Hi,

I've pushed some experimental code for using Namecoin naming in Tor.

The code is at https://github.com/JeremyRand/OnioNS-client , you want the "namecoin" branch.

Rough instructions:

1. Install Namecoin Core and let it fully download the blockchain. (SPV support is in the works.)

2. Enable JSON-RPC with user/password authentication in Namecoin Core. (The procedure is identical as in Bitcoin Core.)

3. Set your Namecoin Core JSON-RPC login info in the init_namecoind function of src/assets/onions-stem.py.

4. Start Tor Browser Bundle.

5. Run src/assets/onions-stem.py.

6. The first time you run it, it will instruct you to add a line to one of the Tor config files; do this. Specifically, it will ask you to add the line "__LeaveStreamsUnattached 1" to torrc-defaults.

7. Start Tor Browser Bundle again.

8. Run src/assets/onions-stem.py again.

9. Try opening a Namecoin website in Tor Browser.

Example websites that I've verified to work include:

http://duckduckgo-onion.bit.onion http://bitcoinpl.bit http://federalistpapers.bit.onion http://botball.bit (gives a Dreamhost error)

The .bit.onion sites should also work as plain .bit.

Semantically, .bit.onion means that it will always resolve to a .onion address (meaning that .bit.onion names are encrypted and authenticated regardless of whether TLS is used); .bit means that it will resolve to any of .onion, IPv6, IPv4, or CNAME (prioritized in that order), meaning that .bit names are only encrypted and authenticated if TLS is used. These semantics are open to revision later, as the Tor community evolves its canonical naming semantics.

This is all proof of concept for now; some or all of this code will be rewritten later (hopefully to use the pluggable naming API instead of the control port). It will probably not work with Whonix/Tails/Subgraph due to the control port filter. It will definitely make your Tor Browser instance stand out, since most users can't resolve Namecoin domain names. And since it accesses the control port, it could presumably do lots of horrible things to your Tor instance (and I make no guarantees that it's properly sanitizing the input that's passed to Tor's control port).

Huge thanks to Jesse for OnioNS (on which this code is based), and also thanks to Nick for sharing helpful info on this mailing list.

Let me know how it works for you.

Cheers,