Add documentation for using TBB with Windows Tor expert bundle

On Windows, I installed the expert bundle to have a single tor process to be used by multiple applications, including multiple Tor Browsers.

I can configure Tor Browser by creating a user.js file with extensions.torlauncher.start_tor set to 0. But this config also leads to this message:

"Something Went Wrong! Tor is not working in this browser."

Other than that, I can use the browser normally.

Can you fix this?

added component::applications/tor browser gitlab-tb-tor-browser-build owner::tbb-team priority::medium severity::normal status::new type::task labels

Might be the same bug as #10178 (closed), I'm using Tor Browser 3.6.

Perhaps related #9224 (closed)

This is to do with how Torbutton checks if Tor is available. In your current setup, Torbutton is trying to connect to Tor's control port (to check your proxy settings) using the default port and password from Tor-Launcher; this fails because your system-wide tor process is using a different control port/password/cookie. You have a couple of options to work around this on windows:

1. Completely disable Tor-Launcher in about:addons so that no default port/password is available. This will completely disable the New Identity feature, since requesting a new circuit requires control port access. Torbutton will now check Tor using check.torproject.org in the background and succeed.

or

2. Pass your system-wide Tor's control port/password/cookie to the browser on start-up. This is done by setting the environment variables TOR_CONTROL_PORT, TOR_CONTROL_PASSWD or TOR_CONTROL_COOKIE_AUTH_FILE (and maybe TOR_CONTROL_HOST). Torbutton will now be able to perform the control port check. Additionally new identity will now work. Note you must supply the control password in double quotes (e.g. "password" rather than password)

Also see #11722 (closed).

Replying to cypherpunks:

Might be the same bug as #10178 (closed), I'm using Tor Browser 3.6.

#10178 (closed) looks to have been caused by #10189 (closed), probably not related.

Trac:
Username: scissors

Thank you!

This was the first time I set an environment variable in Windows. It was enough to set the file path for TOR_CONTROL_COOKIE_AUTH_FILE (I'm using similar torrc settings from Tor Browser). Now it shows Congratulations.

Is this considered a bug or needs documentation?

I have a question, since I'm planning to set up multiple Tor Browsers, what is the best way to configure ports?

Is it enough to use different socks ports or do they need different control ports too? Any security problems?

I guess it wouldn't be necessary to use TOR_CONTROL_PORT or TOR_CONTROL_HOST variables if I already use the default numbers right?

I think proper documentation of these non-standard use cases would be fine. Closing as works for me (due to the hint scissors gave).

Trac:
Resolution: N/A to worksforme
Status: new to closed

I have a patch, based on brade's bug11641 branch (because they changed the paths around in the Tor Browser repo), which fixes this by adding documentation on all the TorButton and TorLauncher Firefox settings which should be changed, as well as a bash function to help users correctly set their TOR_CONTROL_PASSWD with the correct quoting syntax. The patch is a single commit in my bug10178_bug11751 branch and my repo is at https://github.com/isislovecruft/tor-browser-bundle . It also fixes #10178 (closed).

Additionally, there is an extra bug10178_bug11751-log-to-file-and-disown branch based on that last branch (because I'm not sure if mikeperry would want this patch, but it's what I personally run in my start-tor-browser script). It has one more commit which makes makes Tor Browser log to a file, and then it disowns the Firefox process from the shell and exits the script. This prevents the output from ending up in unpredictable places (it often includes full URIs logged from HTTPSEverywhere), and it also prevents having a shell remain open during the browser session which is just spewing debugging crap all over the place.

Both commits have rather verbose commit messages, explaining the bash syntax and reasoning behind it.

Trac:
Resolution: worksforme to N/A
Status: closed to reopened
Cc: N/A to isis

Replying to isis:

Additionally, there is an extra bug10178_bug11751-log-to-file-and-disown branch based on that last branch (because I'm not sure if mikeperry would want this patch, but it's what I personally run in my start-tor-browser script). It has one more commit which makes makes Tor Browser log to a file, and then it disowns the Firefox process from the shell and exits the script. This prevents the output from ending up in unpredictable places (it often includes full URIs logged from HTTPSEverywhere), and it also prevents having a shell remain open during the browser session which is just spewing debugging crap all over the place.

I made sure that start-tor-browser wouldn't spew its stdout or stderr into random files (unless someone passes the --debug option on the command line). See the first 150 lines.

Both commits have rather verbose commit messages, explaining the bash syntax and reasoning behind it.

It's a /bin/sh script, not a bash script. Don't put bashisms into it.

Trac:
Keywords: N/A deleted, MikePerry201405R added

Trac:
Keywords: MikePerry201405R deleted, MikePerry201406R added

Retitling this bug to make it clearly about the windows issue (which is what the original reporter complained about).

We'll use #10178 (closed) for the Linux version of this issue, and for isis's patch.

Trac:
Summary: Tor is not working in this browser to Windows users can't use TBB with expert bundle Tor
Keywords: MikePerry201406R deleted, N/A added

For the record, I had to rebase my commits. They are now in the branches bug10178_bug11751_rebase1 and bug10178_bug11751-log-to-file-and-disown_rebase1. Though perhaps my patches only fix #10178 (closed), since this issue is now specifically for Windows.

Trac:
Status: reopened to needs_review

Trac:
Component: TorBrowserButton to Tor Browser
Keywords: N/A deleted, tbb-torbutton added

Trac:
Status: needs_review to new

Doesn't need review anymore? What is the status here?

Replying to arma:

Doesn't need review anymore? What is the status here?

The documentation for Windows is missing as it is possible to use the expert bundle with Tor Browser (see comment:2). Changing the title of this bug again.

Trac:
Type: defect to task
Summary: Windows users can't use TBB with expert bundle Tor to Add documentation for using TBB with Windows Tor expert bundle
Keywords: tbb-torbutton deleted, N/A added

Set all open tickets without a severity to "Normal"

Trac:
Severity: N/A to Normal

Trac:
Status: new to assigned
Owner: mikeperry to N/A
Cc: isis to isis, mikeperry

Putting on pili's radar for documentation purposes. Not sure where this should actually live.

Trac:
Sponsor: N/A to N/A
Reviewer: N/A to N/A
Cc: isis, mikeperry to isis, mikeperry, pili
Status: assigned to new

Trac:
Status: new to assigned
Owner: N/A to tbb-team