How To Create A Hidden Service Tor Site To Set Up An Anonymous Website Or Server

How To Create A Hidden Service Tor Site To Set Up An Anonymous Website Or Server:
Tor is an anonymous, secure network that allows anyone to access websites with anonymity. People normally use Tor to access normal websites, but they don’t have to. If you want to set up your own anonymous website, you can create a hidden service Tor site. Your hidden service website runs entirely within Tor, so no one will know who created and runs the website. Only people using Tor can access it, though. Hidden service Tor sites are ideal for anyone who wants to set up a website anonymously, such as political activists in repressive countries.
Not all hidden services have to be websites. You could create an SSH server, IRC server, or any other type of server and offer it as a hidden service on Tor. This tutorial will focus on setting up a hidden Tor site using the Savant web server – which Tor recommends – on Windows. The steps can also be applied to other operating systems and web servers.

Step 1: Install Tor

To get started, you’ll have to download and install Tor on your computer. If you already have it installed, you can skip this step. By default, Tor installs the Tor browser bundle, which includes a specially configured Firefox browser.

You’ll see a green onion icon in your system tray when you’re connected to the Tor network.

Once it’s installed, you can check out an example hidden service by plugging duskgytldkxiuqc6.onion into your Tor web browser’s address bar.

Tor must always be running on your system for the hidden service to be accessible. If your computer is off, disconnected from the Internet, or if Tor isn’t running, the hidden service Tor side won’t be accessible. This does have some anonymity implications – it’s theoretically possible to infer whether or not your computer is running the hidden service by seeing whether it’s accessible when your computer is off.

Step 2: Install & Configure A Web Server

You’ll need a web server to serve the hidden service site from your system. Tor’s official documentation recommends against using the common Apache web server. Instead, Tor recommends using the Savant web server on Windows or the thttpd Web server on Mac OS X, Linux and other UNIX-like operating systems. Tor’s documentation notes that Apache “[is] big and has lots of places where it might reveal your IP address or other identifying information, for example in 404 pages” but also notes that “Savant probably has these problems too“.
The takeaway is that web server configuration is very important. If you’re running a very sensitive hidden Tor site, you’ll want to go through your web server’s settings and ensure it isn’t leaking any information that could be used to identify you, such as your IP address.
We’ll use Savant as an example here, but you can set the same options in other web servers. To configure Savant, launch its main window and click the Configuration button.

From the configuration window, you’ll need to set the “Server DNS Entry” box to “localhost” to bind Savant to localhost. This ensures your website is only accessible from your local computer, so people can’t access it over the normal Web and see you’re hosting the hidden service Tor site.
You’ll also have to note the port number you’re using.

After the web server is configured, you’ll want to add your content. By default, Savant uses the C:\Savant\Root directory (you can change this from the Paths tab). Ensure you replace the index.html file in this directory with the file you want as your homepage.

You can verify it works by typing localhost into your main browser’s address bar. If you set a different port instead of 80 – say, port 1000 – type localhost:1000 instead.

Step 3: Configure The Hidden Service

Now that Tor’s installed and a web server is running, all you have to do is tell Tor about it. You should be able to add this information to the torrc file through the Vidalia graphical user interface, but I experienced errors and had to do this by hand.
First, shut down Tor if it’s running.

Next, locate your torrc file. If you installed the Tor Browser Bundle, you’ll find it in the Tor Browser\Data\Tor directory. Open this file with Notepad or another text editor.

Add the following section to the end of the file:

# Hidden Service

HiddenServiceDir C:\Users\Name\tor_service

HiddenServicePort 80 127.0.0.1:80

Replace C:\Users\Name\tor_service with the path to a directory Tor can read and write to on your system. Do not use the directory that already contains your website. This should be an empty directory.
Replace the :80 with the port the web server is using on your system. For example, if the web server is running on port 5000, you’d use the line HiddenServicePort 80 127.0.0.1:5000.

Save the file after editing it. You’ll also have to create the directory you specified, if it doesn’t already exist.

Restart Tor after you do this. Once you have, you’ll want to check the Message Log to see if there are any error messages.

If the Message log is free of errors, you’re good to go. Check out the hidden service directory you created. Tor will have created two files in the directory – hostname and private_key. Don’t give anyone the private_key file or they’ll be able to impersonate your hidden service Tor site.

You’ll want to open the hostname file in Notepad or another text editor. It will tell you the address of your new hidden service Tor site. Plug this address into your Tor web browser and you’ll see your website. Give the address to others so they can access your site. Remember, people must be using Tor to access your hidden service site.

Have you used Tor or set up a hidden Tor site? Be sure to share your experiences and any tips you have in the comments!
Image Credit: Blurred Silhouette via Shutterstock

3 Handy Tools Which Are Not Instapaper To Save Interesting Web Pages For Later

3 Handy Tools Which Are Not Instapaper To Save Interesting Web Pages For Later:
The web is full of things we wish we could read. Unfortunately, there isn’t always time to spend in front of the screen, reading away to our heart’s content. This is a well-known phenomena, and big names such as Instapaper and Read It Later do a good job in solving this problem.
But these two aren’t the only solutions out there. There are numerous other extensions, add-ons and web apps that help you do just this – save interesting things to read later. Some offer extra features, some are very lightweight, and some simply use a different interface which you might find more usable. Here is a list of the best tools for saving things for later, that are not Instapaper and Read It Later.

youRhere [Chrome]

youRhere not only lets you save things to read later, it also lets you mark the exact line where you left off, and loads the page accordingly when you come back to it.
Using youRhere is very simple. Install the extension, and the next time you’re in the middle of an article and simply have to go do something else, double click on the line you’ve got to in your reading.

The line will be highlighted and automatically saved. That’s it, you can now close the page and come back to it later. When you wish to continue reading, click on the youRhere icon and find the article. When you click on an article, it will load and automatically scroll to the highlighted line, and you can continue reading where you left off.

You can easily delete an article from the list by clicking on the X, or share it through Facebook or Twitter.

Save-To-Read [Firefox]

Save To Read is a very simple add-on, which operates much like regular bookmarks, but is more simplified. After installing the add-on, a new plus button will appear in your toolbar. Every time you want to save a page for reading later, click the plus button.

Once you click it, the plus icon will turn into a minus, and the page will be saved. At any time, you can click the minus icon to remove the article from the list. You can now access your saved items through the Save To Read sidebar. Click the open/close button to open the sidebar.

Here you will find a list of all your saved pages. You can click a page to load it or click the minus icon to remove it. You can also search through the saved pages and sorts them in different ways. This same list can be accessed through the regular bookmarks, in a folder called Save-To-Read.

If you don’t like using the sidebar, you can add the Save To Read Panel by right clicking on the toolbar and choosing Customize. Fine the Save To Read Panel and drag it to your toolbar.

Now you will be able to access your list of saved articles simply by clicking this button, without having to use the space-invading sidebar. You can, of course, remove the open/close sidebar button at this point to avoid a clutter of buttons.

Pistashio

Pistashio is a bookmarking web app, which can be social if you want it to, but can also be used privately just to save interesting things for later.
To start, sign in to Pistashio using your Twitter or Facebook account.

Once your account is created, you can start “stashing” things. With Pistashio, you can divide your saved pages into several categories: Eat+Drink, Read, Listen, Watch and See+Do. You can save pages from Pistashio’s web interface, but it’s easier to use Pistashio’s browser tools.

Simply choose the right tool for your browser, and start stashing. For every page you save you can choose a category, add a quick note and set an e-mail or Twitter reminder. You can also make the page private, or go the opposite way and share it on Twitter right there and then.

You can now use Pistashio’s web interface to browse your saved links, read them, archive them (this doesn’t delete them, so you can still find them later in your Pistashio archive) share them and more. Pistashio can be used as a social service and provide you with recommendations for links other people liked, or be used simply as a convenient bookmarking service you can access from anywhere.

Do you want more? Check out these 4 Awesome Tools To Save Pages For Reading Later. What do you use to save pages for later? Do you know of any good tools we missed? Share in the comments!
Man saving books image via Shutterstock

Do You Want To Learn A Foreign Language? Try French With The Help Of These 5 Websites

Do You Want To Learn A Foreign Language? Try French With The Help Of These 5 Websites:
Learning a foreign language is not about communication alone. Though that’s the main motive, a new language helps to understand a different culture and expand your horizons. It’s also a linguistic challenge which can only help you think more actively. It also looks pretty neat on your resume.
I had a simpler reason for the language I chose – French. The French make pretty good films. I simply wanted to watch films like Amélie and Mésrine (and more) in their original glory.
English is the world’s second language. Chances are it could be your first. There’s always room for one more. If it’s going to be French in the near future, let’s see how we can immerse ourselves in it with the help of these five websites.

Why Pick French As The Foreign Language To Learn?

No, it shouldn’t be because Madonna is learning French too. In some small measure it could be because French was ranked second by Bloomberg among the top languages worldwide for business other than English last year. Mandarin for obvious reasons was at one.
That makes it a world language and it’s definitely one of the languages you should hold close to your tongue if you are an international traveler. It is the third most spoken language in the European Union after English and German. One of the other reasons I had for choosing French was that many English words have found their way here from French. So, the familiarity could be the balance against the nasal tongue twisting.

5 French Language Sites for the Beginner

BBC Languages

This is one of my favorite resources for learning French. It has something for everyone. You can take the step-by-step interactive course and grasp the basics of the language in 12 weeks. It covers what you would be expected to speak the first time you land in France. Remember, you can’t learn French without audio help, and this site has it in plenty. Then there are the interactive video courses too which are like short films and should help you really brush up the language. Then there are language learning games, slang guides, and other assorted audio files. You can stay on here or move to the other six on the list.

French Assistant

This French language site comes with 150000 sound files (in WAV and MP3). You gave to do a free registration to start with your lessons. Lessons are arranged according to beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. Pop-ups take you through the lessons and you have to pick the right answers that come up. You can keep reviewing your progress as you hop from one lesson to the next. The site has existed since 2002 and is quite interesting and has a fun element that takes the chore out of learning a new language.

Digital Dialects

Kids can easily pick up the basics of the language from this interactive but simple site. The language learning games on these pages are for the beginners and those on the lower-intermediate levels of French language. As the screen above shows, the games are simple click – guess the answer – hear the answer affairs.

About.com – Learning French

As a beginner, if you are looking to get a quick overview and not be overwhelmed with a second language, head here. Along with the BBC lessons, the About.com guide will help you grasp the nuances of the language quickly. You have lessons, sound files, study tips, online tests, practice ideas, Q & A forum, links to online translators, dictionaries, and more. There’s a link to a toolbar which you can choose to install as a study aid. You can also sign-up for the weekly newsletter and e-course from the guide author. Don’t forget to read – Top 10 Beginning French Mistakes.

Open Learning Initiative – Carnegie Mellon University

I haven’t come here yet, because I am still shoring up my basics. But the Open Initiative French course could be the one to round off your learning. The course is totally free and is built around 15 chapters. The courses are introductory, interactive video-based courses that can be used by students and independent learners on the Internet. The course is divided into two main parts and should take a learner about 30 weeks to complete. The lessons are very neatly laid out and the quality is top notch.
Before I started out with learning French, I Googled and found that it would take me about 10 months to learn French. After that regular practice should smoothen my stuttering tongue. The web has made it so easy to learn a new language. We have seen it before too with our previously published posts:

• LiveMocha – Smell The Coffee & Learn The Lingo
• Top 3 Tips To Motivate Yourself While Learning A Second Language
• 7 Great Games To Learn Spanish, French & Other Languages

Which is the one foreign language you have always wanted to learn? Have you ever felt handicapped by a language in your travels abroad? Tell us about your language travails.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons