updated directory structure to fix root Service Worker issues and performance improvements

2025-09-08 23:18:43 +00:00 · 2025-02-05 16:54:40 -05:00
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+# Frequently Asked Questions
+
+## What is WebTorrent?
+
+**WebTorrent** is the first torrent client that works in the **browser**. YEP,
+THAT'S RIGHT. THE BROWSER.
+
+It's written completely in JavaScript – the language of the web – and uses
+**WebRTC** for true peer-to-peer transport. No browser plugin, extension, or
+installation is required.
+
+Using open web standards, WebTorrent connects website users together to form a
+distributed, decentralized browser-to-browser network for efficient file transfer.
+
+## Why is this cool?
+
+Imagine a video site like YouTube, where **visitors help to host the site's
+content**. The more people that use a WebTorrent-powered website, the faster and
+more resilient it becomes.
+
+Browser-to-browser communication **cuts out the middle-man** and lets people
+communicate on their own terms. No more client/server – just a network of peers,
+all equal. WebTorrent is the first step in the journey to
+[redecentralize][redecentralize] the Web.
+
+> The way we code the Web will determine the way we live online. So we need to bake
+> our values into our code. Freedom of expression needs to be baked into our code.
+> Privacy should be baked into our code. Universal access to all knowledge. But
+> right now, those values are not embedded in the Web.
+>
+> <cite>— Brewster Kahle, Founder of the Internet Archive (from [Locking the Web Open][brewster])
+
+## What are some use cases for WebTorrent?
+
+One of the most exciting uses for WebTorrent is **peer-assisted delivery**.
+Non-profit projects like [Wikipedia][wikipedia] and the [Internet
+Archive][archive] could reduce bandwidth and hosting costs by letting visitors
+chip in. Popular content is served browser-to-browser, quickly and cheaply.
+Rarely-accessed content is served reliably over HTTP from the origin server.
+
+There are also exciting **business use cases**, from CDNs to app delivery.
+
+> WebTorrent has significant business potential to radically change the traditional
+> notion of client-server, with applications for internal infrastructure and
+> external closed user communications. WebTorrent has moved from an “idea” to a
+> science experiment to now on the edge of being viable. This is like really,
+> seriously cool.
+>
+> <cite>— Chris Kranky (from ["WebTorrent: Rethinking Delivery"][kranky-article])</cite>
+
+[wikipedia]: https://www.wikipedia.org/
+[archive]: https://archive.org/index.php
+[kranky-article]: https://www.chriskranky.com/webtorrent-rethinking-delivery/
+[redecentralize]: http://redecentralize.org/about/
+[brewster]: https://blog.archive.org/2015/02/11/locking-the-web-open-a-call-for-a-distributed-web/
+
+## Who is using WebTorrent today?
+
+WebTorrent is still pretty new, but it's already being used in cool ways:
+
+- **[WebTorrent Desktop][webtorrent-desktop]** - Streaming torrent app. For Mac, Windows, and Linux. ([source code][webtorrent-desktop-source])
+- **[Wormhole][wormhole]** – Simple, private file sharing (built by the WebTorrent team)
+- **[Instant.io][instant.io]** – Streaming file transfer over WebTorrent ([source code][instant.io-source])
+- **[GitTorrent][gittorrent]** - Decentralized GitHub using BitTorrent and Bitcoin ([source code][gittorrent-source])
+- **[File.pizza][filepizza]** - Free peer-to-peer file transfers in your browser ([source code][filepizza-source])
+- **[Webtorrentapp][webtorrentapp]** – Platform for launching web apps from torrents
+- **[Fastcast][fastcast]** – Gallery site with some videos ([source code][fastcast-source])
+- **[Tokenly Pockets][pockets]** - Digital token issuance with WebTorrent-based metadata ([source code][pockets-source])
+- **[βTorrent][btorrent]** - Fully-featured browser WebTorrent client ([source code][btorrent-source])
+- **[PeerWeb][peerweb]** - Fetch and render a static website from a torrent
+- **[YouShark][youshark]** - Web music player for WebTorrent ([source code][youshark-source])
+- **[Twister][twister]** - Decentralized microblogging service, using WebTorrent for media attachments ([source code][twister-source])
+- **[PeerTube][peertube]** - Prototype of a decentralized video streaming platform in the web browser ([source code][peertube-source])
+- **[webtorrent-cljs][webtorrent-cljs]** - Clojurescript wrapper for WebTorrent
+- **[Squidlink][squidlink]** - Transfer files from A to B without the Cloud ([source code][squidlink-source])
+- **[Web2web][web2web]** - Server-less & domain-less websites updatable via torrents and bitcoin blockchain ([source code][web2web-source])
+- **[Magnet Player][magnet-player]** - Stream video torrents directly from your browser ([source code][magnet-player-source])
+- **[PeerFast][peerfast]** - First P2P Internet Speed Test ([source code][peerfast-source])
+- **[TorrentMedia][torrentmedia]** - Fully-featured desktop WebTorrent client
+- **[Gaia 3D Star Map][gaia]** - 2 million stars, rendered in 3D with WebGL, WebVR, and WebTorrent
+- **[Watchtor][watchtor]** - A minimalistic approach for online torrent watching ([source code][watchtor-source])
+- **[FileMap][filemap]** - Share files by pinning them to geographic locations
+- **[WebTorrent Google Cast (WTGC)][wtgc]** - Play WebTorrent media on Google Cast devices ([source code][wtgc-source])
+- **[CodeDump][codedump]** - A WebTorrent based code pastebin ([source code][codedump-source])
+- **[Lunik-Torrent][lunik-torrent]** - WebTorrent downloader and file manager. ([source code][lunik-torrent-source])
+- **[BitChute][bitchute]** - A decentralized video streaming social network
+- **[Planktos][planktos]** - Enables websites to serve their static content over BitTorrent ([source code][planktos-source])
+- **[P2P-CDN][p2pcdn]** - WebTorrent CDN with graceful degradation
+- **[PearPlayer][PearPlayer]** - A WebTorrent based multi-source and multi-protocol P2P streaming media player
+- **[Tcloud][tcloud]** - File sharing and torrent downloading
+- **[Webtorrent-webui][webtorrent-webui]** - A WebTorrent client with a simple web interface for easy remote usage
+- **[CineTimes][cinetimes]** - A streaming website of public domain movies
+- **[Bitlove.org][bitlove]** - Your favorite podcasts via BitTorrent
+- **[Live-torrent][live-torrent]** - Simple implementation of a webtorrent powered live streaming solution ([source code][live-torrent-source])
+- **[CDNBye][CDNBye]** - CDNBye implements WebRTC datachannel to scale live/vod video streaming by peer-to-peer network using bittorrent-like protocol.
+- **[Files.fm][Files.fm]** - a fast file sharing and freemium cloud storage service that uses P2P technology to accelerate unlimited downloads and file distribution.
+- **[imgest][imgest]** - Serverless shareable image gallery built with JavaScript and WebTorrent.
+- **[Bugout][Bugout]** - build and run back-end web services in a browser tab.
+- **[P2P Media Loader][p2p-media-loader]** - engine for Hls.js and Shaka Player that enables P2P sharing of live and VOD streams over HLS or DASH protocols.
+- **[Hubzilla][hubzilla]** - WebTorrent player integration into posts ([source code][hubzilla-source])
+- **[Come Over][comeover]** - Video stream sharing to watch movies together ([source code][comeover-source])
+- **[PeerWebSite][peerwebsite]** - Peer to Peer Web Site hosting at your fingertips! Send full featured HTML (incl. CSS, JS) sites from your browser and attach files eg. videos, images, etc.
+- **[CipherTorrent][cipher-torrent]** - Online and offline browser torrent client ([source code][cipher-torrent-source])
+- **[Slingcode][Slingcode]** - make, run, and share web apps P2P in the browser.
+- **[Torrent🧲Parts][TorrentParts]** - A website to inspect and edit what's in your Torrent file or Magnet link
+- **[Live On Torrent][liveontorrent]** - A free plataform to live streaming on browser.
+- **[WebTorrentPlayer][webtorrentplayer]** - High performance, no compromise video player for WebTorrent ([source code][webtorrentplayer-source])
+- **[Storm][storm]** - A beautiful torrent client for desktop.
+- **[atorable-loader][atorable-loader-source]** - Resolves Webpack import/require() of a file into a Webtorrent magnet uri.
+- **[atorable-react][atorable-react]** - React component that processes a Webtorrent magnet uri for viewing or other custom uses. ([source code][atorable-react-source])
+- **[Iris][iris-messenger]** - Decentralized social networking application. ([source code][iris-messenger-source])
+- **[Miru][miru-source]** - Stream anime torrents, real-time with no waiting for downloads. ([source code][miru-source])
+- **[Haven Torrent Client][haven-torrent-client]** - Simple and Fast Torrent Client for the web. ([source code][haven-torrent-client-source])
+- **[CrawFish][CrawFish]** - Desktop/Web/Server torrent client, with streaming support and integrated search (Works in docker, windows and has a WebUI that can be accessed by remote). ([source code][CrawFish-source])
+- **[Niwder][Niwder]** - Web based platform to transfer torrents to Mega.nz and Google Drive on the cloud. ([source code][Niwder-source])
+- **[Chitchatter][Chitchatter]** - A peer-to-peer chat app that is serverless, decentralized, and ephemeral. Uses WebTorrent to initiate peer connections. ([source code][Chitchatter-source])
+- **[P2PFileShare][P2PFileShare]** - A peer-to-peer file-sharing app that allows users to send and receive files directly from your browser.
+- **_Your app here – [Send a pull request][pr] with your URL!_**
+  <!-- - **[PeerCloud][peercloud]** - Serverless websites via WebTorrent ([source code][peercloud-source]) -->
+  <!-- - **[Niagara][niagara]** - Video player webtorrent with subtitles (zipped .srt(s)) -->
+  <!-- - **[Vique][vique]** - Video player queue to share videos -->
+
+#### WebTorrent Product Alternatives
+
+There's also a list of WebTorrent-powered alternatives to centralized services here: [WebTorrent Product Clones][webtorrent-clones]
+
+[webtorrent-clones]: https://github.com/DiegoRBaquero/awesome-webtorrent-clones
+[webtorrent-desktop]: https://webtorrent.io/desktop
+[webtorrent-desktop-source]: https://github.com/webtorrent/webtorrent-desktop
+[wormhole]: https://wormhole.app
+[instant.io-source]: https://github.com/webtorrent/instant.io
+[gittorrent]: http://blog.printf.net/articles/2015/05/29/announcing-gittorrent-a-decentralized-github/
+[gittorrent-source]: https://github.com/cjb/GitTorrent
+[filepizza]: http://file.pizza/
+[filepizza-source]: https://github.com/kern/filepizza
+[peercloud]: https://peercloud.io/
+[peercloud-source]: https://github.com/jhiesey/peercloud
+[webtorrentapp]: https://github.com/alexeisavca/webtorrentapp
+[fastcast]: http://fastcast.nz
+[fastcast-source]: https://github.com/fastcast/fastcast
+[pockets]: https://tokenly.com/
+[pockets-source]: https://github.com/loon3/Tokenly-Pockets
+[btorrent]: https://btorrent.xyz
+[btorrent-source]: https://github.com/DiegoRBaquero/bTorrent
+[peerweb]: https://github.com/retrohacker/peerweb.js
+[niagara]: https://andreapaiola.name/niagara/
+[vique]: https://andreapaiola.name/vique/
+[youshark]: http://youshark.neocities.org/
+[youshark-source]: https://github.com/enorrmann/youshark
+[twister]: http://twister.net.co/?p=589
+[twister-source]: https://github.com/miguelfreitas/twister-html
+[peertube]: http://peertube.cpy.re
+[peertube-source]: https://github.com/Chocobozzz/PeerTube
+[webtorrent-cljs]: https://github.com/cvillecsteele/webtorrent-cljs
+[squidlink]: http://squidl.ink
+[squidlink-source]: https://github.com/darkenvy/Squidl.ink
+[web2web]: https://elendirx.github.io/web2web
+[web2web-source]: https://github.com/elendirx/web2web
+[magnet-player]: https://ferrolho.github.io/magnet-player/
+[magnet-player-source]: https://github.com/ferrolho/magnet-player/
+[peerfast]: https://diegorbaquero.github.io/PeerFast/#
+[peerfast-source]: https://github.com/DiegoRBaquero/PeerFast
+[torrentmedia]: https://github.com/FaCuZ/torrentmedia
+[gaia]: http://charliehoey.com/threejs-demos/gaia_dr1.html
+[watchtor]: https://open-watchtor.hashbase.io
+[watchtor-source]: https://github.com/codealchemist/watchtor
+[filemap]: https://filemap.xyz
+[wtgc]: https://wtgc.firebaseapp.com
+[wtgc-source]: https://github.com/FluorescentHallucinogen/webtorrent-googlecast
+[codedump]: http://ronsoros.github.io
+[codedump-source]: https://github.com/ronsoros/ronsoros.github.io/blob/master/index.html
+[lunik-torrent]: https://tcloud-lunik.herokuapp.com
+[lunik-torrent-source]: https://github.com/Lunik/Lunik-Torrent
+[bitchute]: https://www.bitchute.com
+[planktos]: https://xuset.github.io/planktos/
+[planktos-source]: https://github.com/xuset/planktos
+[p2pcdn]: https://github.com/andreapaiola/P2P-CDN
+[PearPlayer]: https://github.com/PearInc/PearPlayer.js
+[tcloud]: https://github.com/Lunik/tcloud
+[webtorrent-webui]: https://github.com/pldubouilh/webtorrent-webui
+[cinetimes]: http://cinetimes.org/
+[bitlove]: https://bitlove.org/
+[live-torrent]: https://live.computer
+[live-torrent-source]: https://github.com/pldubouilh/live-torrent
+[CDNBye]: https://github.com/cdnbye/hlsjs-p2p-engine
+[Files.fm]: https://files.fm
+[imgest]: https://imgest.hashbase.io
+[Bugout]: https://github.com/chr15m/bugout
+[Slingcode]: https://github.com/chr15m/slingcode
+[p2p-media-loader]: https://github.com/novage/p2p-media-loader
+[hubzilla]: https://hubzilla.org
+[hubzilla-source]: https://github.com/demitas-ace/wtplayer/tree/master/wtplayer
+[comeover]: https://luccadoret.github.io/comeover/home
+[comeover-source]: https://github.com/LucCADORET/comeover
+[peerwebsite]: https://peerweb.site
+[cipher-torrent]: https://torrent.cipherdogs.net
+[cipher-torrent-source]: https://github.com/CipherDogs/cipher-torrent
+[TorrentParts]: https://torrent.parts
+[liveontorrent]: https://www.weboscoder.com/liveontorrent/
+[webtorrentplayer]: https://thaunknown.github.io/webtorrent-player/
+[webtorrentplayer-source]: https://github.com/ThaUnknown/webtorrent-player
+[storm]: https://github.com/nuzzesick/storm-desktop
+[atorable-loader-source]: https://github.com/Atorable/atorable-loader
+[atorable-react]: https://atorable.github.io/atorable-react/
+[atorable-react-source]: https://github.com/Atorable/atorable-react
+[iris-messenger]: https://iris.to
+[iris-messenger-source]: https://github.com/irislib/iris-messenger
+[CrawFish]: https://github.com/drakonkat/crawfish/blob/main/README.md
+[CrawFish-source]: https://github.com/drakonkat/crawfish
+[miru-source]: https://github.com/ThaUnknown/miru
+[haven-torrent-client]: https://haven.pages.dev/torrent-client/public/
+[haven-torrent-client-source]: https://github.com/ThaUnknown/pwa-haven/tree/main/torrent-client
+[Niwder]: https://niwder.niweera.gq
+[Niwder-source]: https://github.com/Niweera/niwder
+[Chitchatter]: https://chitchatter.im/
+[Chitchatter-source]: https://github.com/jeremyckahn/chitchatter
+[P2PFileShare]: https://p2pfileshare.com
+
+## How does WebTorrent work?
+
+The WebTorrent protocol works just like [BitTorrent protocol][bittorrent-protocol],
+except it uses [WebRTC][webrtc] instead of [TCP][tcp]/[uTP][utp] as the transport
+protocol.
+
+In order to support [WebRTC's connection model][webrtc-signaling], we made a few
+changes to the tracker protocol. Therefore, a browser-based WebTorrent client or
+**"web peer"** can only connect to other clients that support WebTorrent/WebRTC.
+
+The protocol changes we made will be published as a
+[BEP](http://www.bittorrent.org/beps/bep_0001.html). Until a spec is written, you
+can view the source code of the [`bittorrent-tracker`][bittorrent-tracker] package.
+
+Once peers are connected, the wire protocol used to communicate is exactly the same
+as in normal BitTorrent. This should make it easy for existing popular torrent
+clients like Transmission, and uTorrent to add support for WebTorrent. **Vuze**
+[already has support][vuze-support] for WebTorrent!
+
+![WebTorrent network diagram](https://webtorrent.io/img/network.png)
+
+[bittorrent-protocol]: https://wiki.theory.org/BitTorrentSpecification
+[webrtc-signaling]: http://www.html5rocks.com/en/tutorials/webrtc/infrastructure/#what-is-signaling
+[tcp]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmission_Control_Protocol
+[utp]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_Transport_Protocol
+[webrtc]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebRTC
+[bittorrent-tracker]: https://npmjs.com/package/bittorrent-tracker
+[vuze-support]: https://wiki.vuze.com/w/WebTorrent
+
+## How do I get started?
+
+To start using WebTorrent, simply include the
+[`webtorrent.min.js`](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/webtorrent@latest/webtorrent.min.js)
+script on your page. If you use [browserify](http://browserify.org/) or [webpack](https://webpack.js.org/), you can
+`npm install webtorrent` and `import WebTorrent from 'webtorrent'`.
+
+It's easy to download a torrent and add it to the page.
+
+```js
+const client = new WebTorrent();
+
+const torrentId =
+  "magnet:?xt=urn:btih:08ada5a7a6183aae1e09d831df6748d566095a10&dn=Sintel&tr=udp%3A%2F%2Fexplodie.org%3A6969&tr=udp%3A%2F%2Ftracker.coppersurfer.tk%3A6969&tr=udp%3A%2F%2Ftracker.empire-js.us%3A1337&tr=udp%3A%2F%2Ftracker.leechers-paradise.org%3A6969&tr=udp%3A%2F%2Ftracker.opentrackr.org%3A1337&tr=wss%3A%2F%2Ftracker.btorrent.xyz&tr=wss%3A%2F%2Ftracker.fastcast.nz&tr=wss%3A%2F%2Ftracker.openwebtorrent.com&ws=https%3A%2F%2Fwebtorrent.io%2Ftorrents%2F&xs=https%3A%2F%2Fwebtorrent.io%2Ftorrents%2Fsintel.torrent";
+
+// see tutorials.md for a full example of streaming media using service workers
+navigator.serviceWorker.register("sw.min.js");
+const controller = await navigator.serviceWorker.ready;
+client.createServer({ controller });
+
+client.add(torrentId, (torrent) => {
+  // Torrents can contain many files. Let's use the .mp4 file
+  const file = torrent.files.find((file) => {
+    return file.name.endsWith(".mp4");
+  });
+  file.streamTo(document.querySelector("video")); // append the file to the DOM
+});
+```
+
+This supports video, audio, images, PDFs, Markdown, [and more][render-media], right
+out of the box. There are additional ways to access file content directly, including
+as a node-style stream, Buffer, or Blob URL.
+
+Video and audio content can be streamed, i.e. playback will start before the full
+file is downloaded. Seeking works too – WebTorrent dynamically fetches
+the needed torrent pieces from the network on-demand.
+
+## What is WebRTC?
+
+WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) is an API defined by the World Wide Web
+Consortium (W3C) to support browser-to-browser applications like voice calling,
+video chat, and P2P file sharing without the need for browser plugins.
+
+WebRTC's `RTCDataChannel` API allows the transfer of data directly from one browser
+to another. This is distinct from `WebSocket` and `XMLHttpRequest` because these are
+designed for communication to/from a server, i.e. a client-server model. Data
+Channels allow for **direct browser-to-browser connections**.
+
+This is revolutionary. Never before could websites connect their users directly to
+each other with super low-latency, encrypted, peer-to-peer connections. This will
+enable next-generation applications in healthcare, education, science, and more.
+WebTorrent is just one example.
+
+WebRTC [works everywhere][webrtc-everywhere], and browser support is excellent.
+**Chrome**, **Firefox**, and **Opera** for Desktop and Android, as well as
+**Microsoft Edge** and **Safari** have support.
+
+You can learn more about WebRTC data channels at [HTML5Rocks][datachannel-intro].
+
+[webrtc-everywhere]: https://speakerdeck.com/feross/webrtc-everywhere-beyond-the-browser-at-data-terra-nemo-2015
+[datachannel-intro]: http://www.html5rocks.com/en/tutorials/webrtc/datachannels/
+
+## Can WebTorrent clients connect to normal BitTorrent clients?
+
+In the browser, WebTorrent can only download torrents that are seeded by a
+WebRTC-capable torrent client.
+
+Right now, we know of these WebRTC-capable torrent clients:
+
+- **[WebTorrent Desktop][webtorrent-desktop]** - Open source streaming torrent client. For Mac, Windows, and Linux.
+- **[Vuze][vuze-support]** - Powerful, full-featured torrent client
+- **[Playback][playback]** - Open source JavaScript video player **(super cool!)**
+- **[`webtorrent-hybrid`][webtorrent-hybrid]** - Node.js package (command line and API)
+- **[Instant.io][instant.io]** - Simple WebTorrent client in a website
+- **[βTorrent][btorrent]** - Fully-featured browser WebTorrent client ([source code][btorrent-source])
+- **[TorrentMedia][torrentmedia]** - Desktop WebTorrent client
+- _More coming soon – [Send a PR][pr] to add your client to the list!_
+
+### A bit more about `webtorrent-hybrid`
+
+In node.js, `webtorrent-hybrid` can download torrents from WebRTC peers or TCP peers
+(i.e. normal peers). You can use WebTorrent as a command line program, or
+programmatically as a node.js package.
+
+To install `webtorrent-hybrid` run the following command in your terminal (add the
+`-g` flag to install the command line program, omit it to install locally):
+
+```
+npm install webtorrent-hybrid -g
+```
+
+Note: If you just need to use WebTorrent in the browser (where WebRTC is available
+natively) then use [`webtorrent`][webtorrent] instead, which is faster to install
+because it won't need to install a WebRTC implementation.
+
+## Can WebTorrent clients on different websites connect to each other?
+
+Yes! **WebTorrent works across the entire web.** WebTorrent clients running on one
+domain can connect to clients on any other domain. No silos!
+
+The same-origin policy does not apply to WebRTC connections since they are not
+client-to-server. Browser-to-browser connections require the cooperation of both
+websites (i.e. the WebTorrent script must be present on both sites).
+
+## Who builds WebTorrent?
+
+WebTorrent is built by [Feross Aboukhadijeh][feross] and hundreds of open source
+contributors. The WebTorrent project is managed by
+[WebTorrent, LLC][webtorrent-io], as a non-profit project.
+
+Feross's other projects include [JavaScript Standard Style][standard],
+[PeerCDN][peercdn] (sold to Yahoo), [Study Notes][studynotes], and
+[YouTube Instant][ytinstant].
+
+In the past, Feross attended [Stanford University][stanford], did research in the
+[Stanford Human-Computer Interaction][hci] and [Computer Security][seclab] labs,
+and worked at [Quora][quora], [Facebook][facebook], and [Intel][intel].
+
+[standard]: http://standardjs.com/
+[studynotes]: https://www.apstudynotes.org/
+[ytinstant]: http://ytinstant.com/
+[stanford]: http://www.stanford.edu/
+[hci]: http://hci.stanford.edu/
+[seclab]: http://seclab.stanford.edu/
+[quora]: https://www.quora.com/
+[facebook]: https://www.facebook.com/
+[intel]: http://intel.com/
+
+## What is WebTorrent, LLC?
+
+"WebTorrent, LLC" is the legal entity that owns WebTorrent. WebTorrent is, and
+always will be, **non-profit, open source, and free software**.
+
+There are no plans to make a profit from WebTorrent.
+
+## How is WebTorrent different from PeerCDN?
+
+[PeerCDN][peercdn] was a next-generation CDN powered by WebRTC for efficient
+peer-to-peer delivery of website content. PeerCDN was founded by
+[Feross Aboukhadijeh][feross], [Abi Raja][abi], and [John Hiesey][jhiesey] in
+March 2013 and was sold to [Yahoo][yahoo] in December 2013.
+
+WebTorrent is an independent project started by [Feross Aboukhadijeh][feross] in
+October 2013. Unlike PeerCDN, **WebTorrent is free software**, licensed under the
+[MIT License][license]. You're free to use it however you like!
+
+> "Free software" is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you
+> should think of "free" as in "free speech," not as in "free beer."
+>
+> <cite>— Richard Stallman, software freedom activist</cite>
+
+On a technical level, PeerCDN and WebTorrent were built with different goals in
+mind. PeerCDN was optimized for low-latency downloads and fast peer discovery. This
+meant the client and site owner trusted centralized servers to map file URLs to
+content hashes.
+
+WebTorrent, on the other hand, doesn't require clients to trust a centralized
+server. Given a `.torrent` file or magnet link, the WebTorrent client downloads the
+file without trusting servers or peers at any point.
+
+[feross]: http://feross.org/
+[abi]: http://abiraja.com/
+[jhiesey]: https://github.com/jhiesey
+[yahoo]: https://www.yahoo.com/
+
+## How can I contribute?
+
+WebTorrent is an **OPEN Open Source Project**. Individuals who make significant and
+valuable contributions are given commit access to the project to contribute as they
+see fit. (See the full [contributor guidelines][contributing].)
+
+There are many ways to help out!
+
+- Report bugs by [creating a GitHub issue][issues].
+- Write code to [fix an open issue][open-issues].
+
+If you're looking for help getting started, come join us in [Gitter][gitter] or on
+IRC at `#webtorrent` (freenode) and how you can get started.
+
+[open-issues]: https://github.com/webtorrent/webtorrent/issues?state=open
+[contributing]: https://github.com/webtorrent/.github/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md
+
+## Where can I learn more?
+
+There are many talks online about WebTorrent. Here are a few:
+
+### Intro to BitTorrent and WebTorrent (JSConf)
+
+<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kxHRATfvnlw?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+
+### WebRTC Everywhere: Beyond the Browser (slides only)
+
+<script async class="speakerdeck-embed" data-id="cb08869f2ac2445c99e8b73a4ac65d2b" data-ratio="1.77777777777778" src="//speakerdeck.com/assets/embed.js"></script>
+
+## WebTorrent supports sequential streaming. How does this affect the network?
+
+BitTorrent clients select which file pieces to download using an algorithm called
+"rarest-first". With every peer in the system trying to download the rarest pieces
+first, on average most pieces will have approximately the same availability in the
+network.
+
+In practice, the rarest-first algorithm is most important on poorly-seeded
+torrents, or in the first few hours of a torrent being published (when the ratio of
+seeders to leechers is bad).
+
+Most torrent clients support features that cause it to deviate from a pure rarest-
+first selection algorithm. For example, the ability to select/deselect or
+prioritize/deprioritize certain files in the torrent.
+
+WebTorrent supports streaming a torrent file "in order", which is useful for
+playing back media files. We’re working on improving the algorithm to switch back
+to a rarest-first strategy when there is not a high-priority need for specific
+pieces. In other words, when sufficient media is buffered, we can use the normal
+"rarest-first" piece selection algorithm.
+
+But the fact is that with the speed of today’s internet connections, the user is
+going to finish fully downloading the torrent in a fraction of the time it takes to
+consume it, so they will still spend more time seeding than downloading.
+
+Also note: BitTorrent Inc.'s official torrent client, uTorrent, offers sequential
+downloading, as well as selective file downloading, and the BitTorrent network
+remains very healthy.
+
+## Why wasn't WebTorrent designed as an entirely-new, modern protocol?
+
+BitTorrent is the most successful, most widely-deployed P2P protocol in existence.
+It works really well. Our goal with WebTorrent was to bring BitTorrent to the web
+in a way that interoperates with the existing torrent network.
+
+Re-inventing the protocol would have made WebTorrent fundamentally incompatible
+with existing clients and prevented adoption. The way we've done it is better. The
+wire protocol is exactly the same, but there's now a new way to connect to peers:
+WebRTC, in addition to the existing TCP and uTP.
+
+Also, re-inventing the protocol is a huge rabbit hole. There was already a lot of
+risk when we started the project -- will WebRTC get adopted by all the browser
+vendors? Will the Data Channel implementation stabilize and be performant? Is
+JavaScript fast enough to re-package MP4 videos on-the-fly for streaming playback
+with the MediaSource API? Our thinking was: Why add inventing a new wire protocol
+and several algorithms to the table?
+
+It's true that the BitTorrent protocol is dated in some ways. For example, it uses
+it's own strange data encoding called "bencoding". If it were invented today, it
+would probably just use JSON or MessagePack. But, this doesn't matter -- BitTorrent
+works really well, and we care more about building robust and useful software than
+conceptual purity or the latest software fashions.
+
+## Is it possible to do live streaming with WebTorrent?
+
+WebTorrent cannot do live streaming out-of-the-box, however you can build a live
+streaming solution on top of WebTorrent.
+
+Torrents are immutable. That means that once a torrent file is created, it cannot
+be changed without changing the info hash. So, how could one get around this
+limitation?
+
+A naive approach would be this: The content producer could take every 10 seconds of
+live content and create a torrent for it. Viewers would follow this "feed" of
+torrent files (or info hashes) and download the content sequentially. Streamers
+would be around 10-20 seconds behind the live stream.
+
+This approach can definitely be improved, though! Why not give that a shot yourself
+and share the code?
+
+## Does WebTorrent leak your IP address when using a VPN? I heard that WebRTC leaks your IP address.
+
+No.
+
+WebRTC data channels do not allow a website to discover your public IP address when
+there is a VPN in use. The WebRTC discovery process will just find your VPN's IP
+address and the local network IP address.
+
+Local IP addresses (e.g. 10.x.x.x or 192.168.x.x) can potentially be used to
+"fingerprint" your browser and identify across different sites that you visit,
+like a third-party tracking cookie. However, this is a separate issue than exposing
+your real public IP address, and it's worth noting that the browser already
+provides hundreds of vectors for fingerprinting you
+(e.g. your installed fonts, screen resolution, browser window size, OS version,
+language, etc.).
+
+If you have a VPN enabled, then WebRTC data channels will not connect to peers
+using your true public IP address, nor will it be revealed to the JavaScript running
+on the webpage.
+
+At one point in time, WebRTC did have an issue where it would allow a website
+to discover your true public IP address, but this was fixed a long time ago. This
+unfortunate misinformation keeps bouncing around the internet.
+
+There's now a spec that defines exactly which IP addresses are exposed with WebRTC.
+If you're interested in further reading, you can read the
+[IP handling spec](https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-rtcweb-ip-handling-01)
+for yourself.
+
+# Troubleshooting
+
+## Why does browser downloading not work? I see no peers!
+
+It does work! But you can't just use any random magnet uri or `.torrent` file. The
+torrent must be seeded by a WebRTC-capable client, i.e.
+[WebTorrent Desktop][webtorrent-desktop], [Vuze][vuze-support],
+[webtorrent-hybrid][webtorrent-hybrid], [Playback][playback],
+[instant.io][instant.io], or [βTorrent][btorrent].
+
+In the browser, WebTorrent can only download torrents that are explicitly seeded to
+web peers via a WebRTC-capable client. Desktop torrent clients need to support
+WebRTC to connect to web browsers.
+
+## Why does video/audio streaming not work?
+
+Streaming support depends on support for `MediaSource` API in the browser. All
+modern browsers have `MediaSource` support. In Firefox, support was added in
+Firefox 42 (i.e. Firefox Nightly).
+
+[Many file types][render-media] are supported (again, depending on browser support),
+but only `.mp4`, `.m4v`, and `.m4a` have full support, including seeking.
+
+To support video/audio streaming of arbitrary files, WebTorrent uses the
+[`videostream`][videostream] package, which in turn uses [`mp4box.js`][mp4box.js].
+If you think there may be a bug in one of these packages, please file an issue on
+the respective repository.
+
+[videostream]: https://npmjs.com/package/videostream
+[mp4box.js]: https://github.com/gpac/mp4box.js
+
+## Got more questions?
+
+Open an issue on the WebTorrent [issue tracker][issues], or join us in
+[Gitter][gitter] or on IRC at `#webtorrent` (freenode).
+
+[webtorrent-io]: https://webtorrent.io
+[render-media]: https://github.com/feross/render-media/blob/master/index.js
+[gitter]: https://gitter.im/webtorrent/webtorrent
+[instant.io]: https://instant.io
+[issues]: https://github.com/webtorrent/webtorrent/issues
+[license]: https://github.com/webtorrent/webtorrent/blob/master/LICENSE
+[peercdn]: http://www.peercdn.com/
+[playback]: https://mafintosh.github.io/playback/
+[pr]: https://github.com/webtorrent/webtorrent
+[webtorrent-hybrid]: https://npmjs.com/package/webtorrent-hybrid
+[webtorrent]: https://npmjs.com/package/webtorrent