Somehow Apple's "golden master" of the iPhone OS 3.0 has found its way into the torrent network.

Gizmodo is reporting that Apple's upcoming iPhone OS 3.0 (7a341) is now available as a torrent, and after loading up a few torrent search engines to verify its existence, the report is definitely true. As seen on Mininova and other sites, Apple's "golden master" weighs in around 230.1 MB and, according to Gizmodo, actually works! The "golden master" is the actual build used at WWDC'09 as well as the build Apple plans to distribute next week.

Gizmodo goes on to list instructions on how to actually install the downloaded operating system. The process seems rather simple: load up iTunes and synchronize the device. After backing up the previously installed system and all the stored/installed content, consumers press the ALT key (Mac) or SHIFT key (PC) and click on the restore button. Users than select the "disk image" located in the torrent download folder. Overall, the procedure seemed to take around 45 minutes, covering the installation process, restoring previous data, copying and updating applications, and transferring songs back to the device.

Gizmodo claims that the new operating system works without any glitches, although the whole sketchy procedure may be more trouble than its worth. Naturally, many Apple consumers are anxiously waiting for the software, their yearning based on the new features alone, however downloading software by way of torrent has proven disastrous in the past. Months ago, a torrented version of Apple's iWork '09 offered more than just the new office suite, but a nasty virus that infected thousands of Mac computers. The same holds true with a recent build of Windows 7 and Adobe's Creative Suite 4.

While the torrent looks tempting, consumers should avoid the file altogether and wait until next week when the new operating system appears on iTunes. iPod Touch 2G consumers should steer away from torrent files as well, and just fork out the $9.99 for the system upgrade.