---
title: Qbitmaid
date: '2024-11-3'
lastmod: '2025-1-28'
tags: ['python', 'projects', 'code', 'docker', 'unraid']
draft: false
summary: How I used python to keep my torrents in check
layout: PostBanner
images: ['https://s3.jonb.io/cdn/projects/qbitmaid.jpg']
---

### qbit-maid

Development [^1] of qbitmaid was over the course of several months. At first, the project was called qbit-clean and didn't have all the features the project has now. The issue was mainly with my download cache in unraid being filled with torrents I no longer needed to seed[^2]. When I would get a notification from the server that the download cache was 95% full I would have to manually go to [qbittorrent](https://www.qbittorrent.org/), sort the torrents by age and remove the ones older than two weeks avoiding torrents I wanted to keep.

[![qbittorrent](https://www.qbittorrent.org/img/qb_banner.webp)](https://www.qbittorrent.org/)

This was tedious. Very tedious. So I went off to do more work just to avoid a little.`qbitmaid.py` is the main file that glues the project together. This was my first project where I heavily abstracted the design. More on this later. First, we'll connect to the API. I used an existing client [library](https://pypi.org/project/qbittorrent-api/2022.5.32/) that makes this process simpler than writing your own client.

`qbitmaid.py`[^3]

```python
...
class Qbt:
    def __init__(self):
        """Main object, should be calling functions from qlist.py, qlogging.py and qprocess.py"""
    ...
        #logging in
        try:
            self.tl.info('Connecting to host.')
            self.qbt_client.auth_log_in()
            self.tl.info('Connected.')
        except qbittorrentapi.APIError as e:
            self.tl.exception(e)
            self.po.send_message(e, title="qbit-maid API ERROR")
    ...
```

Then we use the api to make an list of the torrents:

```python
        # Pulling all torrent data
        self.torrent_list = self.qbt_client.torrents_info()
```

Next, we "sift" out torrents to be deleted. This was created with a positive sieve meaning we specify positive scenarios. In other words, I know which torrents I want to keep as opposed to the torrents I don't want. Theres pros and cons to both scenarios however in the long term a positive sieve is less work.

> `qlist.py` has functions at the bottom of the file that are referenced in the conditions. This very method of programming made it easy to write unit tests as I went.

```python
if is_preme(torrent['seeding_time'], self.min_age):
            continue
```

```python
def is_preme(seeding_time, minage):
    if seeding_time <= minage:
        return True
```

When it comes across an item that meets certain criteria it will skip it. For instance, the example above checks to see if it's too soon to remove a torrent. This is because some [trackers][private tracker] require a minimum seed time. If you were to remove a torrent sooner than they require, it could lead to getting kicked.

`qlist.py` Has a couple jobs:

- Tag torrents according to how they should be treated.
- Sort

`qlist.py`

```python
...
def build_tor_list(self):
   while self.torrent_list:
       ...
       if is_tracker_blank(torrent['tracker']):
           ...
           continue
       elif is_cat_ignored(torrent['category'], self.cat_whitelist.values()):
           ...
           continue
       elif is_ignored_tag(self.ignored_tags.values(),torrent['tags']):
           ...
           continue
       if is_tag_blank(torrent['tags']):
           ...
           if is_protected_tracker(torrent['tracker'], self.tracker_whitelist.values()):
               self.qbt_client.torrents_add_tags(self.tracker_protected_tag,torrent['hash'])
           elif is_not_protected_tracker(torrent['tracker'], self.tracker_whitelist.values()):
               self.qbt_client.torrents_add_tags(self.tracker_non_protected_tag,torrent['hash'])
       if is_preme(torrent['seeding_time'], self.min_age):
           continue
       elif is_protected_tracker(torrent['tracker'], self.tracker_whitelist.values()):
           if is_tag_blank(torrent['tags']):
               self.qbt_client.torrents_add_tags(self.tracker_protected_tag,torrent['hash'])
           ...
           self.tracker_list.append(torrent)
       elif is_not_protected_tracker(torrent['tracker'], self.tracker_whitelist.values()):
           if is_tag_blank(torrent['tags']):
               self.qbt_client.torrents_add_tags(self.tracker_non_protected_tag,torrent['hash'])
           ...
           self.tracker_list.append(torrent)
```

In this case the items I want to keep stays. `qlist.py` passes the data over to `qprocess.py`. This is done through about 2 layers of abstraction. Unfortunatley, this type of programming makes it difficult to follow.

`qprocess.py` has four jobs:

- Collect telemetry
- Delete torrents if needed
- Enable debugging if needed

`qprocess.py`

```python
def tor_processor(self):
    """Main logic to sort through both self.tracker_nonprotected_list and self.tracker_protected_list
    If torrent meets criteria for deletion, its infohash_v1 will be appended to self.torrent_hash_delete_list
    """
    for canidate in self.tracker_list:
        if self.enable_telemetry:
            header = ['state','ratio','tags','added','hash','name','tracker']
            row = [canidate['state'],canidate['ratio'],canidate["tags"],canidate['added_on'],canidate['infohash_v1'],canidate["name"][0:20],canidate['tracker']]
            write_csv(self.cv,self.telemetry_outfile,header,row)
        ...
        elif is_protected_over_ratio(canidate['ratio'], 1.05, self.tracker_protected_tag, canidate["tags"]):
            if self.use_log:
                self.tl.debug(f'["{canidate["name"][0:20]}..."] is above a 1.05 ratio({canidate["ratio"]}).')
            self.torrent_hash_delete_list.append(canidate['infohash_v1'])
        ...
        elif is_not_protected_tor(self.tracker_non_protected_tag, canidate["tags"]):
            self.torrent_hash_delete_list.append(canidate['infohash_v1'])
        ...
        else:
            if self.enable_dragnet:
                header = ['state','ratio','tags','added','thash','tname','trname']
                row = [canidate['state'],canidate['ratio'],canidate["tags"],canidate['added_on'],canidate['infohash_v1'],canidate["name"][0:20],canidate['tracker']]
                write_csv(self.cv,self.dragnet_outfile,header,row)
            continue
```

I package this in a docker file:

```Dockerfile
FROM python:alpine3.18
WORKDIR /
COPY . opt
RUN apk add --no-cache supercronic
RUN pip install requests
RUN pip install qbittorrent-api
RUN chmod +x /opt/entrypoint.sh
CMD ["/opt/entrypoint.sh"]
```

Then use [Drone][drone] to package this into a container. This pushes the container to an [OCI repo][oci] in gitea. The application is configured through a toml file:

```toml
[qbittorrent]
host = "192.168.x.x"
port = 8080
username = "user"
password = "pass"

...

[healthcheck]
use_healthcheck = true
healthcheck_url = "https://example.com/ping/<uuid>>"
```

Using unraid has honestly been a delight. I had some performance issues but that was due to how I was using the storage pool.

![unraid](https://s3.jonb.io/cdn/blog/qbitmaid/unraid.png)

Finally, this same container will run the test cases in `test_qbitmaid.py`. This is handled by drone. So eachtime I push new code to a development branch on gitea, it creates a container to test and tests the code. Once I see that it has passed, I can merge the code to the main branch.

## Final Notes

I have been using this for over 2 years. It was a huge learning experience and my coding practices have evolved over my newer projects. While I did make this for my use mainly, feel free to try it out! If you have any questions, you can open an issue [here](https://git.jonb.io/jblu/qbit-maid/issues/new).

[^1]: The Source Code can be found [here][source-code].

[^2]: Private trackers require you to seed a torrent for a period of time. In my case, I have to seed for about 2 weeks or to a ratio of 1.

[^3]: Code has been removed for examples in this article.

[source-code]: https://git.jonb.io/jblu/qbit-maid
[private tracker]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitTorrent_tracker#Private_trackers
[drone]: https://www.drone.io/
[oci]: https://git.jonb.io/jblu/-/packages/container/qbit-maid/latest
