HSDir and DirPort

[Scott Bennett <bennett@xxxxxxxxxx>]

     By the way, when I posted my recent call for more hidden service directory
servers, my instructions for enabling the option stated that the tor server
must be a normal directory server in order to offer hidden service directory
information.  I noticed that by yesterday morning, phobos had already proven
my statement false.  His server, nicknamed phobos as well, suddenly showed up
on the torstatus page with the peculiar little icon reserved for HSDir servers,
but no directory server icon and no DirPort listed.
     I'm unclear, though, as to whether turning on the HSDir service actually
does anything when there is no DirPort enabled.  My main uncertainty stems
from an unclear understanding of how tunneled directory connections work.  Do
such connections go through a circuit to a DirPort on some directory server
beyond an exit server?  Or do they simply go through a circuit to an OrPort
and get recognized as a tunneled directory request, rather than a circuit-
building operation?  Can anyone clarify this?
     Thanks for any answers.


                                  Scott Bennett, Comm. ASMELG, CFIAG
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