Using Flume
Getting Started
Installing
Download the file for your platform from the latest release.
| Platform | File | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| macOS 12+ | Flume_<version>_universal.dmg |
One build for both Intel and Apple Silicon |
| Windows 10/11 | Flume_<version>_x64-setup.exe |
The .msi is for managed deployment |
| Debian 12+ / Ubuntu 22.04+ | Flume_<version>_amd64.deb |
sudo apt install ./Flume_*.deb |
| Fedora 38+ / RHEL 9.4+ | Flume-<version>-1.x86_64.rpm |
sudo dnf install ./Flume-*.rpm |
| Any Linux | Flume_<version>_amd64.AppImage |
chmod +x and run — no install |
Windows and Linux also ship arm64 builds, named arm64 or aarch64 in place
of x64/amd64/x86_64. macOS needs no such choice: the .dmg is a universal
binary.
Every release carries a SHA256SUMS.txt if you want to check what you
downloaded.
The macOS build is signed and notarized, so it opens without argument. The Windows builds are not signed, so SmartScreen will interrupt the installer with an “unrecognised app” panel — that is what an unsigned installer looks like, not a sign the download is damaged. See Signing and Distribution for what each system says and the least alarming way past it.
First run
On first launch Flume:
- Opens its window immediately.
- Starts a torrent session in the background — this is why the status indicator briefly reads Starting, then Connecting.
- Bootstraps the DHT. Once the routing table has enough nodes, the indicator reads Ready and magnet links will resolve. This normally takes a few seconds.
The status indicator means:
| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Starting | The engine has not bound a listening port yet |
| Connecting | Listening; DHT still bootstrapping |
| Ready | Peer discovery is working |
| Degraded | Running, but DHT is off — magnet links will not resolve |
Defaults
| Setting | Default |
|---|---|
| Download folder | Your OS Downloads folder |
| Listen port | 42221 (TCP) |
| DHT | Enabled |
| UPnP port forwarding | Enabled |
Session state lives in your OS application-data directory:
- macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/io.github.adamgreenwell.Flume - Windows:
%APPDATA%\io.github.adamgreenwell.Flume - Linux:
~/.local/share/io.github.adamgreenwell.Flume(or$XDG_DATA_HOME)
Firewall
For good download speeds and any seeding, allow inbound TCP on port 42221. UPnP attempts this automatically when your router permits it. If your router has UPnP disabled — a reasonable security posture — forward the port manually.
You can still download without an open port; you will just connect to fewer peers.
Troubleshooting
Stuck on “Starting”. Usually another process holds port 42221. Check the terminal output if running from source.
Stuck on “Connecting”. The DHT cannot reach its bootstrap nodes. Check that outbound UDP is not blocked.
“Degraded”. DHT is disabled. Magnet links need it; .torrent files with
working trackers will still function.