Interfaces
aMule can be operated in two fundamental ways: as a single all-in-one application that bundles the core engine and a graphical interface in one process, or as a headless core (amuled) that runs on its own and is driven through one of several remote interfaces. Pick the combination that fits your setup — a desktop machine, a headless server or NAS, or remote access from a browser or terminal.
Graphical interface (GUI)
The GUI is shared by two clients that present the exact same panels and windows:
| Client | Description |
|---|---|
amule | All-in-one GUI client that bundles the core and the interface in a single process |
amulegui | Remote GUI that connects to a running amuled instance via the EC protocol |
See the GUI section for day-to-day usage of the interface: toolbar, networks, searching, downloads, shared files, messaging, statistics, preferences, and appearance.
Headless daemon and remote interfaces
For servers, NAS devices, or any machine without a desktop, run the headless core and control it remotely:
| Interface | Description |
|---|---|
amuled | Headless daemon — the aMule core with no GUI; intended for servers and remote operation |
amulegui | Graphical remote client (same interface as amule) |
amuleweb | HTTP web interface accessible from any browser |
amulecmd | Interactive command-line interface, also usable in scripts and cron jobs |
External Connections (EC) Protocol
The remote interfaces (amulegui, amuleweb, amulecmd) all communicate with a running amuled (or amule) instance through the External Connections (EC) protocol. EC is a TCP-based binary protocol that carries authentication, commands, and status updates between the core and any remote interface.
To use any remote interface:
- Enable Accept External Connections in Preferences → Remote Controls (or set
AcceptExternalConnections=1inamule.conf). - Set an EC password in the same panel. The password is stored as an MD5 hash in
amule.conf:echo -n yourpassword | md5sum | cut -d ' ' -f 1 - Optionally restrict the listening interface to
127.0.0.1if you only need local access. - The default EC port is 4712.
See also
aMule also ships several standalone Utilities (ed2k, alc/alcc, wxcas/cas) for tasks such as adding eD2k links, generating links for local files, and displaying statistics.