[tor-bugs] #18994 [Applications/Tor Browser]: Tor crashes after tor browser update running bridge mode in Windows

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#18994: Tor crashes after tor browser update running bridge mode in Windows
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 Reporter:  eli                       |          Owner:  tbb-team
     Type:  defect                    |         Status:  new
 Priority:  Medium                    |      Milestone:
Component:  Applications/Tor Browser  |        Version:
 Severity:  Normal                    |     Resolution:
 Keywords:  tor broser, bridge mode   |  Actual Points:
Parent ID:                            |         Points:
 Reviewer:                            |        Sponsor:
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Comment (by eli):

 Replying to [comment:6 teor]:
 > Replying to [comment:5 eli]:
 > > comment by teor:
 > > > Your Tor is running as a bridge relay using the Tor Browser bundle
 > on Windows.
 > > > I'm not sure if that's something we support.
 > > > Where are those instructions from?
 > >
 > > Nowhere.  Based on my experience running windows bridges in previous
 versions of tor I assumed that the same could be done in tor browser 4+.
 I guess I should've taken the hint when torrc-defaults no longer had any
 suggestions for bridge lines.  I did ask about this at
 help at rt.torproject.org before I learned that it had been shut down.
 > >
 > > FWIW: I'd bought a low-power box intending to dedicate it to running
 bridges 24/7, assuming that I could load a linux distro onto it.  Turns
 out that's not true; the CPU/graphics chips, which are hardwired in, can't
 load Debian or even run it from a live USB or CD.  So as long as I'm using
 that box I'll have to run tor for windows.
 > >
 > > The other reason that I thought I should be able to run a bridge mode
 under tor browser is the windows bridges I'm seeing in .../server-
 descriptors/ .
 >
 > Do you mean bridges, or relays?

 Bridges.

 > Bridges are relays with `BridgeRelay 1` set in their torrc, and they
 don't appear in the standard set of Tor network descriptors.

 Yes, that's how I configure torrc.

 > The supported way of running a bridge or relay on Windows is using the
 expert bundle linked from
 https://www.torproject.org/download/download.html.en

 Thanks, I was about to go looking for that.

 > > (Admittedly a small number: currently less than 100. I haven't been
 able to make the time to extract previous numbers from archives.  Tor
 browser in client mode is excellent; but are devs moving toward bridge
 mode being enabled in *nix only?)
 >
 > No, we are happy for people to run relays or bridges on Windows, but
 it's not a very common configuration. So we sometimes have trouble
 debugging and maintaining it.
 >
 > We would love people to test relays and bridges on Windows and help
 improve support for them.

 Good. I'll teach myself how to build from source.

 > > > It's also worth noting that you just leaked your bridge's IP
 address, > so it might be worth getting another IP address if it's static.
 > >
 > > That may be because I've been testing different configurations, and
 not paying attention to DNS leakage. Could it be because I'm enabling
 SafeLogging 1 during tests?
 >
 > Do you mean `SafeLogging 0`?

 Yes, sorry for the mistype. I do follow the instructions in tor-
 manual.html.en.pdf

 > `SafeLogging 1` is the default, and hides client IP addresses in some
 log messages.
 > But it doesn't hide bridge IP addresses, see #19060 for a suggested fix
 for this.

 Tnanks for this pointer.

 > > > It looks like your torrc is not set up in a way that Tor Browser can
 > > > find the ControlPort. Is the ControlPort on 9150 where Tor Browser
 > > > expects it to be?
 > >
 > > Yes, that's the error msg about half the time. I was able to use
 ControlPortWriteToFile to identify the control port in previous
 configurations (I recall it was 9150, but I killed that log and may be
 misremembering.) In the few configurations I was able to (too quickly) run
 this past week, that line hasn't been producing output.
 >
 > Why not set a static ControlPort using `ControlPort 9150`?

 I did that, but  for some reason it didn't work during last weeks trials.
 Probably  something I overlooked during the rushed sessions. Will try
 again.

 thanks again, I'll move along on all you've suggested. Unfortunately I
 don't get much time except on weekens, so more result s will come along
 slowly. FWIW here's the torrc I've generally been testing:

 # This file was generated by Tor; if you edit it, comments will not be
 preserved
 # The old torrc file was renamed to torrc.orig.1 or similar, and Tor will
 ignore it

 BridgeRelay 1
 ClientTransportPlugin obfs2,obfs3,obfs4,scramblesuit exec
 TorBrowser\Tor\PluggableTransports \obfs4proxy
 ContactInfo eliaz [at] riseup.net
 ControlPort 127.0.0.1:9150
 ControlPortWriteToFile C:\Users\Ed Agro\AppData\Roaming\tor\Log\control-
 port160511-1705HRS.txt
 DataDirectory C:\sources\tor\TBB installed\Tor
 Browser\Browser\TorBrowser\Data\Tor
 ExitPolicy reject *:*
 GeoIPFile C:\sources\tor\TBB installed\Tor
 Browser\Browser\TorBrowser\Data\Tor\geoip
 GeoIPv6File C:\sources\tor\TBB installed\Tor
 Browser\Browser\TorBrowser\Data\Tor\geoip6
 HiddenServiceStatistics 0
 Log notice file C:\Users\Ed
 Agro\AppData\Roaming\tor\Log\bridge160511-1705HRS.txt
 Nickname obfsmaus
 NumCPUs 2
 ORPort 443
 PublishServerDescriptor bridge
 RelayBandwidthBurst 196608
 RelayBandwidthRate 79000
 SafeLogging 0

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Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/18994#comment:7>
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