Bittorrent

BitTorrent is one of the classic peer-to-peer protocols: instead of downloading a whole file from one server, you download pieces from multiple peers.

This project is a Rust BitTorrent client. The main learning goal is the peer wire protocol and the piece downloading flow: request blocks, receive data, verify hashes, and keep going until the file is complete.

What it focuses on

Peer wire protocol basics
Piece and block downloading
Verifying data with hashes (so you know the received bytes are correct)
Managing peer sessions (keep connections, handle messages)

The big idea (simple)

You start with torrent metadata (how many pieces, what hashes to expect)
You learn which peers are available
You connect to peers
You ask for blocks from pieces
You receive blocks and assemble them into pieces
When a piece is complete, you verify it matches the expected hash
When all pieces are verified, you have the full file

Data flow (beginner-friendly)

BitTorrent splits the file into pieces. Each piece can be downloaded in smaller blocks so the download can pipeline multiple requests.

Once blocks are received, they’re combined into the original piece byte sequence and hash-checked.

Extensions (if you want to go further)

Once the core download loop works, you can build nicer features like:

better peer selection
resume/checkpoint support
endgame mode (handle the “last blocks” more intelligently)
UI improvements or monitoring