Have a better way to manage torrc.sample

It's difficult to make changes to torrc.sample, since IIUC it's also used as the basis for the default torrc on Debian (and elsewhere?), so when we make cosmetic changes to it, users everywhere are forced to rebuild their configuration.

Perhaps we should have a torrc that's the one we edit frequently, which we treat as a real sample configuration, and which we give to users who haven't installed tor before or made changes to the default torrc?

changed milestone to %Tor: 0.2.6.x-final

added 026-triaged-1 component::core tor/tor milestone::Tor: 0.2.6.x-final nickm-patch priority::medium resolution::implemented status::closed tor-relay type::defect labels

Weasel, I think we talked about this before at some point; I'd love to know what you think we should do here in order to make some file that would play the role of "here's a sample torrc if you're starting from scratch" that would give us the freedom to make all the cosmetic changes we want.

I think my preferred solution would be to ship a mostly empty /etc/tor/torrc, and a longer one in /usr/share/doc/tor. The one in /etc/tor could maybe just point to /usr/share/doc.

Any suggestions for good names for these two torrc files (as shipped with the tor source)?

Trac:
Keywords: N/A deleted, 026-triaged-1 added

torrc.sample as mostly empty in /etc/tor/ pointing to complete or long version in /usr/share/doc/tor/torrc.sample.complete == my druthers.

Trac:
Username: anon

I don't care for the name "complete", since it tends to imply that it would include every option. And giving people a template that lists every possible option is not a great idea; it's smarter to list the options that one might reasonably want to think about.

In fact, it might be a good idea to have multiple /usr/share/doc/tor/torrc* files for different scenarios, like running a relay, running a client, running a bridge, running a hidden service, etc.

There's a branch for this, using names suggested by weasel, in my public repo. The branch is called "torrc_minimal". It also has the patch for #12832 (moved) and a fix for #10343 (moved). Weasel, is this about what you had in mind?

Trac:
Status: new to needs_review

Apply a nickm-patch keyword to tickets in needs_review in 0.2.6 where I wrote the patch, so I know which ones I can('t) review myself.

Trac:
Keywords: N/A deleted, nickm-patch added

Replying to nickm:

In fact, it might be a good idea to have multiple /usr/share/doc/tor/torrc* files for different scenarios, like running a relay, running a client, running a bridge, running a hidden service, etc.

Wouldn't it be cool if we could use #1922 (moved) to accomplish this part?

lgtm

merged!

Trac:
Resolution: N/A to implemented
Status: needs_review to closed

closed

mentioned in issue #12832 (moved)

mentioned in issue #16742 (moved)

moved to tpo/core/tor#11144 (closed)