[tor-talk] What is going on with /var/run/tor?

[Perforin]

On 2011-12-29 21:25, Matthew R wrote:
> I am becoming increasingly perplexed about my Tor setup.
>
> Tor does not appear to run on start-up.  I assume this because I cannot see
> it using ps aux | grep tor.
>
> My torrc is in /etc/tor/torrc with user and group set as 'root'.
>
> I run 'sudo tor' and receive the following errors:
>
> Dec 29 20:12:55.076 [notice] Tor v0.2.2.35 (git-73ff13ab3cc9570d). This is
> experimental software. Do not rely on it for strong anonymity. (Running on
> Linux i686)
> Dec 29 20:12:55.079 [notice] Initialized libevent version 1.4.13-stable
> using method epoll. Good.
> Dec 29 20:12:55.079 [notice] Opening Socks listener on 127.0.0.1:9050
> Dec 29 20:12:55.079 [warn] Directory /var/run/tor does not exist.
> Dec 29 20:12:55.079 [warn] Before Tor can create a control socket in
> "/var/run/tor/control", the directory "/var/run/tor" needs to exist, and to
> be accessible only by the user and group account that is running Tor.  (On
> some Unix systems, anybody who can list a socket can conect to it, so Tor
> is being careful.)
> Dec 29 20:12:55.079 [notice] Closing partially-constructed listener Socks
> listener on 127.0.0.1:9050
> Dec 29 20:12:55.080 [warn] Failed to parse/validate config: Failed to bind
> one of the listener ports.
> Dec 29 20:12:55.080 [err] Reading config failed--see warnings above.
>
> It is correct that /var/run/tor does not exist. I then create /var/run/tor
> with user and group as 'root' and run 'sudo tor' again:
>
> Dec 29 20:15:41.943 [notice] Tor v0.2.2.35 (git-73ff13ab3cc9570d). This is
> experimental software. Do not rely on it for strong anonymity. (Running on
> Linux i686)
> Dec 29 20:15:41.948 [notice] Initialized libevent version 1.4.13-stable
> using method epoll. Good.
> Dec 29 20:15:41.948 [notice] Opening Socks listener on 127.0.0.1:9050
> Dec 29 20:15:41.949 [warn] /var/run/tor is not owned by this user
> (debian-tor, 115) but by root (0). Perhaps you are running Tor as the wrong
> user?
> Dec 29 20:15:41.949 [warn] Before Tor can create a control socket in
> "/var/run/tor/control", the directory "/var/run/tor" needs to exist, and to
> be accessible only by the user and group account that is running Tor.  (On
> some Unix systems, anybody who can list a socket can conect to it, so Tor
> is being careful.)
> Dec 29 20:15:41.950 [notice] Closing partially-constructed listener Socks
> listener on 127.0.0.1:9050
> Dec 29 20:15:41.950 [warn] Failed to parse/validate config: Failed to bind
> one of the listener ports.
> Dec 29 20:15:41.950 [err] Reading config failed--see warnings above.
>
> I don't understand why I get this error because I am 'root' not
> 'debian-tor'.  Su-ing into root then running tor provides the same error
> message:
>
> However, running 'tor' (without sudo) provides the following message:
>
> Dec 29 20:18:28.270 [notice] Tor v0.2.2.35 (git-73ff13ab3cc9570d). This is
> experimental software. Do not rely on it for strong anonymity. (Running on
> Linux i686)
> Dec 29 20:18:28.271 [warn] Could not open "/etc/tor/torrc": Permission
> denied
> Dec 29 20:18:28.272 [notice] Configuration file "/etc/tor/torrc" not
> present, using reasonable defaults.
> Dec 29 20:18:28.274 [notice] Initialized libevent version 1.4.13-stable
> using method epoll. Good.
> Dec 29 20:18:28.274 [notice] Opening Socks listener on 127.0.0.1:9050
> Dec 29 20:18:28.285 [notice] Parsing GEOIP file /usr/share/tor/geoip.
> Dec 29 20:18:29.084 [notice] OpenSSL OpenSSL 0.9.8k 25 Mar 2009 [9080bf]
> looks like it's older than 0.9.8l, but some vendors have backported
> 0.9.8l's renegotiation code to earlier versions, and some have backported
> the code from 0.9.8m or 0.9.8n.  I'll set both SSL3_FLAGS and SSL_OP just
> to be safe.
> Dec 29 20:18:31.459 [notice] We now have enough directory information to
> build circuits.
> Dec 29 20:18:31.459 [notice] Bootstrapped 80%: Connecting to the Tor
> network.
> Dec 29 20:18:32.522 [notice] Bootstrapped 85%: Finishing handshake with
> first hop.
> Dec 29 20:18:33.603 [notice] Bootstrapped 90%: Establishing a Tor circuit.
> Dec 29 20:18:34.618 [notice] Tor has successfully opened a circuit. Looks
> like client functionality is working.
> Dec 29 20:18:34.618 [notice] Bootstrapped 100%: Done.
>
> This all looks good except that it now uses "reasonable defaults" rather
> than my specific torrc file.
>
> I also have no idea why running 'tor' doesn't complain about /var/run/tor
> but running 'sudo tor' does.
>
> All I want to do is to run tor and have it load a specific torrc.  I don't
> care whether I run tor in GNOME or whether I load Vidalia which then loads
> tor.  At the moment, Vidalia just gives the /var/run/tor error as above.
>
> Suggestions please?  Many thanks.
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Why would you like to run tor as root? U mad bro?

Do the following:
chown debian-tor:debian-tor /var/run/tor

Now tor shouldn't complain 'bout the wrong usergroup anymore.


greetz