[tor-talk] TBB - Correct/proper use of TOR_SKIP_LAUNCH=1 ?

[Lunar]

Zenaan Harkness:
> From here:
> https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/6009
> 
> we see addition of
> TOR_SKIP_LAUNCH=1
> command line option to effect start-tor-browser.
> 
> My questions all assume using TBB.

TOR_SKIP_LAUNCH was designed for Whonix and Tails use cases. For both
the tor daemon is started independently of the Tor Browser. For the
former on a different host and for the latter under a different system
user.

> Q1) When is it sensible to use the above TOR_SKIP_LAUNCH=1 option?
> For example:
>  - when connecting to local always-on relay?
>  - when connecting to local sometimes-on relay?
>  - when connecting to ones own 'cloud' relay via VPN?
>  - when connecting to ones own physical host relay via VPN?
>  - when connecting to a friend's home host relay via VPN?

None of the above. What is the problem of running tor locally?

> Q2) When connecting to a trusted friend's relay via VPN, […]

Why would you want to do that instead of using a (private) bridge?

> Q5) When connecting to a trusted friend's relay via the open Internet,
> is this what's called using the relay as a "bridge"?

Using a relay as a bridge is when you configure a public Tor relay
instead of an unlisted bridge as one of tor bridges. There are very few
use cases where it makes sense. See “Bridge” and “UseBridge” in tor(1)
manual page.

-- 
Lunar                                             <lunar at torproject.org>
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