tor-guard-relay/templates

Tor Relay Templates Guide

This directory contains deployment templates for running Tor relays in 3 modes: Guard/Middle, Exit, and Bridge (obfs4).

📁 Template Files Overview

Cosmos Cloud Templates (JSON)

File	Mode	ENV Naming	Use Case
cosmos-compose-guard.json	Guard/Middle	TOR_*	Standard guard relay, ENV-based config
cosmos-compose-exit.json	Exit	TOR_*	Exit relay with reduced policy, ENV-based config
cosmos-compose-bridge.json	Bridge (obfs4)	TOR_*	Bridge relay, ENV-based config
cosmos-compose-bridge-official.json	Bridge (obfs4)	OR_PORT, PT_PORT, EMAIL	Drop-in replacement for thetorproject/obfs4-bridge
cosmos-compose-multi-relay.json	All 3 modes	TOR_*	Run guard, exit, and bridge simultaneously
cosmos-bind-config-guard-relay.json	Guard/Middle	TOR_*	Standard guard relay, mounted config
cosmos-bind-config-bridge.json	Bridge (obfs4)	TOR_*	Bridge relay, mounted config

Docker Compose Templates (YAML)

File	Mode	ENV Naming	Use Case
docker-compose-guard-env.yml	Guard/Middle	TOR_*	Standard Docker Compose guard relay
docker-compose-exit.yml	Exit	TOR_*	Standard Docker Compose exit relay
docker-compose-bridge.yml	Bridge (obfs4)	TOR_*	Standard Docker Compose bridge
docker-compose-bridge-official.yml	Bridge (obfs4)	OR_PORT, PT_PORT, EMAIL	Drop-in replacement for thetorproject/obfs4-bridge
docker-compose-multi-relay.yml	All 3 modes	TOR_*	Run multiple relay modes

🔧 Configuration Methods

You can configure Tor relays using TWO methods:

Method 1: Environment Variables (Recommended for Simple Setups)

Pros:

• ✅ No config file needed
• ✅ Easy to customize via Cosmos/Portainer/docker-compose
• ✅ Simple deployment

Cons:

• ❌ Limited to basic options
• ❌ Can't use all advanced Tor features

Example (Bridge):

docker run -d \
  --name tor-bridge \
  --network host \
  --security-opt no-new-privileges:true \  
  -e TOR_RELAY_MODE=bridge \
  -e TOR_NICKNAME=MyBridge \
  -e TOR_CONTACT_INFO="email:admin[]example.com ciissversion:2" \
  -e TOR_ORPORT=9001 \
  -e TOR_OBFS4_PORT=9002 \
  -v tor-data:/var/lib/tor \
  r3bo0tbx1/onion-relay:latest

All available ENV variables:

# Core (required for ENV-based config)
TOR_RELAY_MODE=guard|exit|bridge   # Relay mode
TOR_NICKNAME=MyRelay                # Relay nickname (1-19 chars, alphanumeric)
TOR_CONTACT_INFO="email:admin[]example.com ciissversion:2"  # Contact info (CIISS v2)

# Ports (configurable)
TOR_ORPORT=9001         # ORPort for relay traffic (default: 9001)
TOR_DIRPORT=       # DirPort for guard/exit only (default: 0)
TOR_OBFS4_PORT=9002     # obfs4 port for bridge mode (default: 9002)

# Bandwidth (optional)
TOR_BANDWIDTH_RATE=50 MBytes
TOR_BANDWIDTH_BURST=100 MBytes

# Exit policy (exit mode only, optional)
TOR_EXIT_POLICY=accept *:80,accept *:443,reject *:*

Method 2: Mounted Config File (Advanced Configurations)

Pros:

• ✅ Full access to all Tor configuration options
• ✅ Can use complex exit policies, custom options, etc.
• ✅ Better for production deployments

Cons:

• ❌ Requires creating and maintaining a torrc file
• ❌ Slightly more complex

Example (Bridge with mounted config):

docker run -d \
  --name tor-bridge \
  --network host \
  --security-opt no-new-privileges:true \  
  -v /path/to/relay-bridge.conf:/etc/tor/torrc:ro \
  -v tor-data:/var/lib/tor \
  r3bo0tbx1/onion-relay:latest

Cosmos Cloud JSON (remove environment, add bind mount):

{
  "volumes": [
    {
      "type": "bind",
      "source": "/path/to/relay-bridge.conf",
      "target": "/etc/tor/torrc",
      "read_only": true
    },
    {
      "type": "volume",
      "source": "tor-bridge-data",
      "target": "/var/lib/tor"
    }
  ]
}

Config file examples: See examples/relay-guard.conf, examples/relay-exit.conf, examples/relay-bridge.conf

🌉 Bridge Mode: Two ENV Naming Conventions

We support BOTH naming conventions for maximum compatibility:

TOR_* Naming (Our Standard)

TOR_RELAY_MODE=bridge
TOR_NICKNAME=MyBridge
TOR_CONTACT_INFO="email:admin[]example.com ciissversion:2"
TOR_ORPORT=9001
TOR_OBFS4_PORT=9002

Official Tor Project Naming (Drop-in Compatibility)

# These map to TOR_* internally:
NICKNAME=MyBridge           # → TOR_NICKNAME
EMAIL=admin@example.com     # → TOR_CONTACT_INFO
OR_PORT=9001                # → TOR_ORPORT
PT_PORT=9002                # → TOR_OBFS4_PORT

Auto-detection: Setting PT_PORT automatically sets TOR_RELAY_MODE=bridge.

Advanced Bridge Options (OBFS4V_* Variables)

For advanced torrc options (like AddressDisableIPv6, MaxMemInQueues, etc.):

1. Enable processing:

   OBFS4_ENABLE_ADDITIONAL_VARIABLES=1
   

2. Add OBFS4V_ variables* (mapped to torrc options):

   OBFS4V_AddressDisableIPv6=0
   OBFS4V_MaxMemInQueues=1024 MB
   OBFS4V_NumCPUs=4
   

3. Whitelist: Only specific torrc options are allowed (security):

   • AddressDisableIPv6
   • MaxMemInQueues
   • NumCPUs
   • BandwidthRate, BandwidthBurst
   • AccountingMax, AccountingStart
   • And other safe options (see docker-entrypoint.sh line 318-332)

4. For options NOT in whitelist: Use a mounted config file instead.

🔍 Common Questions

Q: Why are there 2 bridge templates?

A: For compatibility and flexibility:

• cosmos-compose-bridge.json - Uses TOR_* naming (our standard)
• cosmos-compose-bridge-official.json - Uses OR_PORT/PT_PORT/EMAIL naming (drop-in replacement for thetorproject/obfs4-bridge)

Both work identically, choose based on your preference or migration needs.

Q: Why is TOR_DIRPORT set in Dockerfile when bridges don't use it?

A: TOR_DIRPORT=9030 is a Dockerfile default for guard/exit modes. The entrypoint DOES NOT add DirPort to bridge configurations (see docker-entrypoint.sh lines 276-290). Bridges only use ORPort and obfs4 port.

Port usage by mode:

• Guard/Middle: TOR_ORPORT (required), TOR_DIRPORT (optional, default = 0)
• Exit: TOR_ORPORT (required), TOR_DIRPORT (optional, default = 0)
• Bridge: TOR_ORPORT (required), TOR_OBFS4_PORT (required), TOR_DIRPORT (ignored/default = 0)

Q: Why does TOR_RELAY_MODE say "guard" in logs when I set PT_PORT?

A: This shouldn't happen anymore (fixed since v1.1.1). The entrypoint auto-detects bridge mode when PT_PORT is set (lines 29-31):

if [ -n "${PT_PORT:-}" ] && [ "${TOR_RELAY_MODE:-guard}" = "guard" ]; then
  TOR_RELAY_MODE="bridge"
fi

If you see "guard" mode in bridge deployment:

1. Verify you're using the latest image: docker exec <container> cat /build-info.txt
2. Check container is actually running the new image: docker inspect <container> --format='{{.Image}}'
3. Recreate container (don't just restart): docker rm -f <container> && docker run ...

Q: What's the difference between { "driver": "local" } and {} for volumes?

A: They're identical. Both create a local named volume:

• "tor-data": {} - Minimal syntax (default driver is "local")
• "tor-data": { "driver": "local" } - Explicit syntax (redundant but clear)

We use {} in templates (simpler), but both work the same.

Q: OBFS4V_* variables are being skipped with "dangerous characters" error?

A: This was a bug in v1.1.0 and earlier (busybox grep regex issue). Fixed since v1.1.1.

The entrypoint now properly validates values:

• Rejects actual newlines (not escaped \n)
• Rejects null bytes and control characters
• Allows spaces (e.g., "1024 MB")

If you still see this error after updating to the latest version:

1. Check image version: docker exec <container> cat /build-info.txt
2. Verify value doesn't have real newlines (JSON array formatting shouldn't cause this)
3. Try using a mounted config file for complex options

Q: Should I use ENV variables or mounted config file?

A: Use this decision tree:

Use ENV variables if:

• ✅ Running a simple guard/middle/bridge relay
• ✅ Standard port configuration
• ✅ Basic bandwidth limits
• ✅ Easy deployment is priority

Use mounted config file if:

• ✅ Complex exit policies
• ✅ Advanced Tor options not in OBFS4V_* whitelist
• ✅ Multiple ORPort addresses (IPv4 + IPv6)
• ✅ Accounting limits with specific start times
• ✅ Production deployment requiring full control

You can also mix: Start with ENV variables, then migrate to mounted config later without losing your relay identity (keys in /var/lib/tor are preserved).

🚀 Quick Start Examples

Guard Relay (Cosmos Cloud)

1. Import cosmos-compose-guard.json
2. Change: TOR_NICKNAME, TOR_CONTACT_INFO
3. Deploy
4. Check: docker exec tor-guard-relay status

Bridge (Drop-in Official Replacement)

1. Import cosmos-compose-bridge-official.json
2. Change: NICKNAME, EMAIL
3. Deploy
4. Get bridge line: docker exec obfs4-bridge bridge-line

Exit Relay (Docker Compose)

1. Copy docker-compose-exit.yml
2. Edit ENV variables (nickname, contact, bandwidth)
3. READ docs/LEGAL.md first!
4. Run: docker-compose up -d

📚 Additional Resources

• Full deployment guide: docs/DEPLOYMENT.md
• Example config files: examples/relay-*.conf
• Monitoring: docs/MONITORING.md
• Legal considerations (exit relays): docs/LEGAL.md

🆘 Troubleshooting

Container restarts immediately

• Check logs: docker logs <container>
• Verify ENV variables are set correctly (TOR_NICKNAME and TOR_CONTACT_INFO required for ENV-based config)
• Ensure volume permissions are correct

Bridge mode detected as guard

• Update to latest version
• Recreate container (don't restart old one)
• Use PT_PORT for auto-detection or explicitly set TOR_RELAY_MODE=bridge

OBFS4V_* variables ignored

• Update to latest version (fixed in v1.1.1)
• Enable: OBFS4_ENABLE_ADDITIONAL_VARIABLES=1
• Check whitelist in docker-entrypoint.sh line 318-332
• Use mounted config for non-whitelisted options

Ports not binding

• Verify --network host is set (required for IPv6)
• Check firewall rules
• Ensure ports aren't already in use: ss -tlnp | grep <port>

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Version: 1.1.7 Last Updated: 2026-03-02 Maintainer: rE-Bo0t.bx1 r3bo0tbx1@brokenbotnet.com