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author | Roger Dingledine <arma@torproject.org> | 2003-03-18 03:28:03 +0000 |
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committer | Roger Dingledine <arma@torproject.org> | 2003-03-18 03:28:03 +0000 |
commit | 8fb1056a7c4d9382cc96fbeb9d618a9113bfadad (patch) | |
tree | 6e51f8ca75bcbcc970795e6c5e4ac5a05c8eb639 /doc/FAQ | |
parent | f9c541bfcf886248e809d198b19fb1e2e97b924e (diff) | |
download | tor-8fb1056a7c4d9382cc96fbeb9d618a9113bfadad.tar tor-8fb1056a7c4d9382cc96fbeb9d618a9113bfadad.tar.gz |
identical FAQ and HACKING files, now in /doc
svn:r194
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diff --git a/doc/FAQ b/doc/FAQ new file mode 100644 index 000000000..d4d7a46a2 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/FAQ @@ -0,0 +1,111 @@ +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 +(an "onion") which describes a source-routed path through a set of +nodes. Those nodes build a "virtual circuit" through the network, 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. + +1.2. Why's it called tor? + +Because tor is the onion routing system. I kept telling people I was +working on onion routing, and they said "Neat. Which one?" Even if onion +routing has become a standard household term, this is the actual onion +routing project, started out of the Naval Research Lab. + +(Theories about recursive acronyms are ok too.) + + +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? + + + |