[tor-dev] Proposal for a New Web App to Configure Tor Nodes

Fri Aug 30 10:40:42 UTC 2024

> The relays do not have a proper configuration, the standard nickname, etc.

Why not make an image that has an install wizard to set nicknames etc, and
keeps other settings up to date to best current practices?
Saying that you *must* have digested the inner workings of Tor first is a
little elitist at best.
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On Fri, 30 Aug 2024 at 11:27, George Hartley via tor-dev <
tor-dev at lists.torproject.org> wrote:

> We want people to be knowledgeable, and these "do it one time and forget
> about it" websites are not helping.
>
> I personally believe, that if you want to host a Tor node:
>
>
>    1. You MUST have read the manual, at least the entries explaining the
>    settings in your Tor configuration file. Please take a look at it here:
>    https://e.as207960.net/w4bdyj/8khjJeOgCmmxEx04
>    2. You MUST NOT be using a Tor-relay polluted data center or Host
>    (Hetzner, OVH, NetCup). Please look at the current network diversity:
>    https://e.as207960.net/w4bdyj/lJHPMqju4IKuHFg7
>    3. You should have a dedicated server, or at least a QEMU KVM, with 25
>    MBit/s or more of continuous, unlimited traffic.
>
>
> We used to have an official page, to incentivize random people who don't
> know much about IT in general to host a Tor node.
>
> As far as I know, it never did much - the relays do not have a proper
> configuration, the standard nickname, etc.
>
> Owners would abandon their relays or stop paying for the machine
> altogether.
>
> There needs to be targeted "advertising" for privacy conscious people,
> people who might already use the Tor browser.
>
> Maybe add some incentive to the starting page of Tor Browser, reminding
> users that we still need more relays.
>
> Just my 2 cents.
>
> Sincerely,
> George
>
> On Wednesday, August 28th, 2024 at 9:30 AM, Sergey Ponomarev <
> stokito at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi Allef,
>
> For routers with OpenWrt (a FOSS firmware) you can install the Luci admin
> panel plugin to configure Tor called luci-app-tor. This is probably the
> only web GUI for Tor.
> Currently it allows to configure very basic things like onion services so
> you can access your router without a public IP.
> There are no any configs for bridge or exit node, just from a client
> perspective.
>
> Not sure if it will be useful for you, but it can be easily extended if
> needed.
> You can't install easily the Luci to Ubuntu but you may run the OpenWrt in
> the virtual machine to try.
> I made a few PRs to the tor for OpenWrt but the company that created the
> package (Turris routers) doesn't interestd in this anymore.
>
> For a desktop distros loke Ubuntu you may find a similar tool called
> Webmin that can be used for remote administration. Maybe you can create a
> plugin for it.
>
> 26 авг. 2024 г. 12:56:09 Alessandro Greco via tor-dev <
> tor-dev at lists.torproject.org>:
>
> Hello everyone,
>
> I have been thinking about creating a web app that generates a script to
> configure a Tor node based on the settings defined by the user. Let me
> explain a bit further.
>
> This web app could work either entirely on the client side using
> JavaScript or on the server side. I believe a client-side-only approach is
> preferable because it avoids handling user data in any way and reduces the
> risk of man-in-the-middle attacks, although it doesn't completely eliminate
> it.
>
> The main use case would be for a user who wants to contribute by
> configuring a Tor node. Instead of manually writing all the various
> configurations — from downloading Tor to following the best practices after
> configuration — the user would simply need to select a series of options on
> a user-friendly page (user-friendly = easier setup => more wish to do it,
> which could realistically lead to more relays), download the auto-generated
> file, and run it with administrative privileges.
>
> I believe that developing such a web app could not only benefit the Tor
> network by encouraging the deployment of new nodes, but it could also be
> highly educational. Alongside the script to execute, a standard report
> could be generated to technically explain the function of each setting.
>
> Of course, there would be a standard section allowing for basic relay
> execution and an "advanced" section that opens up multiple functionalities
> for the user.
>
> I'm not sure if something like this already exists, but I think it could
> be very helpful. For instance, I often find myself scrolling through the
> manual to check for the latest updates applicable to the `torrc` file. With
> this web app, we could also create a "latest updates" section.
>
> This is just my rough idea, and if it proves useful not just for me but
> for the rest of the community as well, we could consider structuring a
> development project around it.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Aleff.
>
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