DimeFAQ:Step-By-Step Guide
From DimeWiki
Guide to uploading a torrent by Mod Phenix059
If your status on DIME allows it (class "Uploader" or more), you can upload your own torrents. If not, see this page.
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.
Contents |
DIME's FAQ
Please read these pages carefully:
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Allowed Torrents
- Bands and Artists Not Allowed on DIME
- Venues and Events not allowed on DIME
- Information Requirements
- Naming Rules
- and if your source is from a digital satellite transmission or a webcast, DIME's rules for digital broadcasts.
Also check whether your account has torrent posting privileges at all. Hover over the Torrents tab at the top of any DIME page, and if you don't see "Upload" in the drop-down, go to this item in DIME's FAQ.
Please do some internet research to make sure that the torrent you’re intending to upload is compliant to DIME's rules. Links to artist discography pages can be found here.
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 our guide here.
- Frequency Analysis (FA) and Spectrum Analysis (SA) can be performed (for example) with EAC.
- Double-check with auCDtect
Save your time and ours not trying to upload a torrent that we will have to ban!
- #FAQ
How to prepare the files
- Create a folder with an appropriate and informative name on your HDD.
- 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.
- Rip the audio discs or the DVD you want to offer so their content will be copied in the appropriate subfolder you created.
- Don't forget that DIME requires your torrent folder to include a complete plain text info file (.txt, .asc) and a checksum file (.md5 or .ffp).
- #prepare
Ripping tools
- Audio CD ripping:
For audio CDs, we recommend you use EAC with the appropriate settings: secure mode, offset correction, Log file generated (always appreciated). See the excellent tutorial here.
EAC will extract the tracks from an audio CD and save them as WAV files in the destination folder you choose. You'll then have to encode them to a lossless compression format as explained in the following paragraph.
- Video (DVD or VCD) ripping:
As for seeding DVD's, you should use a DVD Ripper software like DVD Decrypter (see more information here)
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, as shown in the picture above, 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.
Unlike audio files, video formats such as mpeg, VOB or divX are already compressed and don't need to be encoded before being torrented.
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.
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 http://www.videohelp.com/ and check out some of their guides.
- #RippingTools
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 (MKW) won't be supported by all OS. We recommend you use FLAC, it's better than SHN by many aspects. A FLAC Tutorial can be found here.
WARNING : mkwAct'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 file’s extension (Tools > Option) so you’re sure that they have been actually encoded in SHN rather than in MKW.
Trader's Little Helper -- An all in one Windows front end (gui) decoder and encoder for SHN, FLAC and APE files. This little front end handles all types of MD5, SHNtool and other checksum files. It also now checks for mp3 source.
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 –).
Mac users may use xAct.
- #LosslessSchemes
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 (please read carefully the information requirement)
TORRENT TITLE
ARTIST NAME
BOOTLEG TITLE
VENUE, CITY, COUNTRY, DATE [preferably in YYYY-MM-DD ISO format]
For videos: FORMAT (NTSC or PAL), audio codec, audio and video bit rates, video aspect ratio
TRACK LISTING [sorted by 01, 02, etc. or at least "tracklist unknown"]
LINE UP [if known]
FLAC FINGERPRINTS or MD5 checksum for the musical content only (*)
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.
(*) Catch22: if you include the checksum for the text file itself, since you're editing it after the checksum was generated it won't be valid anymore...
- #Description
Creation of checksums
DIME requires you to include checksum files in your torrents. You should provide a .ffp checksum file for a torrent with FLACed content and a .md5 checksum file for torrents without FLAC files. For FLACed content a .md5 file will be accepted as a replacement for a .ffp, too.
A md5 or ffp signature file allow people to ensure the integrity of their files once they have downloaded your torrent. Additionaly, most traders appreciate the fact that checksums allow to identify a given set of files for eternity.
Trader's Little Helper can make .md5 as well as .ffp checksums.
A md5 file can also be generated by mkwAct (see previous paragraph) just right-clicking the target subfolder in the *left* panel of the explorer. You can alternatively use MD5 SUMMER or FSUM
Mac users may use Checksum+.
xAct is reported to be bogus sometimes when trying to create md5 files but it should be right for ffp. We strongly recommend against the use of MD5 Checksum Verifier. This software is known to generate wrong checksums.
Ffp checksums are specific to the FLAC format and only allow to check FLAC files, when a md5 file can include checksums for any kind of file. Which means that it also allows to ensure the integrity of the other files in a torrent (artwork, pictures, information file, etc). Whether to include those or not in a md5 file is entirely up to you: only the checksum for the musical content is obligatory on DIME.
- #Checksum
Creation of the .torrent file
Many BitTorrent clients (e.g. Azureus or µtorrent) have a feature for creating torrent files. If yours has not, you can use MAKETORRENT or, one more time, Trader's Little Helper.
- 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:
- #CreateMetafile
Checking of torrent prior to upload
Too often, running the checksum file for a downloaded torrent only drives to receive an error (because files were renamed or moved after the checksum was generated for example). Always make sure your checksum file is still valid by running it before uploading.
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.
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.
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.
- #CheckTorrent
Upload of torrent to DIME
Go to the DIME front page, click the "Torrents > Upload" link (you'll see it only if your status on DIME is "uploader" or more) and fill the form:
- Torrent Title: give a short but informative name. Please never link word after word together without spaces in between them (by putting underscores or hyphens or other punctuation marks between them, or nothing at all, without spaces): that makes it impossible to properly format the display on our front page or our Browse results.
- 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.
Re-read the Policies for Permitted Torrents, the NAB and the NAV lists before ticking the checkboxes (don't forget that uploading a torrent violating our rules can make you lose your uploading privileges).
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.
- #UploadTorrent
