tor-socks-proxy/README.md

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# Tor-socks-proxy

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The super easy way to setup a [Tor](https://www.torproject.org) [SOCKS5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOCKS#SOCKS5) [proxy server](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxy_server) inside a [Docker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docker_(software)) [container](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Container_(virtualization)) without relay/exit feature.

## Docker image Repository

We push the built image to Docker Hub and GitHub Container Registry:

- GitHub Container Registry:
  - `ghcr.io/peterdavehello/tor-socks-proxy`
  - <https://github.com/PeterDaveHello/tor-socks-proxy/pkgs/container/tor-socks-proxy>
- Docker Hub:
  - `peterdavehello/tor-socks-proxy`
  - <https://hub.docker.com/r/peterdavehello/tor-socks-proxy/>

Use the prefix `ghcr.io/` if you prefer to use GitHub Container Registry.

## Usage

1. Setup the proxy server at the **first time**

    ```sh
    docker run -d --restart=always --name tor-socks-proxy -p 127.0.0.1:9150:9150/tcp peterdavehello/tor-socks-proxy:latest
    ```

    - With parameter `--restart=always` the container will always start on daemon startup, which means it'll automatically start after system reboot.
    - Use `127.0.0.1` to limit the connections from localhost, do not change it unless you know you're going to expose it to a local network or to the Internet.
    - Change to first `9150` to any valid and free port you want, please note that port `9050`/`9150` may already taken if you are also running other Tor client, like TorBrowser.
    - Do not touch the second `9150` as it's the port inside the docker container unless you're going to change the port in Dockerfile.

    If you want to expose Tor's DNS port, also add `-p 127.0.0.1:53:8853/udp` in the command, see [DNS over Tor](#dns-over-tor) for more details.

    If you already setup the instance before *(not the first time)* but it's in stopped state, you can just start it instead of creating a new one:

    ```sh
    docker start tor-socks-proxy
    ```

2. Make sure it's running, it'll take a short time to bootstrap

    ```sh
    $ docker logs tor-socks-proxy
    .
    .
    .
    Jan 10 01:06:59.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 85%: Finishing handshake with first hop
    Jan 10 01:07:00.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 90%: Establishing a Tor circuit
    Jan 10 01:07:02.000 [notice] Tor has successfully opened a circuit. Looks like client functionality is working.
    Jan 10 01:07:02.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 100%: Done
    ```

3. Configure your client to use it, target on `127.0.0.1` port `9150`(Or the other port you setup in step 1)

    Take `curl` as an example, if you'd like to checkout what's your IP address via Tor network, using one of the following IP checking services:

    - <https://ipinfo.tw/ip> ([My another side project](https://github.com/PeterDaveHello/ipinfo.tw/))
    - <https://ipinfo.io/ip>
    - <https://icanhazip.com>
    - <https://ipecho.net/plain>

    ```sh
    curl --socks5-hostname 127.0.0.1:9150 https://ipinfo.tw/ip
    ```

    Take `ssh` and `nc` as an example, connect to a host via Tor:

    ```sh
    ssh -o ProxyCommand='nc -x 127.0.0.1:9150 %h %p' target.hostname.blah
    ```

    Tor Project also have an API if you want to be sure if you'on Tor network: <https://check.torproject.org/api/ip>, the result would look like:

    ```json
    {"IsTor":true,"IP":"151.80.58.219"}
    ```

4. After using it, you can turn it off

    ```sh
    docker stop tor-socks-proxy
    ```

## IP renewal

- Tor changes circuit automatically every 10 minutes by default, which usually bring you the new IP address, it's affected by `MaxCircuitDirtiness` config, you can override it with your own `torrc`, or edit the config file and restart the container. See the official [manual](https://www.torproject.org/docs/tor-manual.html.en) for more details.

- To manually renew the IP that Tor gives you, simply restart your docker container to open a new circuit:

   ```sh
   docker restart tor-socks-proxy
   ```

   Just note that all the connections will be terminated and need to be reestablished.

## DNS over Tor

If you publish the DNS port in the first step of [Usage](#usage) section, you can query DNS request over Tor

The DNSPort here is set to `8853` by default, but not the common `53`, because non-privileged port is preferred, and then [`libcap`](https://pkgs.alpinelinux.org/package/edge/main/x86/libcap)/[`CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE` capability](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/capabilities.7.html) won't be needed, which is more *[Alpine Linux](https://alpinelinux.org/about/)(Small. Simple. Secure.)*

You can still expose the port to `53` for outside the container by the parameter `-p 127.0.0.1:53:8853/udp`. `nslookup` also supports to specify the port to `8853` by `-port=8853`, e.g. `nslookup -port=8853 ipinfo.tw 127.0.0.1`

This port only handles `A`, `AAAA`, and `PTR` requests, see details on [official manual](https://www.torproject.org/docs/tor-manual.html.en)

Set the DNS server to `127.0.0.1` (Or another IP you set), use [macvk/dnsleaktest](https://github.com/macvk/dnsleaktest) or go to one of the following DNS leaking test websites to verify the result:

- DNS leak test: <https://www.dnsleaktest.com>
- IP Leak Tests: <https://ipleak.org/>
- IP/DNS Detect: <https://ipleak.net/>

## Note

**For the Tor project sustainability, I strongly encourage you to help [setup Tor bridge/exit nodes](https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/TorRelayGuide)([**script**](https://github.com/PeterDaveHello/ubuntu-tor-simply-setup)) and [donate](https://donate.torproject.org/) money to the Tor project *(Not this proxy project)* when you have the ability/capacity!**