Magnet link makes it very convenient for all of us to download file. However, when you click on the magnet link in the browser, you will probably see the error message below.

So how can we open magnet links in the browser in various OS?

Note: Not all Bit-torrent clients support magnet links. Vuze, uTorrent and Transmission are several clients that support magnet links.

In Linux (Gnome)

If you are using Ubuntu Karmic, the default transmission does not support magnet link. You have to upgrade to the latest version (1.9 as of this post).

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:transmissionbt/ppa
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

Alternatively, you can also install Vuze

sudo apt-get install vuze

Next, we are going to add an entry to your gonf. In your terminal:

gconftool-2 -t string -s /desktop/gnome/url-handlers/magnet/command "/usr/bin/transmission %s"
gconftool-2 -s /desktop/gnome/url-handlers/magnet/needs_terminal false -t bool
gconftool-2 -t bool -s /desktop/gnome/url-handlers/magnet/enabled true

If you are using Vuze, change the /usr/bin/transmission to the filepath of the Vuze application (usually is /usr/bin/vuze).

That’s it.

Note: If you are using Swiftfox or Opera, the magnet link will not work with the above trick.

In Windows

Download and install uTorrent, Vuze or Transmission.

Open NotePad and type the following in it:

REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTmagnet]
@="URL:magnet Protocol"
"URL Protocol"=""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTmagnetshell]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTmagnetshellopen]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTfooshellopencommand]
@=""C:\Program Files\uTorrent\uTorrent.exe" "%1""

If you are using Bit-torrent client other than uTorrent, replace the last line C:\Program Files\uTorrent\uTorrent.exe with the filepath of your Bit torrent application.

Save the file as “magnet.reg“, then double-click it to insert into the Windows registry. You will see some warning windows as shown below.

Click Yes to proceed.

Once the import is completed, you can click on the magnet link in your browser and then select the application that you want to use.

In Mac

There is no configuration required in Mac. If you install Transmission, Vuze or uTorrent, it will automatically add the protocol handler to the system. You can simply click on the magnet link and choose your application from the popup window.

If you are familiar with the popular Azureus, then Vuze will not be hostile to you. Vuze is in fact a revamp (and rename) of the Azureus bit-torrent client. Plenty of great features are included in this revamped version, including the support of HD content and a social networking component. While the backbone is still a bit-torrent client, the whole approach to sharing/downloading media from the Web has changed. If you have discarded Azureus for a better bit-torrent client in the past, you may want to try out Vuze and reconsider your decision.

Similar to Azureus, Vuze is written in Java and is able to work on any platforms, be it Windows, Mac or Linux. The most notable difference is the improvement in the user interface. The new sleek interface is more like an online catalogue where you can browse and search for movies/music/games/files to download.

In the past (even now for most bit-torrent clients), you’ll have to go to various sites to download the torrents before you can use your bit-torrent software to download the content. Vuze allows you to search within the software and download the torrents directly when you double click on the search results. By default, Vuze only search the torrents within its Vuze network, but you can easily add other popular torrent sites to increase the search results.

Vuze hosts an impressive library of HD content in its Vuze HD network. You can browse the content according to the categories and check out the 30s preview before you decide if you want to download it. It is also community based where you can rate and comment on the movies, or even share it with your friends.

Interestingly, Vuze has included a social networking module where you can add friends and share your favorite torrents. When your friends share files with you, the torrents will be given a preferential treatment and you will be able to download the files faster. In another words, the more friends you have and the more files you share, the faster is the downloading process.

On the backend, Vuze can also act as a UPnP server and stream your multimedia content over the local network. If you have downloaded plenty of movies and music, you will be able to watch/listen to them from your PS3, Xbox 360, smartphone or any other device that is DLNA compatible. I have used XBMC to playback the media files from another PC and it works great.

Overall, there are plenty of improvement over the previous Azureus and most, if not all, of them are pleasant and great improvment. If you are looking for a more user-friendly way to search and download your torrent files, or a console where you can view great HD content easily, then Vuze is definitely worth your attention.

If you have tried Vuze, which features did you like best?