NAME

Net::BitTorrentSync - A Perl interface to the BitTorrent Sync API

VERSION

version 0.2.1

SYNOPSIS

use Net::BitTorrentSync;

start_btsync('/path/to/btsync_executable', '/path/to/config_file');

or

set_config('/path/to/config_file');

or

set_listened_path('127.0.0.1:8888');

then

add_folder('/path/to/folder');

my $folders = get_folders();

remove_folder($folders->[0]->{secret});

DESCRIPTION

BitTorrent Sync uses the BitTorrent protocol to sync files between two or more machines, or nodes (computers or mobile phones) without the need of a server. It uses "secrets", a unique hash string given for each folder that replaces the need for a tracker machine. The more nodes the network has, the faster the data will be synched between the nodes, allowing for very fast exchange rates. In addition, folders and files can be shared as read-only, or as read and write.

This is a complete wrapper of the published BitTorrent Sync API. It can be used to connect your Perl application to a running BitTorrent Sync instance, in order to perform any action such as adding, removing folders/files, querying them, setting preferences, and fetch information about the BitTorrent Sync instance.

!WARNING!

The BitTorrent Sync technology and the existing BitTorrent Sync client are not open source or free software, nor are their specs available in any shape or form other than the API. Therefore, there is no guarantee whatsoever that the communication between nodes is not being monitored by BitTorrent Inc. or by any third party, including the US Government or any Agency on behalf of the US Government.

REQUIREMENTS

In order to run these commands you must have a running instance of the BitTorrent Sync client, available for download here: http://www.bittorrent.com/sync/downloads.

No other non-perl requirements are needed.

You will need an API key, for which you'll need to apply here: http://www.bittorrent.com/sync/developers

Once BitTorrent Sync is installed, either add its executable's location to the system path, or pass the location of the executable and the config file to the start_btsync function.

CONFIG FILE

To enable the API, you must run BitTorrent Sync with the config file. This can be achieved either through the function start_btsync, or manually:

On Mac and Linux, run the Sync executable with --config path_to_file argument. On Windows, use /config path_to_file.

The config file may be located in any directory on your drive.

If you wish for this module to locate it automatically, you need to name it btconfig and add its path to the environment path variable.

Sync uses JSON format for the configuration file. Here is a sample config file that you can use to enable API:

{
    // path to folder where Sync will store its internal data,
    // folder must exist on disk
    "storage_path" : "/Users/user/.SyncAPI",

    // run Sync in GUI-less mode
    "use_gui" : false,

    "webui" : {
        // IP address and port to access HTTP API
        "listen" : "127.0.0.1:8888",
        // login and password for HTTP basic authentication
        // authentication is optional
        "login" : "api",
        "password" : "secret",
        // API key received from BitTorrent
        "api_key" : "xxx"
    }
}

METHODS

start_btsync

Launches a system command that starts the BitTorrent Sync program. Returns the full path to the BitTorrent Sync executable.

executable (required)

Specifies path to the BitTorrent Sync executable. Alternatively, you can start the process manually and call either set_config or set_listened_address.

config_file (required)

Specifies path to the config file path.

set_config

Parses the config file to get the listened address from. Alternatively, you can use set_listened_address.

returns the config JSON parsed to a Perl HashRef.

config_file (required)

Specifies path to the config file.

set_listened_address

Sets the listened address used to communicate with the BitTorrent Sync Process

address (required)

Specifies address that the process listens to, address should be represented as "[address]:[port]"

add_folder

Adds a folder to Sync. If a secret is not specified, it will be generated automatically. The folder will have to pre-exist on the disk and Sync will add it into a list of syncing folders. Returns '0' if no errors, error code and error message otherwise.

dir (required)

Specifies path to the sync folder

secret (optional)

Specifies folder secret

selective_sync (optional)

Specifies sync mode: selective - 1; all files (default) - 0

get_folders

Returns an array with folders info. If a secret is specified, will return info about the folder with this secret.

 [
     {
         dir      => "/path/to/dir/"
         secret   => "A54HDDMPN4T4BTBT7SPBWXDB7JVYZ2K6D",
         size     => 23762511569,
         type     => "read_write",
         files    => 3206,
         error    => 0,
         indexing => 0
     }
]

secret (optional)

If a secret is specified, will return info about the folder with this secret

remove_folder

Removes folder from Sync while leaving actual folder and files on disk. It will remove a folder from the Sync list of folders and does not touch any files or folders on disk. Returns '0' if no error, '1' if there’s no folder with specified secret.

secret (required)

Specifies folder secret

get_files

Returns list of files within the specified directory. If a directory is not specified, will return list of files and folders within the root folder. Note that the Selective Sync function is only available in the API at this time.

[
    {
        name  => "images",
        state => "created",
        type  => "folder"
    },
    {
        have_pieces  => 1,
        name         => "index.html",
        size         => 2726,
        state        => "created",
        total_pieces => 1,
        type         => "file",
        download     => 1 # only for selective sync folders
    }
]

secret (required)

path (optional)

Specifies path to a subfolder of the sync folder.

set_file_prefs

Selects file for download for selective sync folders. Returns file information with applied preferences.

secret (required)

path (required)

Specifies path to a subfolder of the sync folder.

download (required)

Specifies if file should be downloaded (yes - 1, no - 0)

get_folder_peers

Returns list of peers connected to the specified folder.

[
    {
        id         => "ARRdk5XANMb7RmQqEDfEZE-k5aI=",
        connection => "direct", # direct or relay
        name       => "GT-I9500",
        synced     => 0, # timestamp when last sync completed
        download   => 0,
        upload     => 22455367417
    }
]

secret (required)

get_secrets

Generates read-write, read-only and encryption read-only secrets. If ‘secret’ parameter is specified, will return secrets available for sharing under this secret. The Encryption Secret is new functionality. This is a secret for a read-only peer with encrypted content (the peer can sync files but can not see their content). One example use is if a user wanted to backup files to an untrusted, unsecure, or public location. This is set to disabled by default for all users but included in the API.

{
    read_only  => "ECK2S6MDDD7EOKKJZOQNOWDTJBEEUKGME",
    read_write => "DPFABC4IZX33WBDRXRPPCVYA353WSC3Q6",
    encryption => "G3PNU7KTYM63VNQZFPP3Q3GAMTPRWDEZ"
}

secret (required)

type (optional)

If type = encrypted, generate secret with support of encrypted peer

NOTE: there seems to be some contradiction in the documentation wrt to secret being required.

get_folder_prefs

Returns preferences for the specified sync folder.

{
    search_lan       => 1,
    use_dht          => 0,
    use_hosts        => 0,
    use_relay_server => 1,
    use_sync_trash   => 1,
    use_tracker      => 1
}

secret (required)

set_folder_prefs

Sets preferences for the specified sync folder. Parameters are the same as in ‘Get folder preferences’. Returns current settings.

secret (required)

preferences

A hashref containing the preferences you wish to change.

use_dht

use_hosts

search_lan

use_relay_server

use_tracker

use_sync_trash

get_folder_hosts

Returns list of predefined hosts for the folder, or error code if a secret is not specified.

{
    hosts => [
       "192.168.1.1:4567",
       "example.com:8975"
    ]
}

secret (required)

set_folder_hosts

Sets one or several predefined hosts for the specified sync folder. Existing list of hosts will be replaced. Hosts should be added as values of the ‘host’ parameter and separated by commas. Returns current hosts if set successfully, error code otherwise.

secret (required)

hosts (required)

List of hosts, each host should be represented as “[address]:[port]”

get_prefs

Returns BitTorrent Sync preferences. Contains dictionary with advanced preferences. Please see Sync user guide for description of each option.

{
    device_name                     => "iMac",
    disk_low_priority               => "true",
    download_limit                  => 0,
    folder_rescan_interval          => "600",
    lan_encrypt_data                => "true",
    lan_use_tcp                     => "false",
    lang                            => -1,
    listening_port                  => 11589,
    max_file_size_diff_for_patching => "1000",
    max_file_size_for_versioning    => "1000",
    rate_limit_local_peers          => "false",
    send_buf_size                   => "5",
    sync_max_time_diff              => "600",
    sync_trash_ttl                  => "30",
    upload_limit                    => 0,
    use_upnp                        => 0,
    recv_buf_size                   => "5"
}

set_prefs

Sets BitTorrent Sync preferences. Parameters are the same as in ‘Get preferences’. Advanced preferences are set as general settings. Returns current settings.

preferences (required)

A hashref (see get_prefs) containing the preferences you wish to change.

get_os

Returns OS name where BitTorrent Sync is running.

{
    os => "win32"
}

get_version

Returns BitTorrent Sync version.

{
    version => "1.2.48"
}

get_speed

Returns current upload and download speed.

{
    download => 61007,
    upload   => 0
}

shutdown

Gracefully stops Sync.

TODO

Not all methods are tested still

There's no way to make test this without a btsync executable in the path I would've liked to be able to test the module without having to force the user to conform to a precondition.

Also, the current documentation is lifted verbatim from the BitTorrent Sync one, there should be some more explanation on what does what on my side.

BUGS

Most likely. Patches, bug reports and other ideas are welcomed.

SEE ALSO

http://www.bittorrent.com/sync/developers/api

AUTHOR

Erez Schatz <erez@cpan.com>

LICENSE

Copyright (c) 2014 Erez Schatz. This implementation of the BitTorrent Sync API is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) Version 3 or later.

The BitTorrent Sync API itself, and the description text used in this module is:

Copyright (c) 2014 BitTorrent, Inc.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY

BECAUSE THIS SOFTWARE IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE SOFTWARE, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE SOFTWARE "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE SOFTWARE PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION.

IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE THE SOFTWARE AS PERMITTED BY THE ABOVE LICENSE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE SOFTWARE TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

cpanm Net::BitTorrentSync

perl -MCPAN -e shell
install Net::BitTorrentSync