FC21Top5
Deluge
This Python-based client has it all: A beautiful GTK+ interface, a configuration wizard, proxy support, and all the encryption you need to get started. But the real power comes from the plug-in support. There are dozens of plug-ins, ranging from a simple libtorrent logger to a powerful web interface. The client is light enough to give you speed on sluggish computers and the plug-in architecture is perfect for power users like myself who need all the features available.
OPTIONAL SIDEBOX For more on Deluge read the interview with the developers in Issue 1 of Full Circle Magazine
To install Deluge, use the `deluge-torrent` package in the `universe` repositories.
Transmission
http://www.transmissionbt.com/
If you don't like Deluge but still like GTK+ apps, try Transmission. While the interface isn't quite as pretty, it's every bit as lightweight and (if possible) even simpler than Deluge. It's also cross-platform, so if you want one consistent interface across platforms, Transmission is a great option. Like Deluge, it supports a web interface, proxy support, folder watching and all the encryption you may need. What really sets it apart is its excellent CLI interface.
Transmission is pre-installed on Ubuntu. If you need to install it on a Kubuntu or Xubuntu computer, though, you can use the package `transmission`. You can also just install the GUI or CLI versions with `transmission-gui` and `transmission-cli`.
Vuze (formerly known as Azureus)
http://azureus.sourceforge.net/
Vuze, formerly known by the more well-known name of Azureus, is a powerful Java-based torrent client. Begun back in 2003, Azureus' powerful interface became popular with all the platforms. It supports standard features, plus a torrent search (powered by the Vuze.com site, HD user-created video, proxies (including onion proxies like Tor) and a whole Vuze.com social network. Though the core client is still open source, it has come under some heavy fire for moving other parts of the project away from the GPL.
To install Vuze, use the `vuze` package in the `universe` repositories.
KTorrent
If you're a KDE user who likes torrents but dislikes GTK+ or Java, KTorrent is a great option. Bundled with Kubuntu, this app supports all the normal encryption and proxy, not to mention the basic downloading features most other torrent clients have. What really makes it stand out is its powerful KDE integration, from the Plasma widget to the amazing KDE 4 interface. It also sports multiple plug-ins, including RSS/Atom downloading, a web interface, download order for multi-file torrents and much more.
KTorrent is pre-installed on Kubuntu. All other distributions can install it using the `ktorrent` package in the `universe` repositories.
rTorrent
http://libtorrent.rakshasa.no/
No roundup of BitTorrent clients is complete without including rTorrent. It's a terminal-based client with a surprising amount of features, including keyboard shortcuts, queuing, sessions, pausing and resuming, encryption, and much more. It's also blazingly fast and only requires about 1.6MB of space. Compared to Azureus' 12.9MB, it's quite a bargain. There are also tons of GUI clients for it, including nTorrent (Java-based), wTorrent (wxWidgets-based), and rtGui and rTWi (web-based).
To install rTorrent, just use the `rtorrent` package in the `universe` repositories. At the time of this writing, none of the clients had made it into the Ubuntu repositories.
