[tor-bugs] #32823 [Core Tor/Tor]: support Android SharedPreferences xml as a torrc format

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#32823: support Android SharedPreferences xml as a torrc format
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 Reporter:  eighthave                            |          Owner:  (none)
     Type:  enhancement                          |         Status:  new
 Priority:  Medium                               |      Milestone:  Tor:
                                                 |  unspecified
Component:  Core Tor/Tor                         |        Version:
 Severity:  Normal                               |     Resolution:
 Keywords:  Android, xml, tbb-mobile, torrc,     |  Actual Points:
  sharedpreferences                              |
Parent ID:                                       |         Points:
 Reviewer:                                       |        Sponsor:
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Comment (by sisbell):

 There should be some canonical format. I'm assuming this would for the
 flat format specified in torrc. What I was suggesting is a plugin (on the
 tor side) that would transform to/from a given format to the canonical and
 then start tor.  Tor handles the monitoring of config file changes and
 whatever internals it needs. The third-party creates the plugin that
 handles the transform but it would load and run as part of Tor.

 If the config plugin implementation is useful to the general community,
 then perhaps it could become included within a set of core plugins. In
 other cases, the plugin would allow more specific, customizable
 implementations.

 So I don't think there is disagreement in the high-level approach. I'm
 suggesting taking your idea and generalizing it to support any custom
 format.

 Replying to [comment:3 eighthave]:


 > What I have in mind is definitely not import/export.  I mean Tor
 directly loading configuration from the Android `SharedPreferences` xml
 files when they change (e.g. using Linux inotify).  That would make it
 trivial to make nice, responsive Settings UX on the Android side, like
 bridge lines, etc.  Import/export would not help in this goal much at all,
 since the Android side would need to have custom code to handle loading
 the exported XML.  That's the thing to avoid.  When doing custom things
 with `SharedPreferences`, its quite tricky to get everything syncing and
 loading properly, especially with native code involved.  Then there are
 many bugs with Settings not taking effect immediately, and instead
 requiring app restarts, etc.

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Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/32823#comment:4>
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