[tor-bugs] #16294 [Tor]: Unable to bootstrap when no relays meet criteria

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#16294: Unable to bootstrap when no relays meet criteria
--------------------+---------------------
 Reporter:  atagar  |          Owner:
     Type:  defect  |         Status:  new
 Priority:  minor   |      Milestone:
Component:  Tor     |        Version:
 Keywords:          |  Actual Points:
Parent ID:          |         Points:
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 Very minor thing but when tor is unable to create a circuit that meets the
 torrc's criteria tor fails to bootstrap in a confusing way. For example,
 [https://stem.torproject.org/tutorials/to_russia_with_love.html stem's
 tutorial demos exiting through Russia] but the tor network doesn't have
 any Russian exits right now. The result is that tor bootstrapping hangs at
 45% ("Asking for relay descriptors")...

 {{{
 torrc:

 ExitNodes {ru}

 tor output:

 Jun 04 08:56:59.794 [notice] Tor v0.2.7.1-alpha-dev (git-d5e4a6343694574c)
 running on Linux with Libevent 2.0.16-stable, OpenSSL 1.0.1 and Zlib
 1.2.3.4.
 Jun 04 08:56:59.794 [notice] Tor can't help you if you use it wrong! Learn
 how to be safe at https://www.torproject.org/download/download#warning
 Jun 04 08:56:59.794 [notice] This version is not a stable Tor release.
 Expect more bugs than usual.
 Jun 04 08:56:59.802 [notice] Opening Socks listener on 127.0.0.1:7000
 Jun 04 08:56:59.000 [warn] Failed to open GEOIP file
 /usr/local/share/tor/geoip.  We've been configured to use (or avoid) nodes
 in certain countries, and we need GEOIP information to figure out which
 ones they are.
 Jun 04 08:56:59.000 [warn] Failed to open GEOIP file
 /usr/local/share/tor/geoip6.  We've been configured to use (or avoid)
 nodes in certain countries, and we need GEOIP information to figure out
 which ones they are.
 Jun 04 08:56:59.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 0%: Starting
 Jun 04 08:57:02.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 45%: Asking for relay
 descriptors
 }}}

 Rather than just hang we should emit a message saying what's up. Maybe
 terminate too.

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Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/16294>
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