[tor-bugs] #2357 [Tor Bridge]: ReachableAddresses ignored when playing with bridges using Vidalia

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#2357: ReachableAddresses ignored when playing with bridges using Vidalia
------------------------+---------------------------------------------------
 Reporter:  anonym      |          Owner:  arma              
     Type:  defect      |         Status:  assigned          
 Priority:  major       |      Milestone:  Tor: 0.2.2.x-final
Component:  Tor Bridge  |        Version:  Tor: 0.2.1.26     
 Keywords:              |         Parent:                    
   Points:              |   Actualpoints:                    
------------------------+---------------------------------------------------

Comment(by arma):

 Replying to [ticket:2357 anonym]:
 > I think this possible bug is best illustrated with an example. I do this
 using Tor 0.2.1.28 (not currently present in Version list) and Vidalia
 0.2.10:
 >
 > 1. I clear the Tor data dir ("rm /var/lib/tor/*" in my case) and add
 "!ReachableAddresses reject *:*" to torrc.
 > 2. I start Tor. !ReachableAddresses prevents it from bootstrapping as
 expected.

 Ok.

 > 3. I start Vidalia and add a bridge. Tor immediately bootstraps and all
 connections to the Tor network are made through the bridge (verified with
 packet sniffer) as expected (except that the bridge connection is exempt
 from !ReachableAddresses, see ticket #2356).

 See my explanation on #2356: when you click 'ok' from Vidalia, Vidalia
 sets your ReachableAddresses as well as your Bridges, to the settings
 you've configured with Vidalia.

 > 4. I restart Tor. Tor hangs on "Bootstrapping 85%" according to the log,
 accompanied by the notices:
 >
 >       Notice: no known bridge descriptors running yet; stalling
 >
 > and
 >
 >       Notice: Our directory information is no longer up-to-date
 >       enough to build circuits: No live bridge descriptors.
 >
 > What's Tor's problem with the bridge (I have verified that the bridge
 works on another system)?

 How did you restart Tor? Presumably from inside Vidalia, by clicking 'stop
 tor' and 'start tor'? Is your Vidalia/Tor configuration such that when you
 finished step 3, it overwrite Tor's torrc file? If yes, your
 ReachableAddresses line should be gone. If no, Vidalia remembered the
 changes it tried to get your Tor to saveconf, and applied them anew the
 next time you asked it to start Tor.

 > 5. I disable bridges in Vidalia. Now Tor immediately bootstraps by
 connecting _directly_ to the Tor network, ignoring the !ReachableAddresses
 options still present in torrc. I have verified that the connection is
 direct using a packet sniffer.
 >
 > Why is !ReachableAddresses suddenly ignored?

 Because your Vidalia reset it.

 > 6. I restart Tor and Vidalia (bridges still off). Tor still connects to
 the Tor network, ignoring !ReachableAddresses.
 >
 > Again, why is !ReachableAddresses suddenly ignored?

 Depends exactly how you restarted them. In any case, same reason as above.
 The more general challenge here is that Vidalia is a replacement for
 manually editing your torrc file, not a complement.

 > 7. I stop Tor and Vidalia, clear Tor's data dir, and then start Tor and
 Vidalia (again, no bridges). Now the behaviour is the same as in point 2
 and everything works as expected.
 >
 > But why does clearing the Tor data dir make a difference?

 My guess is that it doesn't. I think you'll need to be more precise on
 what order you're restarting things, and whether Vidalia is starting your
 Tor (in which case it'll configure it for you too).

 > Here's the original post about this issue on the T(A)ILS development
 mailing list, but I think all relevant information is posted above:
 http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.distributions.tails.devel/83

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/2357#comment:4>
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