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haugene/docker-transmission-openvpn

4,534ShellAudience · ops devopsComplexity · 3/5Setup · moderate

TLDR

A Docker container that runs the Transmission torrent client behind an always-on VPN, automatically stopping all downloads if the VPN connection drops so your real IP is never exposed.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((docker-transmission-openvpn))
    What it does
      Torrent downloads
      VPN kill-switch
      Web interface
    Tech stack
      Docker
      OpenVPN
      Transmission
      Shell scripts
    Configuration
      Provider profiles
      Environment vars
      Local network
    Use cases
      Privacy downloads
      Home server
      Self-hosted media
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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Run Transmission torrent downloads inside a Docker container with a built-in kill-switch that stops traffic if the VPN disconnects.

USE CASE 2

Use a preconfigured VPN provider profile to route torrent traffic through your preferred VPN without managing OpenVPN config files manually.

USE CASE 3

Access the Transmission web interface from other devices on your home network while keeping all download traffic tunneled through VPN.

USE CASE 4

Deploy a self-hosted, VPN-protected torrent setup on a home server or NAS using Docker Compose.

Tech stack

ShellDockerOpenVPNTransmission

Getting it running

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires a VPN subscription with OpenVPN credentials and Docker installed, VPN provider must support OpenVPN protocol.

In plain English

This repository provides a Docker container image that combines two pieces of software: Transmission, a torrent client, and OpenVPN, a tool for connecting to a VPN (virtual private network). The key behavior is that Transmission is only allowed to run when the VPN tunnel is active. If the VPN connection drops, torrent traffic stops, which is sometimes called a kill-switch behavior. Getting started requires a VPN subscription with a provider that issues OpenVPN credentials. You pass your provider name, the server or region you want to connect through, your username, and your password as environment variables when starting the container. The container takes care of establishing the VPN connection and starting Transmission behind it. Once running, the Transmission web interface is accessible on port 9091 in your browser, where you can add and manage torrents. The container has built-in configuration profiles for many popular VPN providers, so you do not have to supply custom OpenVPN config files manually for those providers. The README shows example startup commands for Docker run, Podman, and Docker Compose, all using Private Internet Access as the example provider. You map a local storage folder into the container where downloaded files will be saved, and optionally a config folder for persistent settings. A LOCAL_NETWORK variable lets you specify your home network range so that devices on your network can still reach the Transmission web interface even when VPN routing is active. The project is open-source and community-maintained. Versioned releases follow semantic versioning, with an edge tag tracking the latest code. The documentation is hosted separately on GitHub Pages rather than in the README itself.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Write a Docker Compose file to start docker-transmission-openvpn with Private Internet Access as my VPN provider, mapping a local downloads folder.
Prompt 2
What environment variables do I set in docker-transmission-openvpn to configure a VPN provider, server region, and LOCAL_NETWORK for LAN access?
Prompt 3
How do I verify that Transmission in docker-transmission-openvpn is routing traffic through the VPN and not leaking my real IP address?
Prompt 4
How do I add a custom OpenVPN provider config to docker-transmission-openvpn for a provider that isn't in the built-in list?
Prompt 5
How do I persist Transmission settings across container restarts in docker-transmission-openvpn?
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