[tor-bugs] #1949 [Tor Client]: set up a hidden service without using a filesystem directory?

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#1949: set up a hidden service without using a filesystem directory?
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 Reporter:  arma         |       Owner:                    
     Type:  enhancement  |      Status:  new               
 Priority:  minor        |   Milestone:  Tor: 0.2.3.x-final
Component:  Tor Client   |     Version:                    
 Keywords:               |      Parent:                    
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Comment(by nickm):

 {{{
 03:32 < special> short version.. it's hidden service based IM that creates
 and
                  publishes services via the control port. Tor insists on
                  writing the secret key unencrypted to disk, which is both
                  severely inconvenient and assumes that the user's disk is
 a
                  safe place
 03:32 < nickm> where do you  want to put them instead?
 03:33 < special> I would like to store the keys as part of the rest of the
                  application's settings, where I can allow the user to
 encrypt
                  them and make sure they're not lost
 03:35 < special> in other words, as the controller, I want to be able to
                  configure a service by telling Tor the secret key, and
 create
                  a service by asking Tor to give me the secret key.
 03:38 < special> sound sensible? I'm pretty distracted, so that's not the
 most
                  clear explanation I could come up with.
 03:39 < nickm> hm.  sounds plausible to me.  we don't have an excellent
 way to
                give something as big as a private key as a configuration
 option
                right now, but there's no reason that couldn't change.
 }}}

 So we would also need A) a way to flag a hidden service as "do not save
 this to disk at all", B) a way to use GETINFO to get a hidden service's
 private key, and C) a way to tell Tor a hidden service's key when you
 configure it.

 A is not so hard.  B is fairly easy, once we pick a format.  C is
 potentially tricky to find the right interface for, but ultimately
 shouldn't be too bad.

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/1949#comment:6>
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