If I'm the uploader of a torrent (thus the only seeder) I want to set the ratio limit to like .98 or something so I can get as many people as possible to help seed before I finish uploading 100%. But the lowest value I can set it is 1.0. How can I configure it lower?

The ratio is the total amount of uploaded data of certain torrent (over downloaded), no matter If It is just The same partial little piece 11111 times or The Full file 1 time...

So, If you upload your file less than 1, it Will be a huge bandwith waste, since no one Will get The complete file and peers probably will cancel the transfer after It stucks.

I'm not leaving the torrent under 1.0. I want peers to help seed and not hit and run after getting the file. So I would set it at under 1.0 and then once there's a healthy number of peers who are all at .98 or whatever I would change the ratio limit to above 1.0.

Echoing the other "Guest" responder, I think you're misunderstanding how BitTorrent works. A share ratio is exactly just that: a ratio of how much data you've shared vs how much data you've downloaded. It has (essentially) no impact on whether others seed. If you seed less to a share ratio less than 1.0, it means you didn't upload as much as you downloaded. In other words, think of it this way... if you were the only seeder, and there was only a single peer downloading from you, a ratio of 0.98 means that the only peer would only get 98% of the data before you stopped sharing. You would absolutely kill the torrent as once you left, no one would ever have a complete copy of the data.

Particularly if you are the only seeder, it's extremely important to seed for as long as possible (until there are a healthy number of other seeders).

You basically have no control over what other people do (e.g., how long they seed for or if they even do to begin with) and there are no legitimate settings in any to change that fact (although there's some protocol hacks like "super-seeding", but that's another topic for discussion ).

Just seed for as long as possible and cross your fingers that the popularity of the torrent grows and becomes healthy enough for you to stop seeding.

To set upload limit lower than 1.0, go to
torrent's Properties > Options > Seeding > Stop on upload ratio at or above
enter here 0.98 for example.

Remember the torrent will disconnect as soon as your ratio will get to 0.98. I think better idea is to wait until you have sent 80% of the torrent, then limit bandwidth of that torrent to some low value. This way they will get 100% eventually but they will seed to others before that.

RATIO =

AMOUNT OF UPLOADED DATA
-------------------------
AMOUNT OF DOWNLOADED DATA


No matter to who.


In other words, if there is more than one peer AND you choose to stop at 0.99:1 ratio, peers will have LESS than 99% each, since ratio is NOT based on particular peers or file disponibility.

You want that the file disponibility in swarm aka "Available Copies" stuck at 99% (0.99), so the peers will download to 99% and will be forced to upload until you release the remaining 1%.

This is not good for the network, as i said before, for many reasons, but the main reason is that potential good seeders will find another similar torrent to download, after it stucks 99%, and delete yours, resulting in a huge bandwith loss.

Instead, use "Super Seeding" and seed your file the maximum you can. This function will try to force others to seed, sharing the less available parts with higher priority.

sorry bad english.