[tor-bugs] #18856 [Core Tor/Stem]: Talk with tor's ORPort

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#18856: Talk with tor's ORPort
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 Reporter:  atagar         |          Owner:  atagar
     Type:  enhancement    |         Status:  new
 Priority:  Low            |      Milestone:
Component:  Core Tor/Stem  |        Version:
 Severity:  Minor          |     Resolution:
 Keywords:  descriptor     |  Actual Points:
Parent ID:                 |         Points:
 Reviewer:                 |        Sponsor:
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Comment (by teor):

 Replying to [comment:8 atagar]:
 > Interesting! The module which downloads descriptors from DirPorts
 doesn't require a tor binary and things like DocTor don't presently have
 one. However, if you think this is the best way to go it certainly would
 be a neat capability to have even if it does have that dependency.

 I was demonstrating how you could send Tor cells using a small amount of
 shell script, that could easily be translated into python.

 The tor binary is only used to test the code: in my example, I launched a
 tor relay so that I could get decent logging when my attempts to set up a
 circuit didn't work. (And because it's impolite to test against other
 people's relays.)

 > Ideal would be a pure python example of downloading a descriptor from a
 relay's ORPort but if that's extra tricky

 It's really not that tricky, unless you're trying to do it in bash. It
 just needs a decent crypto library, and stem already has a dependency on
 "cryptography".

 > certainly, a python example of doing this via the tor binary would be
 much appreciated. Thanks!

 A running tor binary automatically downloads descriptors, you can get them
 via 'GETINFO {desc,md}/id/<fingerprint>'. You can also download individual
 networkstatus entries via 'GETINFO ns/id/<fingerprint>'.

 So it would be easy to use the control port to download descriptors. But
 we should open a separate ticket for that: this ticket is about using the
 ORPort to download descriptors.

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Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/18856#comment:9>
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