# 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 ```sh sudo av install brew:btfs ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install btfs ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install btfs ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: fuse/btfs/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add btfs ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: btfs from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install btfs ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: btfs from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#btfs ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/bt/btfs/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S btfs ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: btfs from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install btfs ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: btfs from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:btfs - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 3.1 - **Source summary:** BitTorrent filesystem based on FUSE - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-3.0-only - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - btfs (cli) - btfsstat (cli) - btplay (cli) - btfs (alias) - btfsstat (alias) - btplay (alias) ## Dependencies - curl - libfuse - libtorrent-rasterbar - openssl@3 ## Build dependencies - autoconf - automake - pkgconf ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 3.1 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/johang/btfs - Upstream latest detected: v3.1 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## 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 Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** btfs - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Requirements:** linux - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - btfs - 2.24-1+b3: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: btfs from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | access torrent files as a filesystem | https://github.com/johang/btfs - Nix - btfs: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/bt/btfs/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - btfs - 2.24-1build4: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: btfs from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | access torrent files as a filesystem | https://github.com/johang/btfs - apk - btfs - 2.24-r12: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: btfs from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Bittorrent filesystem based on FUSE | https://github.com/johang/btfs - apk - btfs-doc - 2.24-r12: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: btfs-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Bittorrent filesystem based on FUSE (documentation) | https://github.com/johang/btfs - pacman - btfs - 3.1-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: btfs from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | A bittorrent filesystem based on FUSE | https://github.com/johang/btfs - zypper - btfs - 3.1-3.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: btfs from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | A BitTorrent file system based on FUSE | https://github.com/johang/btfs - MacPorts - btfs: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: fuse/btfs/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [curl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/curl/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [libfuse](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libfuse/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [openssl@3](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/openssl-3/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [autoconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/autoconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [automake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/automake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [dwarfs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dwarfs/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, fuse, system. - [erofs-utils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/erofs-utils/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, fuse, system. - [ext4fuse](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ext4fuse/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, fuse, system. - [fuse-zip](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fuse-zip/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, fuse, system. - [mp3fs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mp3fs/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, fuse, system. - [ntfs-3g](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ntfs-3g/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, fuse, system. - [ratarmount](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ratarmount/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, filesystem, filesystems, fuse, system. - [sshfs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/sshfs/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: based, cli, filesystem, filesystems, fuse. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/btfs.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/btfs.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph