---
name: "transmission-cli"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "transmission-cli"
version: "4.1.4-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/transmission-cli"
---

# transmission-cli(1)

a bittorrent client

## NAME

**transmission-cli** – a bittorrent client

## SYNOPSIS

**transmission-cli** **-h**

**transmission-cli** \[**-b** \| **-B**\] \[**-d** *number* \| **-D**\] \[**-er** \| **-ep** \| **-et**\] \[**-f** *script*\] \[**-g** *directory*\] \[**-h**\] \[**-m** \| **-M**\] \[**-p** *port*\] \[**--tos** *tos*\] \[**-u** *number* \| **-U**\] \[**-v**\] \[**-w** *directory*\] *torrent-file*

## DESCRIPTION

The **transmission-cli** program is a lightweight, command-line BitTorrent client with scripting capabilities.

The options are as follows:

- **-b** **--blocklist**

  Enable peer blocklists. Transmission understands the bluetack blocklist file format. New blocklists can be added by copying them into the config-dir's "blocklists" subdirectory.

- **-B** **--no-blocklist**

  Disable blocklists.

- **-d** **--downlimit** *number*

  Set the maximum download speed in KB/s

- **-D** **--no-downlimit**

  Don't limit the download speed

- **-er** **--encryption-required**

  Encrypt all peer connections.

- **-ep** **--encryption-preferred**

  Prefer encrypted peer connections.

- **-et** **--encryption-tolerated**

  Prefer unencrypted peer connections.

- **-f** **--finish** *script*

  Set a script to run when the torrent finishes

- **-g** **--config-dir** *directory*

  Where to look for configuration files. This can be used to swap between using the cli, daemon, gtk, and qt clients. See https://github.com/transmission/transmission/blob/main/docs/Configuration-Files.md for more information.

- **-h** **--help**

  Prints a short usage summary.

- **-m** **--portmap**

  Enable portmapping via NAT-PMP or UPnP

- **-M** **--no-portmap**

  Disable portmapping

- **-p** **--port** *port*

  Set the port to listen for incoming peers. (Default: 51413)

- **--tos** *tos*

  ```
  Use a ToS or DSCP name to set the peer socket service type for
  local router-based traffic shaping. Valid values are a decimal
  value 0-255, or any of these DSCP strings:
  ```

  “af11”, “af12”, “af13”, “af21”, “af22”, “af23”, “af31”, “af32”, “af33”, “af41”, “af42”, “af43”, “cs0”, “cs1”, “cs2”, “cs3”, “cs4”, “cs5”, “cs6”, “cs7”, “ef”, “le” These ToS keys are deprecated and will be removed in the future: “default”, “lowcost”, “lowdelay,” “reliability”, “throughput”

- **-u** **--uplimit** *number*

  Set the maximum upload speed in KB/s

- **-U** **--no-uplimit**

  Don't limit the upload speed

- **-v** **--verify**

  Verify the torrent's downloaded data.

- **-w** **--download-dir** *directory*

  Where to save downloaded data.

## SIGNALS

In addition to these options, sending **transmission-cli** a SIGHUP signal will contact the tracker for more peers.

## ENVIRONMENT

- TRANSMISSION\_HOME

  Sets the default config-dir.

- http\_proxy

  libcurl uses this environment variable when performing tracker announces.

## FILES

- \~/.config/transmission

  Directory where **transmission-cli** keeps torrent information for future seeding and resume operations.

## AUTHORS

The **transmission-cli** program was written by Eric Petit, Josh Elsasser, Charles Kerr, Mitchell Livingston, and Mike Gelfand.

## SEE ALSO

[transmission-create(1)](/transmission-create/1.md), [transmission-daemon(1)](/transmission-daemon/1.md), [transmission-edit(1)](/transmission-edit/1.md), [transmission-gtk(1)](/transmission-gtk/1.md), [transmission-qt(1)](/transmission-qt/1.md), [transmission-remote(1)](/transmission-remote/1.md), [transmission-show(1)](/transmission-show/1.md)

https://transmissionbt.com/