Re: [tor-relays] Possible to run a tor bridge/relay via tor browser?

Hey, so here is something I have noticed. I ran tor.exe via CMD (Windows version of terminal). I wrote this to the torrc:

SOCKSPort 0 # no local SOCKS proxy

ORPort 80 # public bridge must have an open ORPort

ExtORPort auto # configure ExtORPort for obfs4proxy

ExitPolicy reject *:* # no exits allowed

BridgeRelay 1 # relay won't show up in the public consensus

PublishServerDescriptor 1 # publish to the bridge authority

# use obfs4proxy to provide obfs4 on port 9003, 443

ServerTransportPlugin obfs4 exec C:\Users\keife\Desktop\TotBrowser\Browser\TorBrowser\Tor\PluggableTransports\obfs4proxy.exe

ServerTransportListenAddr obfs4 127.0.0.1:8080

ContactInfo keifer.bly@xxxxxxxxx

Then did tor.exe -f torrc.txt (including the file directories and all) and it worked, tor launched and red the configuration file, but when using the built in torrc file, this in turn caused tor browser to crash on start, see the screenshot:

However, when I created my own torrc.txt file then started from there, it worked, and tor browser also did not crash on start:

Though it did get stuck on loading (probably due to the tor process already being in use in all). This is problem attic is what I am trying to do is have tor browser start, automatically installing updates (thus automatically updating tor and obfs4 as a result) then start the bridge). I guess I would want to have a torrc that could not be overwritten anyway, but having tor browser and tor running via terminal seemed to cause issues. Is there a way to configure tor browser to automatically install updates on start? If so, I could write a script to start tor browser, close it after a few minutes then start the relay when windows loads possibly.

Thank you.

--Keifer

From: teor
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2020 2:24 AM
To: tor-relays@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [tor-relays] Possible to run a tor bridge/relay via tor browser?

Hi,

On 30 Mar 2020, at 18:11, Keifer Bly <keifer.bly@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

The file directoy is named “totbrowser” where tor browser is installed. Thank you.

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: Keifer Bly
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2020 1:10 AM
To: tor-relays@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Re: [tor-relays] Possible to run a tor bridge/relay via tor browser?

So, I edited the tor install directory so there are no spaces in it, then tried no quotes, single quotes, and double quotes, and it still crashers on start. I wonder why:

…

# use obfs4proxy to provide obfs4 on port 9003, 443

ServerTransportPlugin obfs4 exec 'C:\Users\keife\Desktop\TotBrowser\Browser\TorBrowser\Tor\PluggableTransports\obfs4proxy.exe'

…

This is a directory path:

ServerTransportPlugin obfs4 exec C:\Users\keife\Desktop\Tor Browser test relay\Browser\TorBrowser\Tor\PluggableTransports

You need to:
* give tor the path to the obfs4 executable file
* quote the path, because it contains spaces

It's important that you follow these instructions precisely:

* give tor the path to the obfs4 executable file

* quote the path with double quote characters "like this"

* do not delete spaces, the path without spaces is a different path

If that doesn't work:

* double each backslash character like this: \\

If that doesn't work:

* run tor in a terminal, and send us your logs

We seem to be reaching the limits of your experience.

Perhaps there's some other way you can learn about file

paths on Windows and Linux? And processes? And

software updates?

I'm not sure we're the best people to learn system

administration from. Perhaps a beginners sysadmin

mailing list, chat, or course could help?