# Install transmission-cli with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, pacman, scoop, zypper

Lightweight BitTorrent client. Version 4.1.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-30. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install transmission-cli.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:transmission-cli
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install transmission-cli
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

### Linux

- apk (92%):

```sh
sudo apk add transmission-cli
```

  Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: transmission-cli from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

- Debian apt (92%):

```sh
sudo apt install transmission-cli
```

  Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: transmission-cli from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

- dnf (92%):

```sh
sudo dnf install transmission-cli
```

  Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: transmission-cli from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst

- pacman (92%):

```sh
sudo pacman -S transmission-cli
```

  Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: transmission-cli from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

- zypper (92%):

```sh
sudo zypper install transmission-daemon
```

  Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: transmission-daemon from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst

### Windows

- Scoop (92%):

```sh
scoop install main/transmission-cli
```

  Evidence: Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/transmission-cli.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:transmission-cli
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 4.1.3
- **Source summary:** Lightweight BitTorrent client
- **Homepage:** <https://transmissionbt.com/>
- **Repository:** <https://github.com/transmission/transmission>
- **Last updated:** 2026-06-30T12:22:58Z
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- transmission-cli (alias)
- transmission-create (alias)
- transmission-daemon (alias)
- transmission-edit (alias)
- transmission-remote (alias)
- transmission-show (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 4.1.3
## Project history and usage

Transmission CLI is the command-line packaging surface of Transmission, a fast, lightweight, open-source BitTorrent client. The package exposes `transmission-daemon`, `transmission-remote`, and torrent utility commands for users who run Transmission on servers, NAS devices, routers, and other headless systems.

### Project history

Transmission presents itself as a multi-interface BitTorrent client: native macOS GUI, GTK and Qt clients, a Windows-compatible Qt GUI, a headless daemon, and a web UI. Its homepage emphasizes simple defaults, native integration, low resource use, and suitability for home NAS and media servers.

The CLI story has changed over time. The official README says `transmission-remote` is now the preferred CLI client, while the older standalone `transmission-cli` client is deprecated, limited to one torrent at a time, and kept primarily for older hardware that depends on it.

Transmission 4.0.0 was a major modernization release. The official release notes describe more than a year of work, over a thousand commits since 3.00, a migration from C90 to modern C++, a rewritten web client, stronger testing, BitTorrent v2 support, and better resource efficiency. Official releases continued into the 4.1 series, with 4.1.3 published in 2026.

### Adoption history

Transmission's adoption is tied to its reputation for low overhead and easy defaults. The official homepage says Ubuntu chose Transmission as its default BitTorrent client in part because of its easy learning curve, and it also states that Transmission has been used by Western Digital, Zyxel, and Belkin, supporting its role on embedded, NAS, and appliance-like hardware.

For command-line users, adoption centers on `transmission-daemon` plus `transmission-remote`. The headless documentation shows the daemon running in the background, exposing RPC on port 9091, and accepting commands for adding and removing torrents, listing downloads, showing session information, checking progress, and shutting the daemon down.

### How it is used

A typical headless workflow starts `transmission-daemon`, edits `~/.config/transmission-daemon/settings.json` while the daemon is stopped, then controls the session with `transmission-remote`. Users add magnet links or torrent files, list torrent IDs, stop or start selected torrents, remove items, inspect session info, and rely on the web UI or RPC protocol for remote control.

The package also includes utilities for working with torrent metadata: `transmission-show` examines `.torrent` files, `transmission-create` creates them, and `transmission-edit` edits them. Distribution packages may split these tools differently, which is why a CLI-specific package matters.

### Why package nerds care

For package nerds, Transmission CLI is the headless half of a well-known desktop BitTorrent client. It is the package you install on a server, seedbox, router, or NAS when a GUI is unnecessary but the same stable Transmission core and RPC ecosystem are desired.

It also has a packaging wrinkle: the historical `transmission-cli` executable is deprecated, but package names such as `transmission-cli` often remain because users actually want the daemon, remote controller, and helper tools bundled under that long-standing CLI package identity.

### Timeline

- Earlier CLI era: The standalone `transmission-cli` client was created before `transmission-remote` and later became deprecated.
- 3.00 era: The headless documentation examples show Transmission 3.00 daemon and RPC usage.
- 2023: Transmission 4.0.0 modernized the codebase, web client, testing, and BitTorrent feature support.
- 2026: Official releases list Transmission 4.1.3.

### Related projects

- Transmission CLI is part of the broader Transmission project alongside the macOS, GTK, Qt, Windows, daemon, web UI, RPC protocol, and torrent-metadata utility surfaces.

### Sources

- <https://api.github.com/repos/transmission/transmission/releases>
- <https://github.com/transmission/transmission#readme>
- <https://github.com/transmission/transmission/blob/main/docs/Headless-Usage.md>
- <https://github.com/transmission/transmission/blob/main/news/news-4.0.0.md>
- <https://transmissionbt.com/>


## Security Notes

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. formula declares a Homebrew service.

- **Geiger risk:** orange / medium
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
- formula declares a Homebrew service


## Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.


## Configuration files

- Linux: ~/.config/transmission-cli/settings.json, ~/.config/transmission-daemon/settings.json
- macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Transmission/settings.json, ~/Library/Preferences/org.m0k.transmission.plist
- Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%/transmission-daemon/settings.json, %LOCALAPPDATA%/transmission/settings.json
## Other Package-Manager Records

- Debian apt - transmission-cli - 4.1.0~beta2+dfsg-3+deb13u1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: transmission-cli from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | lightweight BitTorrent client (command line programs) | https://transmissionbt.com/
- Ubuntu apt - transmission-cli - 4.0.5-1build5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: transmission-cli from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | lightweight BitTorrent client (command line programs) | https://transmissionbt.com/
- apk - transmission-cli - 4.1.3-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: transmission-cli from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Lightweight GTK BitTorrent client (cli) | https://transmissionbt.com/
- dnf - transmission-cli - 4.1.3-1.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: transmission-cli from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Transmission command line implementation | http://www.transmissionbt.com
- pacman - transmission-cli - 4.1.3-2: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: transmission-cli from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Fast, easy, and free BitTorrent client (CLI tools, daemon and web client) | http://www.transmissionbt.com/
- Scoop - main/transmission-cli: normalized package name match | Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/transmission-cli.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Debian apt - transmission-daemon - 4.1.0~beta2+dfsg-3+deb13u1: installed executable or alias match | Debian stable package indexes: transmission-daemon from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | lightweight BitTorrent client (daemon) | https://transmissionbt.com/
- Ubuntu apt - transmission-daemon - 4.0.5-1build5: installed executable or alias match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: transmission-daemon from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | lightweight BitTorrent client (daemon) | https://transmissionbt.com/
- apk - transmission-daemon - 4.1.3-r0: installed executable or alias match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: transmission-daemon from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Lightweight GTK BitTorrent client (daemon and webinterface) | https://transmissionbt.com/
- apk - transmission-remote - 4.1.3-r0: installed executable or alias match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: transmission-remote from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Lightweight GTK BitTorrent client (remote client) | https://transmissionbt.com/
- dnf - transmission-daemon - 4.1.3-1.fc45: installed executable or alias match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: transmission-daemon from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Transmission daemon | http://www.transmissionbt.com
- zypper - transmission-daemon - 4.1.3-1.3: installed executable or alias match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: transmission-daemon from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst | Daemon for the "transmission" BitTorrent client | https://www.transmissionbt.com/


## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/transmission-cli.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/transmission-cli.yml)


## Sources

- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph