Bug 476435

Summary:	The Tracker List URL setting in Advanced settings should be automatically added to new torrents, and it should be usable from the "Add Trackers" button
Product:	[Applications] ktorrent	Reporter:	Freedim <coocoolatte>
Component:	general	Assignee:	Joris Guisson <joris.guisson>
Status:	CONFIRMED ---
Severity:	normal	CC:	jackhill3103
Priority:	NOR
Version First Reported In:	22.12.3
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	Other
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Freedim 2023-11-01 20:45:33 UTC

SUMMARY
In the advanced settings, I have tried using URLs that pull a list of trackers' URLS when used with wget or pasted in a browser's address bar. Example: https://newtrackon.com/api/stable

However, nothing happens, no trackers are added, whether I just wait or go in the tracker down panel and click on "add trackers" or "update trackers". The only I could find to add those trackers was using the URL with wget or a browser, copy the output, click on "add trackers" in the tracker down panel, see how the copied list of URL is already pasted in the text field, and click OK. Then I see all the new trackers in the list of the tracker down panel.

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
Sorry, my GUI is in French; I am just translating and the actual labels may slightly differ.
1. Open Menu Configuration > Configure kTorrent choose section "Advanced".
2. In the field Tracker list URL, paste an URL that pulls a tracker list, such as https://newtrackon.com/api/stable
3. Check kTorrent's trackers down panel; possibly click on "Update trackers" and "Add trackers"

OBSERVED RESULT
No tracker from the list returned by https://newtrackon.com/api/stable is added to the tracker list.

EXPECTED RESULT
All the trackers returned by https://newtrackon.com/api/stable are added to the tracker list

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
kTorrent: 22.12.x (and probably several previous versions, as I have experienced this issue for a while)
Linux/KDE Plasma: Kali GNU/Linux 2023.3 (based on Debian Testing)
KDE Plasma Version: 5.27.x (and several previous versions)
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.107.x (and several previous versions)
Qt Version: 5.15.x (and several previous versions)

Comment 1 Jack Hill 2023-11-16 11:22:03 UTC

So this setting is used to add trackers to torrents that are added by just an infohash. I.e. "File" -> "Open URL" -> paste in an info hash -> click "OK" and then KTorrent forms a magnet link from the infohash & adds the trackers from https://newtrackon.com/api/stable.

It seems like you are expecting the trackers from https://newtrackon.com/api/stable to be added to every torrent? New and pre-existing torrents too?

Comment 2 Freedim 2023-11-16 13:48:08 UTC

(In reply to Jack Hill from comment #1)
> So this setting is used to add trackers to torrents that are added by just
> an infohash. I.e. "File" -> "Open URL" -> paste in an info hash -> click
> "OK" and then KTorrent forms a magnet link from the infohash & adds the
> trackers from https://newtrackon.com/api/stable.
> 
> It seems like you are expecting the trackers from
> https://newtrackon.com/api/stable to be added to every torrent? New and
> pre-existing torrents too?

I was expecting either what you've described or at least to have those trackers added when I click on the "Add trackers" button in the trackers panel at the bottom of the window.

It seems now clear that anyway, I had a wrong expectation. Perhaps refining the labelling of  the field "Tracker list URL" in "Menu Configuration > Configure kTorrent > Advanced" would help. I realise it is already somewhat protected by being placed in the "Advanced" section. However, some "quite advanced computer users" (like myself ;) ) who are used to play with advanced settings of many applications without problem may be clueless about the torrent protocol technicalities, the meaning of "infohash" (although I do work with file/data hashing and IPFS on a daily basis) or the fact that a "tracker list URL" field is only used for infohashes.

I usually click on magnet links, which results in having a torrent with like 8-10 trackers. When there are very few seeders and the download is very slow or stalled, I manually copy/paste the trackers from newtrackon.com/api/stable, which most of the time results in having a few additional seeders and a better download rate. I was expecting the button "Add Trackers" to do it automatically by fetching the tracker list from the URL set in the "Tracker list URL" and adding the returned tracker.

Comment 3 Jack Hill 2023-11-16 14:18:12 UTC

I agree the current label is not very descriptive. It seems like a good idea to be able to globally define a list of trackers which the "Add Trackers" button can read from.