I'm thinking of running a relay, and i've a few questions regarding the requirements and the general setup. So far this is just planning.

The hardware would be clean and in my possession, but the connection would go through a Swedish-based VPN provider because i'm not interested in running it through my own IP address. The provider endorses Tor and places no limits whatsoever on the services run through their connection, has port forwarding and allows exits, so no issues there. They also have a strict no-logging policy, but words are cheap so you never know.

I guess the first question should be whether such a relay would be welcome on the Tor network in the first place? I am aware that connecting to Tor through a VPN isn't generally recommended, but what about running a relay through one? Better idea, or a ridiculously bad one?

Second, while it would run on a (nearly) dedicated 100mbit connection, i do not have dedicated equipment. The machine needs to be taken offline between every 2-4 weeks, for some days at a time. Frequent OS updates also often require reboots in addition to this downtime. So much for a stable flag, but more importantly i need to know if this behavior is undesirable for running middle/exit relays? If so, would a bridge be better suitable with the tools i have at hand?

Third, regarding running bridges. The Tor Project FAQ states running your own bridge might improve your own anonymity. I assume this means you would manually set up your TBB to connect to *your own* bridge, is this correct? And finally, since the bridge would run on a separate (VPN) IP address, would this make a difference (re:anonymity) for better or worse if you connected through it yourself? I'm likely missing something here because it seems it would basically be the same as simply connecting to Tor through the VPN client alone.

Thanks.