[tor-bugs] #4473 [Tor Client]: Disallow ControlPort auto unless ControlPortWriteToFile also set?

[Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki]

#4473: Disallow ControlPort auto unless ControlPortWriteToFile also set?
------------------------+---------------------------------------------------
 Reporter:  arma        |          Owner:                    
     Type:  defect      |         Status:  new               
 Priority:  normal      |      Milestone:  Tor: 0.2.3.x-final
Component:  Tor Client  |        Version:                    
 Keywords:              |         Parent:                    
   Points:              |   Actualpoints:                    
------------------------+---------------------------------------------------
Description changed by arma:

Old description:

> If you set controlport auto but you don't set ControlPortWriteToFile, it
> works, but there's no (automated) way for controllers to find your
> control port.
>
> A user in #tor just set up his Tor that way.
>
> Should Tor demand that ControlPortWriteToFile is set when ControlPort
> auto is chosen? Or do we think the use case of "expert user looks at log
> file and configures controller by hand" outweighs the "user thinks he set
> it up right but didn't" failure mode?
>
> This is a bug in 0.2.2.x too, but my initial guess is that we want to
> mess with 0.2.2.x here.

New description:

 If you set controlport auto but you don't set ControlPortWriteToFile, it
 works, but there's no (automated) way for controllers to find your control
 port.

 A user in #tor just set up his Tor that way.

 Should Tor demand that ControlPortWriteToFile is set when ControlPort auto
 is chosen? Or do we think the use case of "expert user looks at log file
 and configures controller by hand" outweighs the "user thinks he set it up
 right but didn't" failure mode?

 This is a bug in 0.2.2.x too, but my initial guess is that we don't want
 to mess with 0.2.2.x here.

--

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/4473#comment:4>
Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki <https://trac.torproject.org/>
The Tor Project: anonymity online