first cut of the new, shiny...
Andrew Lewman authored 13 years ago
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5) #include "head.wmi" TITLE="Tor Project: FAQ" CHARSET="UTF-8"
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first cut of the new, shiny...
Andrew Lewman authored 13 years ago
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9) <a href="<page docs/documentation>">Documentation » </a>
10) <a href="<page docs/faq>">FAQ</a>
11) </div>
12) <div id="maincol">
13) <!-- PUT CONTENT AFTER THIS TAG -->
14) <h1>Tor FAQ</h1>
15) <hr />
16)
17) <p>General questions:</p>
18) <ul>
19) <li><a href="#WhatIsTor">What is Tor?</a></li>
20) <li><a href="#Torisdifferent">How is Tor different from other proxies?</a></li>
21) <li><a href="#CompatibleApplications">What programs can I use with
22) Tor?</a></li>
23) <li><a href="#WhyCalledTor">Why is it called Tor?</a></li>
24) <li><a href="#Backdoor">Is there a backdoor in Tor?</a></li>
25) <li><a href="#DistributingTor">Can I distribute Tor on my magazine's
26) CD?</a></li>
27) <li><a href="#SupportMail">How can I get an answer to my
28) Tor support mail?</a></li>
29) <li><a href="#WhySlow">Why is Tor so slow?</a></li>
30) <li><a href="#Funding">What would The Tor Project do with more
31) funding?</a></li>
32) </ul>
33)
34) <p>Compilation and Installation:</p>
35) <ul>
36) <li><a href="#HowUninstallTor">How do I uninstall Tor?</a></li>
37) <li><a href="#PGPSigs">What are these "sig" files on the download
38) page?</a></li>
39) <li><a href="#CompileTorWindows">How do I compile Tor under Windows?</a></li>
40) <li><a href="#VirusFalsePositives">Why does my Tor executable appear to
41) have a virus or spyware?</a></li>
42) <li><a href="#LiveCD">Is there a LiveCD or other bundle that includes Tor?</a></li>
43) </ul>
44)
45) <p>Running Tor:</p>
46)
47) <p>Running a Tor client:</p>
48) <ul>
49) <li><a href="#ChooseEntryExit">Can I control which nodes (or country) are used for entry/exit?</a></li>
50) </ul>
51)
52) <p>Running a Tor relay:</p>
53) <ul>
54) <li><a href="#RelayFlexible">How stable does my relay need to be?</a></li>
55) <li><a href="#ExitPolicies">I'd run a relay, but I don't want to deal
56) with abuse issues.</a></li>
57) <li><a href="#RelayOrBridge">Should I be a normal relay or bridge
58) relay?</a></li>
59) <li><a href="#RelayMemory">Why is my Tor relay using so much memory?</a></li>
60) <li><a href="#WhyNotNamed">Why is my Tor relay not named?</a></li>
61) </ul>
62)
63) <p>Running a Tor hidden service:</p>
64)
65) <p>Anonymity and Security:</p>
66) <ul>
67) <li><a href="#KeyManagement">Tell me about all the keys Tor uses.</a></li>
68) </ul>
69)
70) <p>Alternate designs that we don't do (yet):</p>
71) <ul>
72) <li><a href="#EverybodyARelay">You should make every Tor user be a
73) relay.</a></li>
74) </ul>
75)
76) <p>Abuse</p>
77) <ul>
78) <li><a href="#Criminals">Doesn't Tor enable criminals to do bad things?</a></li>
79) <li><a href="#RespondISP">How do I respond to my ISP about my exit
80) relay?</a></li>
81) </ul>
82)
83) <p>For other questions not yet on this version of the FAQ, see the <a
84) href="https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/TheOnionRouter/TorFAQ">wiki
85) FAQ</a> for now.</p>
86)
87) <hr />
88)
89) <a id="General"></a>
90)
91) <a id="WhatIsTor"></a>
92) <h3><a class="anchor" href="#WhatIsTor">What is Tor?</a></h3>
93)
94) <p>
95) The name "Tor" can refer to several different components.
96) </p>
97)
98) <p>
99) The Tor software is a program you can run on your computer that helps keep
100) you safe on the Internet. Tor protects you by bouncing your communications
101) around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around
102) the world: it prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from
103) learning what sites you visit, and it prevents the sites you visit
104) from learning your physical location. This set of volunteer relays is
105) called the Tor network. You can read more about how Tor works on the <a
106) href="<page about/overview>">overview page</a>.
107) </p>
108)
109) <p>
110) The Tor Project is a non-profit (charity) organization that maintains
111) and develops the Tor software.
112) </p>
113)
114) <hr />
115)
116) <a id="Torisdifferent"></a>
117) <h3><a class="anchor" href="#Torisdifferent">How is Tor different from other proxies?</a></h3>
118) <p>
119) A typical proxy provider sets up a server somewhere on the Internet and allows you to use it to relay your traffic. This creates a simple, easy to maintain architecture. The users all enter and leave through the same server. The provider may charge for use of the proxy, or fund their costs through advertisements on the server. In the simplest configuration, you don't have to install anything. You just have to point your browser at their proxy server. Simple proxy providers are fine solutions if you do not want protections for your privacy and anonymity online and you trust the provider from doing bad things. Some simple proxy providers use SSL to secure your connection to them. This may protect you against local eavesdroppers, such as those at a cafe with free wifi Internet.
120) </p>
121) <p>
122) Simple proxy providers also create a single point of failure. The provider knows who you are and where you browse on the Internet. They can see your traffic as it passes through their server. In some cases, they can see your encrypted traffic as they relay it to your banking site or to ecommerce stores. You have to trust the provider isn't doing any number of things, such as watching your traffic, injecting their own advertisements into your traffic stream, and isn't recording your personal details.
123) </p>
124) <p>
125) Tor passes your traffic through at least 3 different servers before sending it on to the destination. Tor does not modify, or even know, what you are sending into it. It merely relays your traffic, completely encrypted through the Tor network and has it pop out somewhere else in the world, completely intact. The Tor client is required because we assume you trust your local computer. The Tor client manages the encryption and the path chosen through the network. The relays located all over the world merely pass encrypted packets between themselves.</p>
126) <p>
127) <dl>
128) <dt>Doesn't the first server see who I am?</dt><dd>Possibly. A bad first of three servers can see encrypted Tor traffic coming from your computer. It still doesn't know who you are and what you are doing over Tor. It merely sees "This IP address is using Tor". Tor is not illegal anywhere in the world, so using Tor by itself is fine. You are still protected from this node figuring out who you are and where you are going on the Internet.</dd>
129) <dt>Can't the third server see my traffic?</dt><dd>Possibly. A bad third of three servers can see the traffic you sent into Tor. It won't know who sent this traffic. If you're using encryption, such as visiting a bank or e-commerce website, or encrypted mail connections, etc, it will only know the destination. It won't be able to see the data inside the traffic stream. You are still protected from this node figuring out who you are and if using encryption, what data you're sending to the destination.</dd>
130) </dl>
131) </p>
132)
133) <hr />
134)
135) <a id="CompatibleApplications"></a>
136) <h3><a class="anchor" href="#CompatibleApplications">What programs can
137) I use with Tor?</a></h3>
138)
139) <p>
140) There are two pieces to "Torifying" a program: connection-level anonymity
141) and application-level anonymity. Connection-level anonymity focuses on
142) making sure the application's Internet connections get sent through Tor.
143) This step is normally done by configuring
144) the program to use your Tor client as a "socks" proxy, but there are
145) other ways to do it too. For application-level anonymity, you need to
146) make sure that the information the application sends out doesn't hurt
147) your privacy. (Even if the connections are being routed through Tor, you
148) still don't want to include sensitive information like your name.) This
149) second step needs to be done on a program-by-program basis, which is
150) why we don't yet recommend very many programs for safe use with Tor.
151) </p>
152)
153) <p>
154) Most of our work so far has focused on the Firefox web browser. The
155) bundles on the <a href="<page download/download>">download page</a> automatically
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first cut of the new, shiny...