Fragments

Fragments is a BitTorrent client for the GNOME desktop that wraps the battle-tested Transmission daemon as its backend while providing a clean, modern GTK4 interface. Originally written in Vala, version 2.0 was a complete ground-up rewrite in Rust using GTK4 and libadwaita, and version 3.0 added per-file selection within torrents. It sits in the sweet spot between power-user torrent clients and total simplicity — capable enough for everyday use, uncluttered enough to feel at home in GNOME.

Features

• Magnet link and .torrent support — add torrents by clicking a magnet link, copying one to the clipboard (auto-detected), dragging a .torrent file, or opening via the + button
• Per-file selection — choose which files within a torrent to download (added in v3.0)
• Remote session control — connect to and control a remote Transmission or Fragments instance over RPC
• Session statistics — view current network speed, total uploaded/downloaded data, and active torrent count
• Configurable preferences — set download queue limits, peer limits, port randomisation, and custom incomplete-file locations
• Metered network detection — automatically pauses downloads when a metered connection is active
• Drag and drop — drop .torrent files onto the window to add them instantly
• Auto-clipboard detection — a toast notification appears when a magnet link is copied so you can add it in one tap
• GNOME HIG compliant — adaptive layout, dark/light mode, libadwaita widgets

Installation

Flatpak from Flathub is the primary distribution channel, and works on any Linux distribution with Flatpak support:

flatpak install flathub de.haeckerfelix.Fragments

Fragments requires transmission-daemon to be available on the system. On Flatpak it is bundled; on native installs, install it separately:

# Debian / Ubuntu
sudo apt install transmission-daemon

# Fedora
sudo dnf install transmission-daemon

# Nix
nix-env -iA nixpkgs.gnome-fragments

Arch Linux users can install from the AUR:

yay -S fragments

Usage

Starting a download

1. Launch Fragments from your application menu.
2. Click the + button in the header bar to open a file chooser and select a .torrent file, or paste a magnet link into the URL field.
3. Choose a download location and click Add. The torrent appears in the list and begins downloading.

Alternatively, copy a magnet link to your clipboard while Fragments is open — a toast notification appears with a one-click option to add it:

# Fragments detects magnet links in the clipboard automatically.
# No manual paste step needed.

Selecting files within a torrent

Click a torrent in the list to open its detail view. Switch to the Files tab to see every file in the torrent and toggle individual files on or off before or during the download.

Controlling a remote session

Open the hamburger menu and choose Add Remote Connection. Enter a name and the IP address (and optionally the RPC port) of a machine running Transmission or Fragments with remote access enabled. The header bar turns purple to indicate you are controlling a remote session.

Fragments vs other GNOME torrent clients

Fragments is the natural pick for GNOME users who want a torrent client that looks and behaves like a first-party GNOME application. Transmission GTK remains an option for users who need a more feature-complete interface or are on older GTK3 desktops.