a frequently asked questions list, with some answers

svn:r127

FAQ

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+The Onion Routing (TOR) Frequently Asked Questions
+--------------------------------------------------
+
+1. General.
+
+1.1. What is tor?
+
+Tor is an implementation of version 2 of Onion Routing.
+
+Onion Routing is a connection-oriented anonymizing communication
+service. Users build a layered block of asymmetric encryptions which
+describes a source-routed path through a set of nodes. Those nodes
+build a "virtual circuit," in which each node knows its predecessor and
+successor, but no others. Traffic flowing down the circuit is unwrapped
+by a symmetric key at each node which reveals the downstream node.
+
+Basically tor provides a distributed network of servers ('onion
+routers'). Users bounce their tcp streams (web traffic, ftp, ssh, etc)
+around the routers, and recipients, observers, and even the routers
+themselves have difficulty tracking the source of the stream.
+
+
+2. Compiling and installing.
+
+[Read the README file for now; check back here once we've got packages/etc
+for you.]
+
+
+3. Running tor.
+
+3.1. What's this about roles? What kind of server should I run?
+
+The same executable ("or") functions as both client and server, depending
+on the value of the config variable named 'Role'. Role represents a
+combination of which tasks this particular tor server will do. The default
+Role (role 15) is an onion router: it listens for onion routers, listens
+for onion proxies, listens for application proxies, and it connects to
+all other onion routers it learns about. A directory server (role 63)
+does all of the above and also serves directory requests. A simple
+onion proxy, on the other hand (role 8), only listens for application
+proxies. See part 3.1 of the HACKING document for more technical details.
+
+3.2. So I can just run a full onion router and join the network?
+
+No. Users should run just an onion proxy (use the 'oprc' config file).
+If you start up a full onion router, the rest of the routers in the
+system won't recognize you, so they will reject your handshake attempts.
+
+3.3. How do I join the network then?
+
+If you just want to use the onion routing network, you can run a proxy
+and you're all set. If you want to run a router, you must convince
+the directory server operators (currently arma@mit.edu) that you're a
+trustworthy person. From there, the operators add you to the directory,
+which propagates out to the rest of the network. All nodes will know
+about you within an hour.
+
+3.4. I want to run a directory server too.
+
+If you run a very reliable node, you plan to be around for a long time,
+and you want to spend some time ensuring that router operators are
+people we know and like, we may want you to run a directory server
+too. We must manually add you to the 'dirservers' file that's part of
+the distribution; users will only know about you when they upgrade to
+a new version. Of course, you can always just start up your router as a
+directory server too --- but users won't know to ask you for directories,
+and more importantly, you'll never learn from the real directory servers
+about recently joined routers.
+
+
+4. Development.
+
+4.1. Who's doing this?
+
+4.2. Can I help?
+
+4.3. I've got a bug.
+
+
+5. Anonymity.
+
+5.1. So I'm totally anonymous if I use tor?
+
+5.2. Where can I learn more about anonymity?
+
+
+6. Comparison to related projects.
+
+6.1. Onion Routing.
+
+Tor *is* onion routing.
+
+6.2. Freedom.
+
+
+7. Protocol and application support.
+
+7.1. http? ftp? udp? socks? mozilla?
+
+
+