually accesses the files of the Windows utorrent folder. I hope that wasn't too confusing.
Step 8: Finshing
Reboot your pc. I don’t know if this is necessary, but at first it wasn’t working for me, but after I had done a reboot to Windows and then back to Linux, I was able to see my settings and all torrents with stats in Linux.
Once you reboot, start up utorrent. To start utorrent you can go to Applications>>Wine>>Programs>>utorrent.
You can also type the following in the terminal
where Linux_username is your username in Linux
You should be able to see all your settings and the torrents with stats.
One thing I noticed is, you won't be able to share the downloads that are downloaded in the C: drive since the C: in Linux is mapped to the virtual C: and not the actual Windows C: drive. But I guess no one really downloads anything in C: drive. So it is isn't much of a problem.
With this I can start and stop my torrents on either Windows or Linux and be able to maintain the stats. Hope this guide would help you as well.
Here is a guide I have searched and compiled. With this guide you will be able to share the stats between utorrent in Windows XP or Vista and utorrent in Linux without doing anything after it has been set up. So let’s get started.
Step 1: utorrent in Windows
Obviously you should be having utorrent installed and running in Windows. Make sure you have the installation setup file stored somewhere (or you can download it later).
Step 2: Taking Backup
Before we start doing anything, it’s a good idea to backup your settings and stats of utorrent in case you mess up somehow. Although I don’t think there would be any way you could mess it up, but still it’s a precaution for all of you who have a habit of screwing things.
For Windows XP:
If you are using Windows XP, this is the folder location.
[Windows partition]/Documents and Settings/Username/Application Data/uTorrent
For Windows Vista:
If you are using Windows Vista, this is the folder location.
[Windows partition]/Users/Username/AppData/Roaming/uTorrent
where Username is your username in Windows.
Copy this utorrent folder somewhere else as a backup.
Step 3: Installing Wine in Linux
Now it’s time to boot into Linux and set everything up. First we will need to install Wine. You can install Wine using the package manager in your respective Linux flavour. In Ubuntu, you can install Wine using the Synaptic Package Manager.
Step 4: Setting up Wine
We have to setup Wine to map the correct drives to the correct drive letters. Before going ahead, make sure all the partitions you want are properly mounted in Linux. Go to the Wine settings in Applications>>Wine>>Settings. Or alternatively you can type the following in the terminal.
Code:
winecfgYou will see a screen like this.
Select the version of Windows you are using in the drop menu.
Now, don't just add your application yet. We first we will map the drives to the correct drive letters. Select the 'Drives' tab and you will get something like this.
You will see a list of the partitions you have mounted. We now have to map the drive letter used in Windows to the correct drive in Linux. You can click on 'Autodetect' to map the drives. Autodetect didn't work for me, so I manually edited the path. If some drive letters are missing, you can add them using the 'Add' button. Select the drive letter, and click on browse. Then give the path to the corresponding drive, which would be under /media/your_drive. For example, in my case, Data_1 is D: drive in Windows while Data_2 is E: drive. Leave the C: drive as it is. This is not the actual C: drive Windows partition. It is a virtual Windows drive created by Wine.
Step 5: Installing utorrent in Linux under Wine
After mapping all your drives to the correct drive letter, we have to install utorrent in Linux. Go to the utorrent installation setup file location or download it from the website and save it in an easy location like the desktop. As a precaution, I have used the same version of utorrent on both Windows and Linux. So make sure you are using the same version as well. Go to the path you have the installation file stored and double click it. It should start the setup. If it doesn't start, fire up the terminal and type:
Code:
cd [COLOR="Red"]path_of_installation_file[/COLOR]If you have downoaded to the desktop, then type
Code:
cd /home/[COLOR="Red"]your_username[/COLOR]/DesktopComplete the installation like you normally do in Windows. When it asks for the installation path, leave it as C:\Program Files. This will install utorrent to the virtual C: drive created by Wine.
Step 6: Adding utorrent in Wine
Go back to the Wine configuration settings. Under Applications tab, click on 'Add application...'.
Give the path of utorrent.exe you just installed. The path would be
Code:
/home/[COLOR="Red"]username[/COLOR]/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/utorrent/utorrent.exeStep 7: Creating a Symbolic Link
After installation, start utorrent to make sure it is running. After knowing it is running fine exit the program. We now have to create a ‘symbolic link’ of the utorrent folder in Linux to the utorrent folder in Windows. This is very easy. Just type in the following commands.
Code:
rm -r "/home/[COLOR="Red"]Linux_username[/COLOR]/.wine/drive_c/windows/profiles/[COLOR="Red"]Windows_username[/COLOR]/Application Data/uTorrent"This command would delete the utorrent folder for the Linux installation. Don't worry, we will replace this in the next command.
For Windows XP:
Code:
ln -s "/media/windows/Documents and Settings/[COLOR="Red"]Windows_username[/COLOR]/Application Data/uTorrent" "/home/[COLOR="Red"]Linux_username[/COLOR]/.wine/drive_c/windows/profiles/[COLOR="Red"]Windows_username[/COLOR]/Application Data/uTorrent"For Windows Vista:
Code:
ln -s "/media/windows/Users [COLOR="Red"]Windows_username[/COLOR]/AppData/Roaming/uTorrent " "/home/[COLOR="Red"]Linux_username[/COLOR]/.wine/drive_c/windows/profiles/[COLOR="Red"]Windows_username[/COLOR]/Application Data/uTorrent"This command creates the symbolic link between Windows and Linux utorrent folders. You might be wondering what this symbolic link exactly is? Well, it simply is a file/folder that contains a reference to another file/folder. What this basically means is that, the utorrent in Linux will try to access the settings stored in the utorrent folder in virtual C: drive created by Wine. Now with this symbolic link, we give the reference to the utorrent folder in Windows. So when utorrent under Linux accesses the files, it actually accesses the files of the Windows utorrent folder. I hope that wasn't too confusing.
Step 8: Finshing
Reboot your pc. I don’t know if this is necessary, but at first it wasn’t working for me, but after I had done a reboot to Windows and then back to Linux, I was able to see my settings and all torrents with stats in Linux.
Once you reboot, start up utorrent. To start utorrent you can go to Applications>>Wine>>Programs>>utorrent.
You can also type the following in the terminal
Code:
wine /home/[COLOR="Red"]Linux_username[/COLOR]/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/utorrent/utorrent.exeYou should be able to see all your settings and the torrents with stats.
One thing I noticed is, you won't be able to share the downloads that are downloaded in the C: drive since the C: in Linux is mapped to the virtual C: and not the actual Windows C: drive. But I guess no one really downloads anything in C: drive. So it is isn't much of a problem.
With this I can start and stop my torrents on either Windows or Linux and be able to maintain the stats. Hope this guide would help you as well.
