"router get by nickname" on request to dir server appears to be failing

[Anon Mus]

Nick Mathewson <nickm at freehaven.net> wrote:    On Sun, Mar 04, 2007 at 07:24:10AM -0800, Anon Mus wrote:

[Reformatted: lines wrapped. You might want to see if you can get
your mailer to wrap lines to 72 characters.]

   
  ***Yes, it was set to 99.
   
  
> (v0.1.1.26 client on Win2Ksp4+)
> 
> I have a few nodes I exclude in my torrc with ExcludeNodesconfiguration.
> 
> When I start tor (using vidalia) I get a series of error messages in
> mylog. eg
> 
> [Warning] router_get_by_nickname(): You specified a server "xxx"
> byname, but the directory authorities do not have a listing for
> thisname. To make sure you get the same server in the future, refer
> to itby key, as "$xxxxx".
> 
> Yet these servers are all in my tor directory file and on
> xenobite'slisting https://torstat.xenobite.eu/.

It is possible for the servers to appear in your directory without
having a listing _by name_. Servers are listed as "Named" by
directory authorities if the nickname has been registered with the
directory authorities, and no other server is allowed to canonically
use it. If the name isn't registered, then any server can claim to
have that name. This is why Tor is suggesting that you identify
servers by key, not name.

I'll change this warning so it is more clear; thanks for the tip.

  ***Ok thanks, I undestand now.
   
  ***Suggestion:
   
  ***Seeing as how most servers nowadays don't appear to have officially registered names, could the system get the name from the ordinary directory, if it fails to get it from the directory authorities. A torrc file setting nicknamesource = [registerednamesonly, includedirectoryname] could keep it that way. Users beware using the includedirectorynames setting. Its simpler that way, if you
  have spare time. No need to say yes/no.
   
  > I've noticed I even get routes (1st hop) to some of them, perhaps
> thisis because router_get_by_nickname() fails.
>
> I believe keys can change, so I use nicknames because they always
> seemto be there.

***Identity keys don't change for a given server, unless the server admin
deletes the old identity key and generates a new one.
   
  ***I noticed they were changing (but weirdly not their nickname). Maybe they are using vidalia's change id button(??). 

  ***<large amount snipped>
   
  ***For all the rest, I'll give it a try.
   
  ***That was great help, thankyou.

 
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