Guide to upload a torrent by Mod Phenix059
The first time you'll try it, you may think that uploading a torrent is a tough process. Following carefully the steps in this guide, you should do it all right.
1) DIME's FAQ
Please read it carefully:
http://www.dimeadozen.org/extras-faq.php
and pay special attention to paragraphs 7, 8 and 9. Please do some internet research to make sure that the torrent you're intending to upload is compliant to DIME's rules. If you received your CDs in a trade, please check their content to ensure they are not mp3 sourced (it happens much more often than you think!) -- see the guide
http://www.audiohub.org/get/fa/fa.htm
* Frequency Analysis (FA) and Spectrum Analysis (SA) can be performed by EAC, see paragraph 2.3.1.1).
* Double-check with auCDtect
Save your time and ours not trying to upload a torrent that we will have to ban!
2) How to prepare the files
2.1) Create a folder with an appropriate and informative name on your HDD.
2.2) In this folder, create subfolders with appropriate name in order to organize the files you intend to offer: FLAC or SHN, ARTWORK, VIDEO_TS, etc.
2.3) Rip the audio discs or the DVD you want to offer so their content will be copied in the appropriate subfolder you created.
Ripping tools:
2.3.1) For audio CDs, we recommend you use EAC - free download
http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/
with the appropriate settings: secure mode, offset correction, Log file generated (always appreciated). See the excellent tutorial
http://users.pandora.be/satcp/eac00.htm#
2.3.2) As for seeding DVD's, you should use a DVD Ripper software like DVD Decrypter
http://www.videohelp.com/tools?tool=DVD_Decrypter
or
Select MODE | FILE, select your destination folder and start ripping and extracting the DVD to your hard drive. Once extracted, you will have a VIDEO_TS folder that will be the correct format in which to seed the DVD.
The correct file structure for a DVD seed is to have a main "parent" folder which will be named appropriately to indicate the respective seed. Inside this parent folder will be the VIDEO_TS folder, authored so that it can be directly burned to a DVD-Video disc with any DVD burning suite. Also within this "parent" folder you must include any .txt info files, artwork scans, or other files you wish to distribute with the seed.
These additional files MUST NOT be placed inside the VIDEO_TS folder. Please do not seed DVD's as ISO images, .RAR or .ZIP files. A proper parent folder with a properly constructed VIDEO_TS folder is the best way to seed a DVD.
As for seeding multi-disc DVD's, we don't have a requirement that they all be seeded as a single torrent. There are some that feel seeding multi-disc DVD's as multiple torrents is better and others that prefer one HUGE torrent. We will leave this up to you.
2.3.3) For VCDs/SVCDs: in order to keep the VCD structure safe and complete with its menu and chapters we recommend you upload it as a CUE/BIN image. You can use ISOBUSTER to create the CUE/BIN image. Free limited version at
http://www.smart-projects.net/isobuster/
You may also want to check out
and check out some of their guides.
3) Lossless compression schemes
For audio CDs, encode the WAV files you ripped to a lossless compression scheme.
The most common lossless formats are FLAC and SHN. We DON'T recommend you use any other one, exotic formats (APE, MKW) won't be supported by all OS. We recommend you use FLAC, it's better than SHN by many aspects.
To encode/decode FLAC files, FLAC FRONTEND free download
http://flac.sourceforge.net/download.html
To encode/decode SHN files, MKW-ACT guide and free download
http://www.etree.org/mkw.html#download
WARNING: MKW-ACT's default setup is to encode the WAV files to MKW format. That's what will happen if you simply drop the WAVs in the MKW-ACT window. You must SHIFT-drop the WAVs in order to have them encoded in SHN format.
We recommend you to allow the explorer to display the filei's extension (Tools | Option) so you're sure that they have been actually encoded in SHN rather than in MKW.
Once your lossless compressed files are created, don't forget to remove the WAV files from the folder (in case you haven't selected the option "Delete input files" -- which is the default setting in MKW.
4) Creation of checksums
Create an md5 signature file to allow people to ensure the integrity of their files once they have downloaded your torrent. This md5 signature is essential only for SHN files, but we recommend you create it whatever your torrent files are.
This md5 file can be generated by MKW-ACT (see previous paragraph) just right-clicking the concerned subfolder in the *left* panel of the explorer. You can alternatively use MD5 SUMMER -- free download
or
FSUM - free download
http://www.slavasoft.com/fsum/
5) Torrent description
Create a *detailed information text* for the stuff you want to offer with a simple text editor. Your text should list the following information:
TORRENT TITLE
---------------------------------
ARTIST NAME
BOOTLEG TITLE
VENUE, CITY, COUNTRY, DATE [preferably in YYYY-MM-DD ISO format]
---------------------------------
TRACK LISTING [sorted by 01, 02, etc. or at least "tracklist unknown"]
---------------------------------
LINE UP [if known]
---------------------------------
FLAC FINGERPRINTS or MD5 checksum
---------------------------------
INFO ON ARTWORK [Where to find it ?]
---------------------------------
SOURCE [TV/radio/digital broadcast; SBD; audience; IEM etc.]
LINEAGE [Or at least the remark "Lineage unknown"]
---------------------------------
ANY USEFUL NOTES: review, internet link, etc.
6) Creation of the .torrent file
Many BitTorrent clients (e.g. Azureus) have a feature for creating torrent files. If yours has not, you can use MAKETORRENT -- free download
http://krypt.dyndns.org:81/torrent/maketorrent/index.phtml
* First off, please take care for not any file or sub-directory being read-only. Next, close mkwACT, notepad and any other tool with which you did anything in the directory structure you want to create a torrent for. Third, check your file sizes. No file must have 0 KB in size.
* Read-only files/directories or write-locked files/directories will mess up MakeTorrent (it's a bit buggy) and it creates a crappy .torrent file.
* Open MakeTorrent, select "Classic", select "1 torrent form entire folder", click "(dir)" and select the directory, you want a torrent for, enter "http://bt.dimeadozen.org/announce.php" (without quotes) in field "Tracker", DON'T change "Piece Size" from "Auto" to "Custom", click "Create .torrent", let the filename as suggested by MakeTorrent, click "Ok" and wait until MakeTorrent has finished.
*VERY IMPORTANT*: Once your .torrent file has been created, NEVER CHANGE ANY FILE IN YOUR TORRENT. The most common error is to re-edit the info txt file in order to upgrade it. Any modified file won't match anymore with the hash info given by the .torrent file, this systematically leads to have what we call the 99% error: you appear as a leecher stuck around 99% in the swarm rather than a seeder, and nobody can complete the torrent.
Sometimes it can be the accidental inclusion of a system housekeeping file. But any file or subdirectory that is deleted, moved away, or renamed, or any file whose contents are changed, can do it. That makes it impossible to seed the torrent piece that contained that file, likely spoiling parts of one or more other files. That's why we recommend you to:
7) Checking of torrent prior to upload
When you're about to upload a torrent, open the .torrent file with your client and let your client analyze the files you have. After it's done, it will try to connect with the tracker and you'll get a "not authorized" error, but that's all right, because you haven't put the torrent onto the tracker yet. What's important at this point is the result of the file analysis.
If you get all the way to seed status -- and "100.0%" isn't good enough, because that could be rounded up from 99.98% -- then close the torrent in your client and go to paragraph 10.
If it didn't get all the way to seed status, then close your client (or if you're using a client that can open multiple torrents in one window, close that torrent). A component file or subdirectory of the torrent has been changed, renamed, deleted, or moved elsewhere since you created the .torrent file. That invalidates the entire piece of the torrent that includes the change: not just the one changed file but also any other file into which the same torrent piece overlaps.
Usually it's an edit inside a .txt file or an .md5 file. If you can put the file back exactly as it was, do that and try to seed again. If you can't put it back exactly as it was, or if you want to keep the changes, delete the .torrent file and create a new one from the source files as they are now.
Sometimes a system housekeeping file, such as Thumbs.DB or .DS_Store, is accidentally included in the torrent. Since those files are always changing, they'll never be the same when you go to seed as they were when you created the .torrent. If that's what did it, you have to re-create the .torrent, making sure that the housekeeping file and the old .torrent file aren't included in the new torrent. You may have to change the view setting for that folder to keep your operating system from re-creating the housekeeping file.
[If you're using Azureus, you should do it a little differently: open your .torrent file with the "open .torrent file for seeding" function in the File menu. If you don't have 100%, Azureus will tell you which files are changed and won't even bother the tracker; if you do have 100%, it will announce to DIME and you'll get the "not authorized" error from us, so you can remove the torrent from Azureus (but don't delete your source files!), upload it to DIME, download your personalized version of the .torrent file back from us, and use it to seed.]
This way you won't have to upload, get a deletion, and reupload; you can catch the 99% problem before it gets onto the tracker.
8) Upload of torrent to DIME
Go to the DIME front page, click the "Upload Torrents" link and fill the form:
* Torrent Title: give a short but informative name.
* Torrent File: click on the "Browse" button and select your .torrent file on your HDD.
* Info File: click on the "browse" button and select your info .txt file on your HDD.
* Description: a complete description heading a torrent is always appreciated. You can simply copy and paste the content of your info text file.
* Category: don't forget to choose one.
Click on the button "upload torrent".
If all was correctly done, the DIME page for your torrent will now appear. Your personalized .torrent file should be automatically sent back to you, and your client should immediately start the verification, then the seeding of your files.
Otherwise, right-click on the torrent link and select "save as", save the .torrent file on your HDD and ask your client to start it. Your torrent won't be visible in DIME unless you start the seeding.