Onionshare doesnt connect to the Tor controller

Qubes-Whonix
1

Expected behavior:

  1. change the OnionShare settings to Connect using control port, as per whonix wiki to make OnionShare work.
  2. Test Tor Settings with following output:
    Congratulations, OnionShare can connect to the Tor controller.
    Tor version: 0.4.1.5
    Supports ephemeral onion services: True
    Supports stealth onion services: True
  3. Save
  4. Add file to be shared and start sharing

Current behavior:

  1. change the OnionShare settings to Connect using control port, as per whonix wiki to make OnionShare work.
  2. Test Tor Settings with following output:
    Congratulations, OnionShare can connect to the Tor controller.
    Tor version: 0.4.1.5
    Supports ephemeral onion services: True
    Supports stealth onion services: False
  3. Save
  4. Add file to be shared and start sharing -> pops up following message:
    Error talking to the Tor controller.
    If you’re using Whonix, check out whonix wiki (link) to make OnionShare work.

OnionShare is currently impossible to use. I am using latest Qubes, fully updated.

2

Version of OnionShare in Debian buster (Whonix is based on buster) is quite old.

1.3.2

Guess: Installation of a newer version of OnionShare might fix this.

Possibility: OnionShare’s onion-grater profile lacks whitelisting of some Tor control protocol commands required for stealth onion services. It’s been a some time since I tested these last time.

To debug:
Watch onion-grater’s log on Whonix-Gateway ™ while using it.

sudo journalctl -f -u onion-grater

Related:

//cc @mig5

3

Just tried OnionShare in latest Workstation, can anyone else confirm it simply doesn’t work? It doesn’t for me. Would be awesome if it can work by default in Whonix.

I first get a pop-up:

"Command filtered

Try adjusting how OnionShare connects to the Tor network in Settings."

Then if I try to use it it just quits / crashes.

4

That would require deciding to allow default partial whitelisted Tor control protocol access for commands required to create onion services through Tor control protocol. Would lower security for everyone by default who does not use applications that require Tor control protocol access for commands required to create onion service.

Need to follow instructions OnionShare - Whonix

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