[tor-bugs] #5018 [Tor]: don't start ClientTransportPlugin proxies until we have a bridge that wants them

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#5018: don't start ClientTransportPlugin proxies until we have a bridge that wants
them
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     Reporter:  arma    |      Owner:
         Type:  defect  |     Status:  reopened
     Priority:  normal  |  Milestone:  Tor: 0.2.4.x-final
    Component:  Tor     |    Version:
   Resolution:          |   Keywords:  pt tor-bridge, 024-backport
Actual Points:          |  Parent ID:
       Points:          |
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Comment (by dcf):

 The purpose of backporting this patch for TBB 3.5, is so that we can ship
 pluggable transport executables, with ClientTransportPlugin lines in
 torrc-default, but avoid having them run until the user configures a
 Bridge line using them.

 I think that people are currently using the pluggable transports bundle
 for two reasons: 1) because it comes with the executables they need, and
 2) because it comes with a list of preconfigured default bridges (which
 apparently get a traffic, despite that they are trivial to block). I'm
 afraid of leaving current PT bundle users out in the cold as they upgrade
 to a TBB 3.5 that has their executables but not their default bridges.

 What do you think about the following idea? We alter the patch from this
 ticket so that a ClientTransportPlugin is started only if there is a
 bridge that needs it ''and'' UseBridges is true. Then we ship a torrc-
 defaults file that has all the ClientTransportPlugin lines uncommented,
 and all the Bridge lines uncommented, but has UseBridges set to 0. That
 way, users who don't need PTs don't see any change. Those who do need PTs
 will have the list of default bridges populated for them when they click
 the "set up bridges" button. The PT users will only have an extra click
 compared to what they have to do now--as opposed to additionally having to
 go to bridges.torproject.org, or copy-pasting the commented default
 bridges from torrc-defaults.

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Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/5018#comment:22>
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