[tor-dev] Tor Exit Images -> software to manage tor on unix without unix-skills

[Fabio Pietrosanti (naif)]

On 3/24/13 11:16 PM, Fabio Pietrosanti (naif) wrote:
> On 3/24/13 11:11 PM, Griffin Boyce wrote:
>> Fabio Pietrosanti (naif) <lists at infosecurity.ch
>> <mailto:lists at infosecurity.ch>> wrote:
>>
>>     To fix that need it would be nice to make a sort of "hosting
>>     provider"
>>     (using existing tool for customer management, payments,
>>     server/application deployment & maintenance) to host Tor Exit.
>>
>>
>> This would definitely be cool, though honestly I was thinking more
>> pre-configured bundles for common ISP(s).
>
> Well, it would still need to have some kind of "Web management"
> software to let the non-unix-skilled person carry on regular
> maintenace procedure without a unix terminal such as:
>
> - Configure Tor (nickname, bandwidth, etc)
> - Check if there's an upgrade & upgrade Tor when needed
> - See if Tor is running / ability to shutdown / restart it
>
> That's something that should need to be pre-installed to facilitate
> the regular maintenance operations for that non-unix-skilled persons.
>
> Does something like that still exists ?
Got an idea of an alternative solution to the problem "Let someone
without unix-skills to setup and maintain it's own Tor Exit on their
favorite server provider".

We can make a "GUI Application" that let this kind of user to:
- Configure Tor (nickname, bandwidth, etc)
- Check if there's an upgrade & upgrade Tor when needed
- See if Tor is running / ability to shutdown / restart it

That kind of application automate via SSH/SCP the procedure explained below.
The procedure would be finely tuned for all the different main unix
operating systems available (that are the one ready-made on the
vps/server provider of installable list).

The user experience would be:
- Start the application
- Select operating system version (Ubuntu 12.04, Debian 6, CentOS X,
etc, etc)
- Insert hostname, root's username, password
- Configure visually on the UI:
 - Nickname
 - Bandwidth
 - Exit Policy
- Click "Deploy Tor"

Et voilà, the tor intance would be installed and configured on the
remote server trough SSH/SCP for that specific OS version.

Other options provided to the end-user by the UI would complete the
maintenance operation required:
- Check for upgrade
- Upgrade
- Start / Stop / Restart

With such approach you would still had made possible for non-unix users
to deploy and maintain tor on unix's vps of all the provider.

Fabio
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