Re: Configuration errors using tor, privoxy & polipo
On Sun, 16 May 2010 07:52:06 -0400, Snood wrote:
On 05/16/2010 11:34 AM, Juan R. de Silva wrote:
> On Sun, 16 May 2010 08:35:29 +0100, AG wrote:
>
>> Dear all
>>
>> On an up-to-date testing machine, I am using Iceweasel + tor + privoxy.
>> Florian helped me with an issue like this sometime back, but revisiting
>> his helpful advice has not helped on this occasion.
>>
>> The situation is as follows:
>>
>> Using Iceweasel, I enable the tor button and receive a warning message
>> "Tor proxy test: local HTTP proxy is unreachable. Is polipo running
>> properly?"
>
> I used Ubuntu 8.04 with Firefox 3.0.19 and the same + tor + privoxy
> configuration.
>
> After upgrade to Ubuntu 10.04 Firefox get upgraded to v. 3.6 and all at
a
> sudden I get the same error message as you describe.
>
> In my case the problem was resolved by a number of random setting
> manipulations within Tor Button Properties:
>
> - open Tor Button Properties window;
> - run Test Settings (it will fail);
> - check "Use custom proxy settings" radio button instead of the default
> "Use the recommended settings..."
> - run Test Settings (in my case it failed again)
> - check "Use the recommended settings..." back and run Test Settings
> again. At this point all at sudden I get a positive test result and
since
> than everything works just fine.
>
> I know all of it does not make much sense but in my case I get it fixed.
> Mystery. :-)
>
> It looks like this is a bug in Tor Button (or could be in FF itself?)
>
> PS. I do not remember exactly but it could be that in addition of all of
> the above I unchecked the Use Polipo button and than after a test
checked
> it back again.
> I'm sure it's possible to still use privoxy, but I believy that the Tor
> project people are recommending polipo instead.
It's better if we keep conversation in public. :-)
Currently, yes - Tor provides configuration instructions mentioning
Polipo instead of Privoxy. But just a year ago they mentioned Privoxy
instead. I do not know why is the change. As far as I know Privoxy is
superior to Polipo. Unless things changed in the last year, that I'm not
aware of.
And actually to me it does not look as a "recommendation" but rather a
promotion of one project in favour of another.
IMHO it's more some sort of "politics" than a recommendation. It's the
same as Ubuntu all at as sudden damped GIMP, Pidgin, xsane, etc in favour
of other worse and some times (like in case of Simple Scan) completely
useless applications. I do believe Canonical had their reasons. But I
also believe that they are based on the actual application virtues and
value.
I do not argue that Tor would work just fine with Polipo. I'm sure it
will. I just do not see enough reason for me or any one else to change
existing and perfectly functioning configuration, just because Tor
decided to promote Polipo.
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