How to Set Up a Tor Exit Node: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to Create a Tor Exit Node
Tor exit nodes are crucial for letting users reach the open internet anonymously, but they're scarce because operators face legal and reputational risks. This practical guide walks you through configuring an exit node on Ubuntu 14.04, from installing Tor and setting the relay configuration to using socat for port 443, serving an info page with nginx, and forwarding ports on your router. It also covers monitoring with arm, setting up reverse DNS, and essential safety tips for operators.
Without exit nodes, anyone suffering from ISP filtering or those not wishing to have their Internet activity logged couldn’t utilise Tor to access the Internet.
- amiga386
Oh boy. The first line of any blog post on how to create a Tor Exit Node should be: DON'T.
If you really want to, first do a metric shitload of legal and commercial prep work, including picking a specific ISP for the exit node, registering an LLC or equivalent to be the legal entity that owns the exit node, and all sorts of steps that mean when the inevitable deluge of traffic from hackers, bittorrenters and so on come through your exit node, you're at least somewhat insulated from the blowback you'll get. Prepare for answering legal queries about your exit node being your full time job.
Read https://blog.torproject.org/tips-running-exit-node/ first, and note that even that post is 8 years old.
If you merely want there to be more Tor exit nodes in the world, I recommend you donate to an existing operator of them, like https://torservers.net/ -- if you read their blog, https://torservers.net/blog/ , you'll see the latest entries (also from 8 years ago) are about seized servers and arrested operators.
If you want to donate your ISP bandwidth for improving the Tor network, do it by running a guard relay or middle relay, that is relatively straightforward.
- Fergusonb
I got in huge trouble hosting one of these when I was a kid.
I saw some call-to-arms post that got me excited for the free internet and set it up on my parents' residential service.
You can imagine the fallout. No permanent damage though.
- braiamp
Wow....
> I’ll go with Ubuntu 14.04 (Trusty)
This is extremely old. I am aware that the Tor project tries to keeps their defaults sane for any use, but someone has checked that the configuration here is still valid for this use?
Also, running tor as a root is bad idea, I don't think the client allows you to anymore (or at least warns you)
- a34729t
So let me ask this: How hard is it to create a temporary exit node that is basically a rasberry pi with a sim card or wifi connection say from a cafe, or any other public wifi, ans are online for say na hour or two? If we had enough of these scattered around, would it matter?
- p0w3n3d
I wonder, according to law, what are the outcomes of maintaining an exit node, apart from having, I quote, _balls of steel_