How to Install Transmission on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

Transmission is a torrent client that has many different interfaces on top of its cross-platform back end. Transmission can be freely downloaded and used for any purpose under GNU General Public License, with parts licensed under MIT mathematics license.

In the following tutorial, you will learn how to install Transmission on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Jammy Jellyfish using two different methods: APT from the Ubuntu repository or installing the third-party package manager Flatpak and installing a much more upstream version of Transmission.

Update Ubuntu

The first step is ensuring your system is up-to-date to avoid issues during the installation and for good practice. This is done by opening your terminal and using the following command.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install Transmission Torrent Client – APT Method

Transmission is featured on Ubuntu 22.04 default repository; for those that prefer using Ubuntu’s stable repositories, use the following command to install Transmission on your system.

sudo apt install transmission -y

For users that require a much-updated version of Transmission, installing the third-party Flatpack manager and installing the maintained version from Flathub would be much better, which can be found as an alternative installation method in the next section.

Install Transmission Torrent Client – Flatpak Method

The second option is to use the Flatpak package manager, which by default is not installed on Ubuntu distributions, given Snap which is Flatpak’s rival, is owned by Canonical along with Ubuntu. However, Flatpak is still available to install from Ubuntu’s default repository.

The extra benefit of using Flatpak installations is that you will always have the most up-to-date version compared to Ubuntu which focuses on stability with older versions that only see updates for security issues or serve bugs.

First, install the Flatpak manager if it was removed previously.

sudo apt install flatpak -y

For users installing Flatpak for the first time, it is often recommended to reboot your system. Failure to do this can occur with odd issues, such as paths not being generated for icons.

reboot

SKIP THE REBOOT IF FLATPAK IS INSTALLED.

Next, you need to enable Flatpack using the following command in your terminal:

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Now install VidCutter using the following flatpak command.

flatpak install flathub com.transmissionbt.Transmission -y

How to Launch Transmission Torrent Client

Launching can be done in a few ways now that you have the software installed.

Firstly, if your terminal is open, you can launch the software directly using the following command.

transmissionbt

Alternatively, Flatpak users will need to launch using the command below from a terminal instance:

flatpak run com.transmissionbt.Transmission

For desktop users, opening a terminal constantly is not practical, so you can use the following path to open the software.

Show Applications > Activities > Transmission.

Example:

The first time you open your GUI client window, you will be prompted to agree to Transmissions terms, which implies you will not use their service to download copyright materials such as movies, t.v shows, etc., which if you do, they have no legal responsibility for if you get caught as certain countries have strict laws.

Example:

Once open, you will arrive at the default screen. From here, you can begin downloading torrents.

Example:

How to Update/Upgrade Transmission Torrent Client

Updates should be handled with your standard system updates when prompted. For those users that would like to check more regularly, use the following command in your terminal.

APT Update Method

sudo apt upgrade && sudo apt upgrade

Flatpak Update Method

flatpak update

How to Remove (Uninstall) Transmission Torrent Client

Use one of the following commands to suit the original installation method for users who no longer require the application.

APT Remove Method

sudo apt autoremove vidcutter -y

Flatpak Remove Method

flatpak uninstall --delete-data com.transmissionbt.Transmission

Next, run the following command for any leftover clean-up.

flatpak remove --unused

Comments and Conclusion

Transmission is a versatile BitTorrent client that can be used on various platforms. The cross-platform back-end ensures that Transmission can be used anywhere, while the user interface options make it easy to use for anyone. Transmission is free software and open-source, making it an excellent choice for those who want quality torrenting without any added costs.