Tor

GNU/consensus/OK/Tor

Tor

Anonymity Network

Availability

Desktop, Mobile

Tor is free software and an open network that helps you defend against traffic analysis,

a form of network surveillance that threatens personal freedom and privacy, confidential

business activities and relationships, and state security.

Features

...

Pros

• Free Software
• Strong and lively community
• Effective thwarting global surveillance
• Many use cases across the social spectrum
• Mainstream recognition (RFC7686)

Cons

• Advanced usage can be difficult
• Dependent on U.S. military funding

License: Tor-specific free software license

Tor Usage

Try opening the Tor detector in your Web browser to see if your system is configured to use Tor.

Recommended Usage

The Tor project releases the Tor Browser Bundle for anonymous Web navigation, that incorporates all necessary dependencies to run Tor, and a Firefox-based browser specifically configured by anonymity professionals to prevent privacy leaks. It is recommended to leave the browser window size untouched to prevent fingerprinting based on the actual screen size of your monitor. Using the TBB ensures you're part of an anonymous flock of Web users.

You can browse the Web with your own configured browser, but it will probably appear distinct from TBB and may leak information.

Onion Services

Anonymous Web

Any Tor user can configure onion services that run on the local host and are effectively hidden from their users, as well as from the service's ISP. A typical use of onion services are websites, accessible using the Special-Use Domain Name .onion (RFC7686).

Stable SSH

One useful case for onion services is to setup an SSH server on a NATed host with a dynamic IP address, such as most home connections. Normally one would install a dynamic DNS client on the home router, and update the domain to point to the new IP address each time the DCHP lease is renewed. Instead, running an onion SSH service on any computer within the local network will allow consistent remote connection independent from DNS and the public IP of the home network.

More Hidden Services

You can learn more about onion services in the Tor documentation.

Tor Development

Tor has a large community of developers. Development is very active and quite challenging. There's a lot to read and the quality requirement is set to a high standard.

Read the Docs

Tor documentation is available online at https://www.torproject.org/docs/documentation.html

The Tor specifications are available at https://spec.torproject.org/.

Get the Source

The Tor project encompasses many projects using the Tor Protocol. Each maintain their own code repositories.

The Tor Protocol specifications are maintained in a git repository:

`git clone https://git.torproject.org/git/tor`

You can as well browse it online.

Join the Community

IRC

ircs://irc.oftc.net:6607/#tor-talk for Tor-related disccussion

ircs://irc.oftc.net:6607/#nottor for relaxed socialization

ircs://irc.oftc.net:6607/#tor-dev for development only

Mailing Lists

https://www.torproject.org/docs/documentation.html#MailingLists

Donate

The Tor project is runnig a crowdfunding campaign in an attempt to reduce its reliance on government funding. You can #SupportTor at https://www.torproject.org/donate/donate-roger