How to configure Transmission

This guide shows you how to configure Transmission as your download client in Cinephage.

Prerequisites

• Transmission installed and running
• RPC interface enabled in Transmission
• Cinephage installed and running
• Network connectivity between Cinephage and Transmission

Step 1: Enable Transmission RPC

Transmission uses RPC (Remote Procedure Call) for remote control. You must enable this for Cinephage to connect.

Edit settings.json

1. Locate your Transmission settings file:

   • Linux: ~/.config/transmission-daemon/settings.json
   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Transmission/settings.json
   • Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Transmission\settings.json

2. Stop Transmission if it is running

3. Edit settings.json and set the following values:

{
  "rpc-enabled": true,
  "rpc-port": 9091,
  "rpc-username": "your-username",
  "rpc-password": "your-password",
  "rpc-authentication-required": true,
  "rpc-whitelist-enabled": false
}

4. Save the file and restart Transmission

Alternative: Using Transmission Web UI

If you have the Transmission Web UI available:

1. Open Transmission (desktop or web interface)
2. Go to Edit > Preferences (or Transmission > Preferences on macOS)
3. Select Remote tab
4. Check Allow remote access
5. Set Port to 9091
6. Check Use authentication and set username/password
7. Click Save or Apply

Step 2: Add Transmission to Cinephage

1. In Cinephage, go to Settings > Integrations > Download Clients
2. Click Add Download Client
3. Select Transmission from the dropdown
4. Configure the connection settings:

Connection settings

Field	Description	Example
Name	Descriptive name for this client	Transmission
Host	Transmission IP or hostname	localhost, 192.168.1.100, or transmission (Docker)
Port	RPC port	9091
Username	RPC username	admin
Password	RPC password	your password
Use SSL	Enable for HTTPS	Unchecked (unless configured)
URL Base	For reverse proxy setups	/transmission (optional)

Host configuration guide:

• Same machine: localhost or 127.0.0.1
• Docker on same host: Use host IP (e.g., 192.168.1.100)
• Separate machine: Use that machine's IP address
• Docker container name: transmission (if on same network)

Step 3: Test and save

1. Click Test to verify Cinephage can connect
2. If successful, click Save to add the download client

If the test fails:

• Verify RPC is enabled in Transmission (Step 1)
• Check that the host and port are correct
• Confirm username and password match your settings
• Ensure Transmission is running
• Check firewall rules allow connections on port 9091
• If using Docker, verify containers can communicate

Testing your configuration

1. Add a movie or series to your Cinephage library with monitoring enabled
2. Go to the item and click Search
3. Cinephage should find releases and send one to Transmission
4. Check Activity > Queue to see the download
5. Verify the download appears in the Transmission Web UI or desktop app

Common issues

RPC not enabled

Problem: Connection refused or RPC not accessible.

Solutions:

• Ensure rpc-enabled is set to true in settings.json
• Restart Transmission after editing settings.json
• Verify the port is not blocked by a firewall
• Check that Transmission has permission to bind to the port

Authentication failed

Problem: 401 Unauthorized or authentication errors.

Solutions:

• Verify username and password in Cinephage match settings.json
• Ensure rpc-authentication-required is set to true
• Check that the password was not hashed incorrectly in settings.json
• Try re-entering credentials in both Transmission and Cinephage

Connection timeout

Problem: Connection test times out.

Solutions:

• Verify Transmission is running
• Check network connectivity between Cinephage and Transmission
• Ensure the correct IP address or hostname is used
• Check if a firewall is blocking the connection
• If using Docker, verify the container is running and accessible

Downloads not importing

Problem: Downloads complete in Transmission but do not appear in Cinephage library.

Solutions:

• Check path mappings if Cinephage and Transmission use different paths
• Verify Cinephage can access the download folder
• Check Cinephage logs in Settings > Logs
• Ensure the download directory has correct permissions

Additional Transmission settings

Seed ratio and time (v0.5.0+)

Cinephage now properly sets and respects seeding limits in Transmission. Configure seeding behavior in your Transmission settings:

{
  "ratio-limit": 2.0,
  "ratio-limit-enabled": true,
  "seed-time-limit": 1440,
  "seed-time-limit-enabled": true,
  "idle-seeding-limit": 30,
  "idle-seeding-limit-enabled": true
}

Setting	Description	Example
ratio-limit	Stop seeding after this ratio	2.0
seed-time-limit	Stop seeding after this many minutes	1440 (24 hours)
idle-seeding-limit	Stop seeding after idle minutes	30

Hit-and-Run Protection

Cinephage respects these limits and will not remove torrents that are still seeding. Once seeding limits are met, Cinephage can safely remove completed downloads from the queue.

Download directory

Ensure your download directory is accessible to Cinephage:

{
  "download-dir": "/downloads/complete"
}

See also

• Download clients overview — Overview of supported clients
• How to configure qBittorrent — Alternative torrent client
• How to configure Deluge — Another torrent client option
• Troubleshooting downloads — Common issues and solutions