Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install btfs with Homebrew, apk, apt, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper

BitTorrent filesystem based on FUSE. Version 3.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install btfs

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install btfs

MacPorts ports tree · fuse/btfs/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add btfs

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · btfs · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install btfs

Debian stable package indexes · btfs · source: deb.debian.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#btfs

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/bt/btfs/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S btfs

Arch Linux sync databases · btfs · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install btfs

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · btfs · source: download.opensuse.org

overview

Package summary

BitTorrent filesystem based on FUSE

Commands and aliases

  • btfs
  • btfsstat
  • btplay

history

Project history and usage

BTFS is a FUSE filesystem that mounts a .torrent file or magnet link as a read-only directory. Files are downloaded on demand as applications read them, so ordinary tools like ls, cat, cp, VLC, and mplayer can operate on torrent contents through the filesystem.

Project history

Johan Gunnarsson's btfs repository starts in July 2015 and tagged v2.0 the next day. The project combines libtorrent-rasterbar with FUSE to expose BitTorrent content as a normal file tree.

The project continued as a small but portable Unix tool and reached v3.0 in May 2025 with a port to libfuse 3.x, followed by v3.1.

Adoption history

BTFS is packaged unusually widely for a niche FUSE utility. The official README includes install commands for Debian/Ubuntu, Arch Linux, Gentoo, Fedora, Fedora OSTree, openSUSE, and macOS via Homebrew.

The input also records packaging across Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, Debian, Ubuntu, Alpine, Arch, and zypper ecosystems, showing that the tool became a standard package-manager object despite its specialized torrent-filesystem use case.

How it is used

A typical session creates a mount directory, mounts a torrent or magnet link with btfs, changes into the mounted directory, and opens media or copies files normally. The mount is read-only and content is fetched on demand as the kernel asks the FUSE filesystem for file data.

Why package nerds care

BTFS is package-nerd candy because it turns BitTorrent into a filesystem abstraction: a small CLI package that bridges P2P distribution, FUSE, libtorrent, media playback, and ordinary Unix file tools.

Timeline

  • 2015: Initial commit and v2.0 tag.
  • 2025: v3.0 ports btfs to libfuse 3.x.
  • 2025: v3.1 follows the libfuse 3.x port.

Related projects

  • BTFS depends on FUSE or macFUSE to expose torrents as mounted directories.
  • BTFS uses libtorrent-rasterbar for BitTorrent protocol handling.
  • The README names VLC and mplayer as applications that can consume mounted torrent files without changes.

Sources

  • Local git history from https://github.com/johang/btfs shows initial commit and v2.0 in 2015, then v3.0 and v3.1 in 2025.
  • Official README describes mounting .torrent files or magnet links as read-only directories with on-demand downloads: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/johang/btfs/master/README.md
  • Official README documents Debian/Ubuntu, Arch, Gentoo, Fedora, openSUSE, macOS/Homebrew, FUSE, libtorrent-rasterbar, and libcurl: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/johang/btfs/master/README.md
  • Package-manager adoption from source_facts.package-manager.

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

  • narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

  • metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 2 platform targets.
  • Installs with 4 runtime dependencies.
  • Build metadata lists 3 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
btfscliglobal executable
btfsstatcliglobal executable
btplaycliglobal executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08
manager version3.1
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detectedv3.1

https://github.com/johang/btfs

  • infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:btfs
Version3.1
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/btfs
Homepagehttps://github.com/johang/btfs
Repositoryhttps://github.com/johang/btfs
Upstream docshttps://github.com/johang/btfs#readme
LicenseGPL-3.0-only
Source archivehttps://github.com/johang/btfs/archive/refs/tags/v3.1.tar.gz
Dependenciescurl, libfuse, libtorrent-rasterbar, openssl@3
Build dependenciesautoconf, automake, pkgconf
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namebtfs
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Head VersionHEAD
Requirements
  • linux
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • head
  • stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

btfs 2.24-1+b3

access torrent files as a filesystem

https://github.com/johang/btfs

sudo apt install btfs
  • Section: utils
  • Architecture: amd64
  • Source Package: btfs
  • 8 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Btfs
Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: btfs from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
Nix95%

btfs

nix profile install nixpkgs#btfs
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Btfs
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/bt/btfs/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
Ubuntu apt95%

btfs 2.24-1build4

access torrent files as a filesystem

https://github.com/johang/btfs

sudo apt install btfs
  • Section: universe/utils
  • Architecture: amd64
  • 8 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Btfs
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: btfs from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz
apk95%

btfs 2.24-r12

Bittorrent filesystem based on FUSE

https://github.com/johang/btfs

sudo apk add btfs
  • License: GPL-3.0-or-later
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: btfs
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Btfs
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: btfs from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

btfs-doc 2.24-r12

Bittorrent filesystem based on FUSE (documentation)

https://github.com/johang/btfs

sudo apk add btfs-doc
  • License: GPL-3.0-or-later
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: btfs
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Btfs
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: btfs-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
pacman95%

btfs 3.1-1

A bittorrent filesystem based on FUSE

https://github.com/johang/btfs

sudo pacman -S btfs
  • License: GPL-3.0-or-later
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • 3 dependencies
  • 1 optional deps
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Btfs
Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: btfs from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz
zypper95%

btfs 3.1-3.4

A BitTorrent file system based on FUSE

https://github.com/johang/btfs

sudo zypper install btfs
  • License: GPL-3.0-or-later
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: btfs
  • 9 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Btfs
openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: btfs from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst
MacPorts95%

btfs

sudo port install btfs
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Btfs
MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: fuse/btfs/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Related tools

  • curlRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • libfuseRuntime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • openssl@3Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • autoconfBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • automakeBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.
  • pkgconfBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • dwarfsShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, fuse, system.
  • erofs-utilsShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, fuse, system.
  • ext4fuseShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, fuse, system.
  • fuse-zipShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, fuse, system.
  • mp3fsShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, fuse, system.
  • ntfs-3gShares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, fuse, system.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Used sources

  • Geiger risk classifier
  • Nucleus package database
  • av.db category and tag curation
  • cross-ecosystem install command graph
  • curated package history
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment