A new version of the open-source Transmission BitTorrent client is out with new features, performance buffs and UI improvements across GTK, Qt and WebUI builds.
“We’ve been working on this release for over a year now, and we’re excited to finally get it over the finish line”, the team say of the update.
Transmission 4.1.0 adds IPv6 support (including local peer discovery) and dual-stack UDP trackers, a new GUI option to enable sequential downloading, and faster µTP (Micro Transport Protocol) performance than in the 4.0.x series.
Plus, tweaks to libtransmission reportedly reduce CPU and RAM usage across all platforms.
On the user-interface side, Transmission 4.1.0 now uses native system icons in menus and toolbars in its Qt client, meaning MacOS users see SF Symbol icons, Windows users gawp at Segoe glyphs, and Linux systems use XDG standard icon names.
Plus, the Qt build now adheres to Linux human-interface guidelines (HIG) meaning in-app menus use fewer icons besides entries in GNOME, but icons near most entries on KDE.
Native file chooser dialogs are now hooked up in the GTK client, which also benefits from expanded accessibility, with all value labels properly labelled and selectable to assist those interfacing with the client using screen readers.
Other changes and features added in Transmission 1.4.0:
- JSON-RPC 2.0-compliant RPC API
- Verifying a torrent after the download is complete
- Reduced latency when sending protocol messages to peers
- Using a proxy server for web connections
- Checks if local files exists after setting torrent location
- Improved dark mode support (macOS)
- Add torrents by drag-and-drop (WebUI)
A full list of changes can be found on GitHub.
Sequential Downloading in Transmission
Users of Transmission have requested support for sequential downloading for years. The client added support for it in the daemon (CLI) version, but it’s only here, in 4.1.0, that a GUI option is available.
This optional feature that makes Transmission download files (well, bits of files) in order, rather than randomly. This is useful for those who want to, say, start watching a video before the fill thing download.
While sequential downloading may provide quicker access, it’s not without its downsides. If a lot of peers are requesting the same early pieces in order, this can result in slower download speeds for everyone – more of an issue for popular torrents than half-dead ones.
Installing Transmission 1.4.0
Transmission is preinstalled in Ubuntu if you opt for the ‘extended’ selection in the OS installer (it’s not included if you the default minimal install). Obviously, it’s an older version than this, though Ubuntu 26.04 LTS may ship Transmission 4.1.0 if it makes it in Debian soon.
You can download the latest release of Transmission from the official website. This has links to packages and installers for all major desktop operating systems (macOS, Windows and Linux), plus the raw source code should you fancy compiling it by hand.
Other options are available.
An unofficial Transmission snap is available on the Snap Store. This is currently the 4.0.6 release, but the 4.1.0 build is in the edge channel and should be pushed out to stable channel users in the coming days – look out for that.
There’s also an unverified Transmission Flatub listing. Like the snap, this is not yet updated to version 4.1.0, but it is worth keeping an eye on if you prefer using Flatpaks.
Both are sandboxed formats that restrict access to certain system files/folders and some network capabilities. Depending on what you use Transmission for, it may be worth checking these formats will do everything you need before entrusting anything critical.