How do torrents work?

[Hatsune Miku]

So I'm very new to this and I'm trying to download Linux Mint. The download is taking forever so I'm tempted to try the torrent they give on their website, but I have no idea how it works. So I'm also uploading the file from my computer/IP address? Does that mean when other people download it it will use my bandwidth? And it's legal as long as I am not pirating right? sorry for the silly questions and thanks!

[Jason]

Yes it is legal since the torrent is off their website. And in order to download a torrent, you must have torrent downloading software, such as uTorrent. And yes as you download the file you will also be uploading it for others to download. Torrents are only faster than normal downloads if the normal download comes from a site that has overburdened servers. It probably isn't worth it to go to the trouble of installing the necessary software just for this one file. If it's taking like days though, then maybe you should go ahead and download the torrent.

[deanyourfriendinky]

Try a different download server. The University of Oklahoma was downloading for me at approximately 2 Mbps @ 01:03 Eastern Time on 2013-11-17 (Y-M-D).

I'm on an Internet connection that (according to http://www.speedtest.net/ ) provides a download speed of 30.09 Mbps. I'm using Firefox 25.0 with the DownThemAll plug-in (version 2.0.16).

A torrent is just a program that lets users pool their resources to transfer files. If a lot of people share a particular file, everyone benefits. As you download the parts of the file from other users, still other users are downloading the parts of the file that you have too. In a well-crafted (secure) torrent program, only the files that you want to share are accessible to other users of that torrent program.

Notwithstanding unsecure programming, torrent programs are safe, particularly when downloading GNU/Linux distributions.

[KnightSaber2000]

Torrent downloading is associated with illegal activities lately but it perfectly legal tools..
torrents are legal tools unless you use it for illegal activity.. same thing can be said for guns and knives..
However, the legality of their use depends on where you are.. guns and knives are not allowed onboard planes, for example; and some countries do not allow owning a gun..

Some universities do not allow torrent downloading clients to be used in their campus and in their dorms to the extent of expelling or suspension - which is worth checking..

When we download something using the internet browser, we use the' Direct downloading'.. it is like we order something from the factory, and it is the job of that factory to deliver it to you..

If it is a small file, no problem.. but if it is a large file, you can imagine all sort of problems associated with mail, like traffic jams, car accidents, mismatched parts, lost items etc..
but the time factor usually the biggest headache..

However in 'torrent downloading', you are hooked up with a network of servers that are willing to help you..

Ok.. Let's assume that you run a successful 'car repair garage' and that you are in constant demand for car parts..
now you are in a project to build an engine that requires parts A B C to Z..

in 'Direct downloading', you will be ordering all those parts from one source or one shop.. which you may run into problems, I mentioned above..

but in 'torrent downloading', you would be posting an ad in the newspaper that you need A to Z parts.. and someone responds to you "yes, I have A and X".. another will answer 'yes, I have P and Q' and another 'F and G' and so on..

The only price for that service is that you also share what you have,
for example, you have extra copies of items B and C.. thus people will turn to you to give it to them, if they needed B and C..

The sharing method is what makes it work.. you are not just a consumer, but you also a provider to others and so is everyone in the network..

The peer to peer P2P sharing system was around for a very long time (I used to use Napster and Kazaa when I was younger), but the most successful sharing system and the biggest, is the torrent sharing method..

To gain access to that torrent system you need to have a 'Torrent downloading client' (or simply a Client).. there are many: most of them are free, such as BitTorrent http://www.uTorrent.com ..
Some are monthly paid, but they have significantly faster download rate and almost no commercials..

But, I have been using bittorrent for a very long time and I am happy with it..

(again they are all free, and it gets faster if you register with them, because senior users get priority downloading over junior users..
and also they provide 'Rush' method, of which they can give you a temporary higher priority for downloading in exchange for paying money,
an item that takes a day to deliver is shorten to one hour using the rush method, for example)

Once you install the client inside your system, you need to download a torrent file which is basically a small log book that tracks the downloading and the uploading process for that particular file or files that you want to download..

When downloading a large file from the internet, sometimes it gives you an option whether to download using 'Direct download' or 'torrent download'..
if you click the torrent download, you would be downloading the torrent file (the log book) initially, the client opens the log file and look through what you have and what you need.. (for example, you need A B C to Z)

the client searches in dedicated servers, but more importantly, in other people computers for the parts you need.. (that is why, the client doesn't seem to be moving or doing anything in the first few minutes or hours, because it is still searching for resources and planning)

the client in this case be able to download A B and C from one server, items G H and I from a kid's computer in Canada, and other parts from a large number of people from different parts of the world..

If that Canadian kid's computer is suffering from slow internet, the client simply ignore it and search for people who has faster connection..
(btw, you may get terms like leeches and seeders, the seeders are people who have the complete collection of ABC letters, while the leeches are people who have some of items.. so when you begin downloading, you are leech, but when you have the full collection, you become a seeder for that file(s)..
it would help a lot to if that file(s) that you seek have more seeders than leeches..
If an item is so old or so rare, the client may not be able to download it fast enough)

'Torrent downloading' has an advantage over 'Direct downloading' because it solves the transfer problems by having more redundancy..
but it also depends on the popularity of that file(s), if the client only finds one source for the A B C items, then the method is slower than 'direct downloading'..

Also, most of those clients run in the background, and they take a lot of computer and network resources..
so while your client is running, the internet connection will slow down..
That is why many universities, hostels and internet cafe bans torrent downloading..

I usually close or switch the client off, when I need to use my internet browser..
and open it or switch it on, when I am not at home, but leaving the computer on..

After that.. you can search for torrent files for different items using torrent search engines like http://www.thePiratebay.sx
but the biggest torrent search engine is always http://Google.com..

All the best..