[or-cvs] update the FAQ so it"s just useless, not wrong
Roger Dingledine
arma at seul.org
Wed Nov 12 17:34:43 UTC 2003
Update of /home/or/cvsroot/doc
In directory moria.mit.edu:/home2/arma/work/onion/cvs/doc
Modified Files:
FAQ HACKING tor-design.tex
Log Message:
update the FAQ so it's just useless, not wrong
Index: FAQ
===================================================================
RCS file: /home/or/cvsroot/doc/FAQ,v
retrieving revision 1.6
retrieving revision 1.7
diff -u -d -r1.6 -r1.7
--- FAQ 21 Oct 2003 09:49:39 -0000 1.6
+++ FAQ 12 Nov 2003 17:34:41 -0000 1.7
@@ -3,33 +3,34 @@
1. General.
-1.1. What is tor?
+1.1. What is Tor?
Tor is an implementation of version 2 of Onion Routing.
+Go read the tor-design.pdf for the details.
-Onion Routing is a connection-oriented anonymizing communication
-service. Users build a layered block of asymmetric encryptions
-(an "onion") which describes a source-routed path through a set of
-nodes. Those nodes build a "virtual circuit" through the network, in which
-each node knows its predecessor and successor, but no others. Traffic
-flowing down the circuit is unwrapped by a symmetric key at each node,
-which reveals the downstream node.
+In brief, Onion Routing is a connection-oriented anonymizing communication
+service. Users choose a source-routed path through a set of nodes, and
+negotiate a "virtual circuit" through the network, in which each node
+knows its predecessor and successor, but no others. Traffic flowing down
+the circuit is unwrapped by a symmetric key at each node, which reveals
+the downstream node.
-Basically tor provides a distributed network of servers ("onion
+Basically Tor provides a distributed network of servers ("onion
routers"). Users bounce their tcp streams (web traffic, ftp, ssh, etc)
around the routers, and recipients, observers, and even the routers
themselves have difficulty tracking the source of the stream.
-1.2. Why's it called tor?
+1.2. Why's it called Tor?
-Because tor is the onion routing system. I kept telling people I was
+Because Tor is the onion routing system. I kept telling people I was
working on onion routing, and they said "Neat. Which one?" Even if onion
routing has become a standard household term, this is the actual onion
routing project, started out of the Naval Research Lab.
-(Theories about recursive acronyms are ok too.)
+(Theories about recursive acronyms are ok too. It's also got a fine
+translation into German.)
-1.3 Is there a backdoor in tor?
+1.3 Is there a backdoor in Tor?
Not right now, but if this answer changes we probably won't be allowed
to tell you. You should always check the source (or at least the diffs
@@ -42,12 +43,12 @@
for you.]
-3. Running tor.
+3. Running Tor.
3.1. What kind of server should I run?
-The same executable ("or") functions as both client and server, depending
-on which ports are specified in the configuration file. You can specify:
+The same executable functions as both client and server, depending on
+which ports are specified in the configuration file. You can specify:
* SocksPort: client applications (eg privoxy, Mozilla) can speak socks to
this port.
* ORPort: other onion routers connect to this port
@@ -56,18 +57,18 @@
3.2. So I can just run a full onion router and join the network?
-No. Users should run just an onion proxy (use the 'oprc' config file).
-If you start up a full onion router, the rest of the routers in the
-system won't recognize you, so they will reject your handshake attempts.
+No. Users should run just an onion proxy. If you start up a full onion
+router, the rest of the routers in the system won't recognize you,
+so they will reject your handshake attempts.
3.3. How do I join the network then?
If you just want to use the onion routing network, you can run a proxy
and you're all set. If you want to run a router, you must convince
the directory server operators (currently arma at mit.edu) that you're a
-trustworthy person. From there, the operators add you to the directory,
-which propagates out to the rest of the network. All nodes will know
-about you within an hour.
+trustworthy and reliable person. From there, the operators add you to
+the directory, which propagates out to the rest of the network. All
+nodes will know about you within a half hour.
3.4. I want to run a directory server too.
@@ -93,7 +94,7 @@
5. Anonymity.
-5.1. So I'm totally anonymous if I use tor?
+5.1. So I'm totally anonymous if I use Tor?
@@ -101,8 +102,6 @@
5.3. What attacks remain against onion routing?
-tagging: can change bytes in the cells, even through link encryption
-end node can give back wrong data, even subtly wrong data.
6. Comparison to related projects.
Index: HACKING
===================================================================
RCS file: /home/or/cvsroot/doc/HACKING,v
retrieving revision 1.5
retrieving revision 1.6
diff -u -d -r1.5 -r1.6
--- HACKING 9 Oct 2003 08:33:54 -0000 1.5
+++ HACKING 12 Nov 2003 17:34:41 -0000 1.6
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@
Read the README file first, so you can get familiar with the basics of
installing and running an onion router.
- Then, skim some of the introductory materials in tor-spec.txt,
- tor-design.tex, and the Tor FAQ to learn more about how the Tor protocol
+ Then, skim some of the introductory materials in tor-design.pdf,
+ tor-spec.txt, and the Tor FAQ to learn more about how the Tor protocol
is supposed to work. This document will assume you know about Cells,
Circuits, Streams, Connections, Onion Routers, and Onion Proxies.
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@
A circuit_t structure fills two roles. First, a circuit_t links two
connections together: either an edge connection and an OR connection,
or two OR connections. (When joined to an OR connection, a circuit_t
- affects only cells sent to a particular ACI on that connection. When
+ affects only cells sent to a particular circID on that connection. When
joined to an edge connection, a circuit_t affects all data.)
Second, a circuit_t holds the cipher keys and state for sending data
Index: tor-design.tex
===================================================================
RCS file: /home/or/cvsroot/doc/tor-design.tex,v
retrieving revision 1.123
retrieving revision 1.124
diff -u -d -r1.123 -r1.124
--- tor-design.tex 12 Nov 2003 17:25:53 -0000 1.123
+++ tor-design.tex 12 Nov 2003 17:34:41 -0000 1.124
@@ -1800,7 +1800,7 @@
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%% commented out for anonymous submission
-\Section{Acknowledgments}
+\section*{Acknowledgments}
Peter Palfrader, Geoff Goodell, Adam Shostack, Joseph Sokol-Margolis,
John Bashinski, Zack Brown:
for editing and comments.
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