Bridges
From 21 Apr to 22 Apr, each day 32-33k world-wide Tor network clients used
obfs4 obfuscated bridges to connect to Tor network. TorMETRICS graphs:
https://metrics.torproject.org/userstats-bridge-country.html?start=2016-04-20&end=2016-04-23&country=all
When using Tor browser inside or outside Tails, use temporarily enable torproject.org or
enable torproject.org in NoScript add-on to activate links in below web pages. If you
are unfamiliar with bridges, recommend you first open stand-alone Tor Browser outside of
Tails and paste one or more obfs4 bridge addresses in…
Tor Browser Toolbar > Onion > Tor Network Settings > Enter custom bridges
Use bridges in Tor browser outside Tails
With Tor browser, connect to https://bridges.torproject.org/options
In **Do you need a Pluggable Transport?** drop-down menu, select **obfs4**
Click **Get Bridges**. Enter *captcha* characters.
Click **Select All** button and copy all three obfs4 bridge
addresses. Each bridge address is on 1 line, and each address
has length of 150± characters-spaces.
Open **Tor Toolbar** > **Onion** > **Network Settings** >
panel.
Select **My Internet Service Provider (ISP) blocks connections
to the Tor network**
Select **Enter custom bridges**
Paste your **obfs4** bridge addresses into the table-space.
Click **OK**
In **Tor Toolbar** > **Onion** > **Privacy and Security
Settings**, review and configure your settings.
Click **OK**
Your *obfs4* bridge connection conceals from your Internet
Service Provider, the NSA, or any spy the fact that you are
using Tor browser and Tor network. A party that spies on
Internet connection between your computer and Internet will
perceive that your computer has connection with conventional
Internet, and spy will perceive that that you are using conventional
Internet browser. **obfs4** bridge camouflages the fact that you
are using Tor browser. **obfs4** bridge camouflages the fact that
you actually have a connection with Tor network.
Use bridges in Tor browser inside Tails
Start Tails from USB disk.
When Tails Greeter opens with "Welcome to Tails" panel, stop.
If you previously have not created and configured an *encrypted persistence*
volume, select Applications > Configure Persistence.
After you create and configure *encrypted persistence* volume,
select Applications > gedit to open and create new gedit text file.
In blank gedit text file, with 100% accuracy, type the **obfs4**
bridge address that you previously wrote down or printed.
Save gedit text file in your Tails > Home folder. Later, you will
need to open the file, copy the **obfs4** bridge address and paste
it in the Tails Greeter assistant "Network Configuration" panel.
In the initial Tails Greeter panel, select **More options? Yes** and click
**Login** to open Tails Greeter assistant. Follow the prompts, which will
lead to **Network Configuration** panel. In **Network Configuration**
panel, paste **obfs4** bridge addresses that you previously saved in gedit
text file. Follow prompts to complete Tor network connection.
In Tails, after connecting with Tor network, open Applications >
Tor browser and connect to Tor BridgeDB: https://bridges.torproject.org/options
to generate and copy more **obfs4** bridge addresses. Copy the
fresh **obfs4** bridge addresses. Paste and save them in your gedit text file.
Tor BridgeDB: https://bridges.torproject.org/options provides about
three fresh **obfs4** bridge addresses each 24-hour period. Avoid saving
duplicate bridge addresses in Tails gedit text file. When gedit text file is
open, press <control><f> to open **finder bar**. In **finder bar**,
in turn, enter a few numbers from each of the 3 new bridge addresses.
The **finder* will highlight duplicate bridge addresses so you can omit them.
The next time you start Tails, but before connecting to Tor network,
open gedit text file where you saved **obfs4** bridge addresses.
Copy the **obfs4** bridge addresses from your gedit text file, paste
them in Tails Greeter assistant **Network Configuration** panel,
and complete the connection to Tor network.
On some days, when you first start Tails, you might want to connect
to Tor BridgeDB site to generate and copy fresh obfs4 bridge
addresses and save them in your gedit text file to build gradually
library of obfs4 bridge addresses. Each time you start Tails,
but before you connect to Tor network, you can open file that has
your saved obfs4 bridge addresses, and paste them in Tails
*Network Configuration panel before you complete the connection
to Tor network.
If you start Tails from USB disk, and you use a persistence volume,
you will have to type obfs4 bridge address in Network Configuration*
panel only one time. The next time you start Tails from USB disk, you can
open your saved gedit text file, copy the **obfs4 addresses that you
previously saved in the file, and paste them in Network Configuration
panel before you complete connection to Tor network. If you start Tails
from DVD disk, you cannot create and configure a persistence
volume, so you will have to type each bridge address manually in
Network Configuration panel.
Bugs, Debian, Tails
Many Mac users around the world cannot start Tails from USB disk
in large part because Tails, Debian, and other contributing developers
apparently have not been able to identify and resolve bugs in the
Debian OS in Tails. If that is true, such bugs might be what prevents
many Mac users from starting Tails from USB disk. Those unfortunate
Mac users can start Tails from DVD disk, but not from USB disk.
Some people think bugs in Debian in Tails exist in large part because
some, if not many or all, of the developers who contributed to development
of Debian in Tails have never touched a Mac computer because the
touching is reserved for Linux and Windows computers. If this is true,
situation is remindful of dem good ol' boys in 1910, who kep usin' horses
to get 'roun 'cuz they didn' wanna mess 'roun with lernen to drive dat
new-fangled invention called automobile. Some neber lernd to dribe
a car fer der rest of der lifes and just kep on ridin' dem horses 'n buggys.